HPGOF Fiesta

Spoiler Alert: If u have not watched HPGOF, I think it'd be better for you to leave this post till after you've watched it. Now, proceed at your own risk. You've been sufficiently warned. Come on, there's still time to change your mind. lol..

For those not in the know (and shame on you), HPGOF is the widely accepted abbreviation for Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire.

Ok, niceties aside. This won't be a really sweet, spice and everything nice blog entry coz this post will be where I lash out at everything that went wrong in said movie.

Granted, it was a great movie-going experience if you're not a real Harry Potter fan. Again granted, I tot this was a better movie, in terms of content and acting than its predecessors.

However, it might have been a good, even great movie had the director decided to not change too much of the of the original storyline under the pretensious pretext of "creative freedom"! Bah!

Yes, I do know that some tiny changes are inevitable when it comes to adapting stories from books into movies but I think that some of the changes made are really avoidable since they're way annoying.

Right, time to sharpen my sword.

1. Firstly, I hate the guy playing Krum. Coz in my imagination (according to the description in the books), Krum is not so supposed to look like that. Was he supposed to be that buff? And how come the relationship that developed between him and Hermione wasn't what it was like in the book? She was supposed to be quite indifferent to him [while other girls go gaga over him coz he's a Triwizard champion & a famed Seeker] while he's was attracted by her intellect!! Yes, Hermione didn't actually go gaga over him [thk god] but the look on her face says the opposite in the scene where Krum goes jogging while being chased by girls. There was a little smile. So wrong. No wonder Ron looked so sulky at the ball. I don't blame him.

2. I tot the scene where Harry battled the dragon was a bit lagging. It wasn't that long in the book and they didn't go around and around the castle, okay? It'd have been better have they save the extra time to film how the other champions got their golden egg. [I was looking forward to it, but sadly disappointed.] But maybe only the protagonist is supposed to be filmed more. Hmmm...

3. And Dumbledore was damn fierce leh! There was one scene where he grabbed seized Harry by the neck! That's so uncharacteristic of the kind gentle Dumbledore. He doesn't even come close to portraying the real Dumbledore in the book. I wished the late Richard Harris (the person who was Dumbledore in the first 2 movies) was still alive coz he gave a great representation of the character in the book. I want him to come back! =(

4. Oh ya, what's with the weird twiddly sighing entrance of the Beauxbaton girls??? That's too creepy la!! AHHH!! And the butterflies? Major Eww. Btw, I must say when did Beauxbaton become a girl's only school and the Durmstrang lot become boys only leh? What la? Do they have to change that? But the Durmstrang entrance performance was okay la (though not in the book). Oh ya, almost forgot, how come Fleur doesn't look like a Veela?? She just looks normal only. Hmm..

5. Right, although the casting of whoever playing Cedric Diggory was good, but who made him into a proud, full-of-himself guy? You can see it in his expressions! I tot he was supposed to be a decent, honest guy--being in Hufflepuff & everything. But his portrayal made Dumbledore's eulogy of him at the end seemed fake la! Argh..

6. Well, do they have to make the merpeople so utterly hideous? I know, they are not described as 'beautiful' in the books too but they're not that ugly!! And looking at the promotional pics, I honestly tot that the pic of a mermaid was a Grindylow (sort of sea creature). Eww. Now only I know. The things they shld change, they don't.

7. Oh ya, the last part where Lord Voldemort & Harry duelled, there was no explanation whatsoever why Priori Incantatem happened. Ppl who haven't read the book (a lot of my frenz haven't) couldn't understand!

8. Btw, why they didn't mention how Barty Crouch senior really died? That he was murdered by his son, who was pretending to be Mad-Eye Moody using polyjuice potion.

9. Also, why they didn't show how adamant was Cornelius Fudge (Minister of Magic) that Lord Voldemort was not back? Or how abt his dementor (as a guard) killed/destroyed Barty Crouch junior with the Dementor's kiss? Aren't this & the above some of the keypoints in the story?

10. Mad-Eye Moody eye's is just weird. Why was the fake one so big? It wasn't what I imagined. And what you see onscreen is going to affect how you imagine your characters in the books liao. O.o

11. Yeah, summore why they didn't show how the Quidditch World Cup ended? I tot it'd be interesting. But I do give them credit for the way they filmed that part. Marvellous. I could really feel the intense atmosphere then. Heck, I even felt like squealing in excitement myself. Hehe.. But when the Death Eaters suddenly stampeded the tents, the storyline was twisted. How come Harry wasn't in the forest with Hermione & Ron? It became kinda weird... I dunno how to say la. =(

12. Oh ya. Do you know what the Goblet of Fire is, translated into Malay? Gelas Berapi. Huh?! For one, it's not a glass leh. The limitations of our national language.. But better not say more. Or else I better get a lawyer. :P

Okay, that's all the cons I can think of. Hey, I'm not so a meanie so I going to do the pros too, so you & I wouldn't feel too bad abt this movie.

Why you still should watch said movie:

1. Two words--Acting chops. Fabulous. Magnificent. There was good acting by the 3 main characters. They really have improved immensely over the years. I lurve Ron as the touchy, angsty teen who was's not aware of the feelings between him & Hermione. [Though personally, I prefer that Hermione and Harry got together but I'm not the author, am I?] Anyhow, his portrayal was good.

2. Harry's buffed up his acting chops too. I rmb in the first movie, his acting was so lousy that even I could detect it without so much a glance. He was more like a 'vase' in that first movie. Now he's good! =)

3. Well, Emma Watson playing Hermione is so pretty, no, beautiful!! That's a good reason to watch, ain't it? Haha... Anyway, her acting has always been on par, but sadly, she was (maybe asked to portray) Hermione as a bitchy, touchy person which is not very like her book persona. Granted, she wasn't that serene in the book either (pressure of falling in love with Ron maybe *snigger* ) but she wasn't that anal, okay!!

4. Rita Skeeter to the life! I love it! =) That was one of the few ppl that I had imagined quite accurately. Acidly funny~

5. Snape. Evil as always. Funny even. Where he kept cricking their necks for talking. Picking on Harry & Ron as usual coz the others were whispering too.

6. Fred & George provide lots of comedy in this movie. I like the part where they sniggered at Ron for dancing with Prof Mcgonagall and also the part where Fred asked Angelina to the Yule Ball via sign language.. Damn funny~ But I tot Angeline was a caucasian. Hmm.

7. The Prefect's bathroom scene. Hilarious~ Moaning Myrtle was really funny, however in the book, she wasn't that hamsap, okay? But the scene was priceless lah. Her acting is quite believable. Kudos~

Sad to say, the cons far outstripped the cons. But I must say, the movie does have its moments. So, I'll still ask you to go watch it!! =D It's still better than the last few, though they have cut out a lot of the crucial points. But what to do, that's the risk one gotta take when you do adaptations. *Sigh* But I still think it's great with all its flaws. Haha.. [Who said I was objective one ah?]

For more, do read XiaXue's account of it. Click here.