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I'm assuming that no one who cares about the movie hasn't already read the book.
(reposted from elsewhere: I have posed the following question to a few persons who agree with my assessment, but want to state it for the record: was not the entire tri-wizard tournament a gigantic MacGuffin? Couldn't the dude who was orchestrating the whole thing simply have enchanted any old object Harry was likely to touch to cause him to be transported to the graveyard, or otherwise compel him in a more straightforward way? Granted: the tournament provided a means for Harry to show off his skillz, and get a little artificial conflict between him and wossname. But it could have been so much simpler.)
And don't try the "but it's hard for bad wizards to get in!" line on me; the dude was already in.
i don't know--it would have happened anyway at the school even if it wasn't a contrivance, and if it wasn't that guy who rigged it, someone else would have, no? might as well make use of things that are happening--it provides cover for dark deeds. : >
(it's been a while since i read that one--the 2nd and 4th were my faves, and i still haven't read the 6th)
I loved it - by far the best HP movie yet and also simply one of the best movies I've seen in ages. It was a lot more realistic, I thought - the kids actually behaved like kids, snarking at each other, being obnoxious.
Great flick, and a shrewd, effective adaptation. I was worried when Cuaron decided not to direct, but I suppose the producers got the picture and sought a similar treatment for book 4.
boringpostcards, when I saw HP, I was hoping it would be the Carly Fiorina Story, myself. Outsized personalities (for IT)! Corporate intrigue (for IT)! A shareholder Mexican standoff to wrap it all up!
The movie may have been the best adaptation from the series yet, but the main plot... Rowling just doesn't understand games, and that tournament is broken in so many ways that it just grates. Same thing for quidditch - it's a completely broken game, and thankfully it's not so prominent in the later books. There is so much ancillary stuff going on the book that it's easier to overlook, but - although I enjoyed the movie a great deal - I left thinking, "That tournament - yep. Stupid. All around."
You know, I felt like it could have been a lot better, although it looked good and many of the parts in and of themselves were good. I think they just had to cram too many plot points into what was already an ass-numbingly long movie. Not enough Snape, not enough Hagrid and not enough time to sort of just ramble along in the atmosphere, the classes and so on. It was just an itinerary, this happened, then this, oh and this and this. It should have been two movies I think (not that this would ever happen). I really like unabriged stuff. Still liked it though and as I am going to have to see it 30 more times because of the kid I might as well find more things to like about it. And the whole tournament was
a total lazy ass Mcguffin. Finnes was awesome by the way, scary bastard. Yay I'm a dork.
I thought they really had to go faster because that book was so internal--it really is a pivot in the series, where he goes from clueless kid to aware semi-adult--it's so about his head in relation to everything else instead of all the things happening outside in the world. Everything is a blur and he's not paying attention to the tournament or his friends or school, etc, because he's too busy inside.
Yeah, I agree, I just missed the atmosphere. And some of the really good tension, like how long Harry and Ron are mad at each other, which is such a good and true part of the book (it get's wrapped up too quickly, the length vs facts to cram in thing, is not the fault of the director, it's just a sad fact, like acne). The actor who plays ron (and could easily go on to play a young Mick Jagger) is named Rupert Grint, what a great name. Grint.
Like I said, I'm going to see it at least 30 to 40 more times, so I'm sure to find many things to interest me or else I will go totally nuts.
I don't think they're too old, Amber, my son & his friends are 14/15 and they look like that crowd, only not as beautiful and self possessed as Hermione.
are you guys hoo boying at the Weasley twins? the Indian twins? ???
my goth, not one had to endure voice cracking or weird hair eruptions, and only Neville actually was believable as 14, i thought (as if his body didn't match his insides--what 13 and 14 was like, i think).
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