Based on half the novel by J. K. Rowling

Rating: 6/10 (25 November 2005)

That was my comment when "Based on the novel by J. K. Rowling" came up in the end credits.
It _is_ a good movie on its own, but it's going to upset many plot applecarts for the later movies with all the stuff left out and the changes.
It opens with the caretaker scene in the old mansion, with Barty Crouch Jr. added, but not identified yet. Then it jumps to Hermione waking up Harry and Ron at the Weasleys to go to the Quidditch World Cup. They portkey right to the wizard camp and all the bits with muggles are left out (there's not a spot of anything muggle in the whole movie). Then it cuts to just before they go to the Weasley's tent where there's a good scene then *fwing!* they're climbing up to their seats at the Quidditch match where they run into the Malfoys for a bit of banter.
Then it's another jump to the teams' entrances, which is all you get to see of the QWC! There's no fairy gold, Ron has the fancy telescope with no explanation of how, and worst of all, the Bulgarian's cheerleaders aren't shown so there's nothing about the veela, which leads to there being nothing about Fleur being part veela. (THAT is going to cause trouble in later movies!) After the non-match, it's a jump cut back to Weasley's tent, just in time for the Death Eaters to blow up the camp, they're just walking around like the KKK in black robes, no torturing of muggles. Crouch Jr. (still unidentified) is shown setting the Dark Mark.
After all that quick jumping, the movie finally settles down a bit and gets into a more steady flow.
As for the three tests, only Harry's dragon battle is shown, and other than "Accio Firebolt!" it's totally different and needlessly drawn out, and not a bit of humor in the fight. (I was like "What?! He doesn't win by giving the dragon severe conjunctivitis?) Sticking closer to the book here would've at least allowed showing Cedric's battle! The lake test is the segment most true to the book and very well done. (If you've read the book, there's nothing more to say about that!) The maze was a big letdown. No blast ended skrewts, no Sphinx, no monsters at all other than the maze itself.
The resurrection and fight with Voldemort was quite well done, but it left out the bit where Harry and Voldemort fly into the air while their wands are magically connected. (That would have reinforced the concept that they were connected.) I'm looking forward to the extended cut DVD, since there are several posts here by people who saw early screenings saying it was three or more hours long! Hopefully there is quite a bit of footage, especially early in the film, to put back in and make it less jumpy.