Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

I have a strong feeling that the new Harry Potter movie would earn more bad reviews than good, there being more bloggers now who would rather pounce at a popular subject to react on rather than have a day pass by and not have anything to write about. I just finished reading one so-called review, for want of a better irony, and I just had to do this post or suffer puking my gut out. For all eternity.

Here's the thing: I've read all the books (so did several million others). I started with the first book even before the first movie started filming (so did several million more). And, to set a reliability threshold at what I am about to say, I have impeccable taste. Now, bite me. Bitch.

For the reality check part, the movie is a book adaptation. Read it if you haven't yet because it is a film for the heightened appreciation of those who have read it. End of discussion. Discarding portions of it is a necessity dictated by constraints like budget, time, resources (like CGI process detailing, manpower, integration capabilities, etc.). It may be common knowledge but reiterating seems in order since hordes of director-and-movie-critic-wannabees would as much as claw at each other just so they could be the first to enumerate in full numbered detail which part of the book, complete with page and chapter name and number, were either left out, added on, misquoted, or misinterpreted. Then there would be another category where the wannabees would do a full disection: telling which parts should come first, how the film should have shown scenes in the order that should be, and how Hagrid and Madame Maxine's passionate love scene up in the owlery should have been done with subdued lighting. If it gets you off, brother. By all means.

The film, in its entirety, was just spectacular, simply put. The directing has been handed to Mike Newell who managed to marry both style and substance rather well. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint have all matured, not just by their looks and real age, but in acting as well. Notable is how Daniel and Rupert gave life to Harry and Ron's falling-out-of-friendship and how real they made the awkward moment of having to reconcile seem. As for Emma, that scene at the ball, bursting with elation and admiration and later shifting to dramatically portray sheer disgust, hopelessness, and worry (at the scene where she hugs Harry for the first task) was something which just admirably grew in her in time. Ralph Fiennes did the role of Lord Voldemort well. Every bit as sinister, cold, terrifying, and monstrous as what we have all imagined him to be, and more. Brendan Gleeson also gave the "F" in the freak that was Mad-Eye Moody, whose portrayal was far greater than those given to the character in print. On the sidelines, but who also did rather well for the roles, are those who played the repulsive Prof. McGonagall, apologetic Cho Chang, enchanted Viktor Krum, thankful Fleur Delacour, provocative Moaning Myrtle, ensnaring Madame Maxime, stoic Igor Karkaroff, irritating Rita Skeeter, underconficent and emotionally distraught Neville Longbottom, eager-to-please Peter "Wormtail" Pittigrew, and good ol' Albus Dumbledore (the adjective being the part where they had most notably delivered in the film, except for the "good ol'" for Dumbledore because he did ok by just being old, and, um, good) .

The way emotions were portrayed to be as real as they could get was the real magic that earned the movie my overwhelming satisfaction. Note how sorry Cho really looked at the owlery. How Harry shook in frustration and anger and hatred and remorse as he held on Cedric's cold body while crying uncontrollably. How Hermione exploded in sympathy over the nostalgic Neville who stood and watched helplessly at the power of the Cruciatus Curse (thereby reliving the spell that did his parents in). How Cedric was genuinely thankful on Harry's stopping to save him from the obstacle in the maze. How the three friends parted ways in end, holding on to promises of getting in touch through letters.

Then, there are the kickass CGIs and sequences. From the great Quidditch World Cup openning, the magical entrance of the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, the complexity of how the tasks of the Triwizard Tournament were shown, and the power-packed duel between Voldemort and Harry to the vividly intricate settings and backdrops.

We were lucky to have gotten tickets on the first screening night. Go catch the film and relive the magic yourself.

Poster from http://www.movieweb.com/movies/
HARRY POTTER and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R. 2005