Excellent both as a film and as a book adaptation

Rating: 6/10 (13 May 2006)

I just watched it again, for the first time since I saw it in theatres, and it holds up very well. I'm able to forgive liberties with the plot because I realize that this is a movie, and if I wanted the entire plot, I could just read the book again. What makes movies successful adaptations of books is if they capture the mood and the themes of them, not the story word for word necessarily. Too many people disliked the film simply because it left too much out. If they put everything in, the film would be 5 hours long and would have cost $500 million. So I'm able to put up with stuff cut out.
That being said, this is a fantastic film. The story is very well done for a Potter film, they're able to cut most of the useless stuff and combine some redundancies to make a great plot. I didn't feel like anything was really missing. The Quidditch World Cup would have been nice to see, but I understand why they cut it - for time and money issues - and it didn't have any effect on the story (still, they didn't have any qualms about extending the dragon scene). The pacing at the beginning is a bit off - more of an introduction would have been welcome - and the ended seems rushed, but the entire middle, from when they get to Hogwarts to the graveyard scene, is done very well. The performances are great, I didn't notice a single weak actor of the lot. Gleeson in particular stands out, he really nailed Moody. Fiennes tends to chew scenery a bit, but I suppose that's capturing Voldemort well. All of the returnees do well in very small parts. I would have liked to see more of Malfoy Sr. and Sirius in particular, but oh well. The kids are very good, it's great to see them mature from the painful first film. The teen angst stuff is a bit unwelcome, but I guess it reflects the environment.
Technically, this film is sound. Cinematography, editing, production design, music, all are top-notch. It's too bad John Williams wasn't able to return to score this film, his music for Azkaban was one of the best and most original I've ever heard. The conductor this time around seems to be just going through the motions, he doesn't add much that Williams hasn't already done. Still, Williams' score is so fantastic that it doesn't matter. The editing could have been a bit smoother at times, but for the most part, it's very well done. Cinematography and production design are excellent, as with all the films. I preferred Azkaban's dark, Gothic tones more, but Goblet still manages to be dark in its own way. The visual effects are fantastic, as expected. The dragon is superbly done. The entire chase scene with it is very thrilling, and one of the best in the film. The "magic in the background" isn't used as excellently as in the third film, but it still pops up every now and then. And the ending is very emotional and touching.
Overall, this is the second best Potter film and third best of the year, after Batman Begins and Revenge of the Sith, so far. I liked Azkaban more because I like the book better - much more mysterious and intriguing plot - and I thought Cuaron brought a Gothic feel to the series that was both unique and needed. But this is still a great film. It's amazing how much better the last two films are over the first two. Columbus really doesn't know how to make an original film. All in all, an excellently made film and very good adaptation of the source material. After seeing it a second time, my grade remains an A.