A Disappointing Movie

Rating: 8/10 (10 January 2006)

I've seen GoF about 4 times now. If there is one word to describe this movie, it would be DISAPPOINTING. Don't get me wrong, judged on its own merits, this GoF is a good, though not memorable, movie. However, to judge this movie means to take it in its proper context as a Harry Potter film in the Harry Potter series.
This is the first HP movie of the four that I think FAILED to live up to the hype and general spirit of the books. Even the first two movies, for all its pandering to a childish audience and pedestrian emotional depth, was able to convey the essential innocence, wonder and curiosity that dominates Harry's experiences in the first two books. Each successive time I saw GoF I hoped my disappointment would wane only to be disappointed again. Others have expounded on where the movie went right. So where did the movie go wrong? First, GoF was missing the richness of the magical world. GoF is shot in a realistic style, eliminating nuances such as the moving pictures and the ghosts. However, of the books, Goblet serves as the ultimate showcase for the magical world. Both the Quidditch World Cup and the Triwizard Tournament set this segment of the series in a grandiosely fervent environment equivalent to that of the World Cup, the Olympics, and the Super Bowl. Because the film is shot to make everything seem ordinary, the audience misses the pageantry of the magical world at its best.
Second, the movie is very, very choppy. The transitions from scene to scene and in many cases even the dialogue between characters seem rushed. Examples include the end of the film when Dumbledore says the "what is right vs what is easy" line in response to Harry's description of priori incantatem and when Harry consoles Hermoine's solemn "things are going to be different" line with a sarcastically simple "yes". There is the abrupt end to Harry in Winter and the uselessness of Ginny's "don't be so mean" right before the Second Task. Lines and scenes just don't fit together.
Third, certain relationships and character traits in the film are not developed well. Among the missing - 1) upon meeting the Diggorys, the conversation regarding Quidditch from the previous year would have better shown Cedric's humility, 2) Hermoine helping Harry with Accio before the First Task would have shown how much more magical learning he requires in comparison to the other Champions (and after all Hermoine is Harry's other best friend not Neville), 3) Draco's sharp wit isn't evident in his insults and he's portrayed as comic relief.