Harry Potter & The Goblet Of Fire - Review, Issues & Thoughts For Future Film-making. A short essay ;-)

Rating: 5/10 (4 December 2005)

Harry Potter & The Goblet Of Fire is one good example of how the power of Hollywood is able to manipulate and force directors/scriptwriters into doing something they might not want to do and thus ruining a perfect story. JKR had yet again wrote a good (I dare not use the word excellent for the fear of being bombarded by hundreds of e-mails) book which delighted and captivated millions.
The central issues and themes of the book were obviously: friendship, death, conspiracy and many more second grade ones. However, they were only brushed on for cinematic effect in the film. Maybe I am wrong in blaming just Hollywood for dislocating this film, perhaps JKR actually wanted them to change the script completely - I could be extremely naive, however I doubt this is the case and I confidently believe JKR would not be impressed with the shredding and embarrassing restructure of the script.
There are many scenes (just two I will deal with in this short essay - although if I had more space I would have certainly like to discuss the absence of the elf's) that completely change the story within the book. Sometimes it is necessary to "cut" a certain scene - for instance if it does not build upon and characters or conflict - but not when that scene is vital part where true identities are revealed and the action takes a new turn. The first scene, where Harry is faced with his first task (retrieving a golden egg in a nest guarded by the most ferocious of three dragons imported for the challenge - the Horntail), it seems to me as if very frankly, the scene title was named "SPECIAL EFFECTS SCENE". It was not focusing on the skill of flying on a broomstick Harry inherited from his father, or the courage he has or the tension experienced by his friends. It was rather changed to boost the technology rating of the producing studio. Harry was sent flying round the castle falling on roofs and off them - it did not show how Harry used tactics from Quidditch to his advantage and won the egg, it merrily was a scene for the technology "awe" factor. I do not criticise the tactical use of technology in films (and in a film about magic it would be rather injudicious to say it shouldn't be used) in fact sometimes when used for the right effect it creates an effect not experienced in the book. However I was not the only one who was beginning to be bored with the scene. I noticed children from about the age of six to fifteen starting to fidget and stare at exit signs and fire extinguishers in the hope of something exiting. The fact is that no matter how many special effects you add, how many A-list actors you hire - unless you understand the subtext and it's importance - you may just ruin a perfectly good and important part of the story. This scene was supposed to be the first of three precarious tasks to be faced by Harry, it was supposed to put us on the edge of our seats. I felt as if the seat was more interesting, it certainly slaughtered the issues and themes in this scene.
I felt that the scene where Harry spots Barty Crouch lying in the forest was yet again an example of the eroding of the original text - and worse - poor cutting. It left me and other viewers confused about what was happening and why. According to the book, Harry stumbled on Crouch during the Yule Ball alone and immediately ran to Dumbledore's office where from then on Dumbledore went to find him. This was one of the most interesting and thrilling scenes I found in the book as it dealt with the first step towards the truth and it certainly made the reader begging to know what would happen next. In the film however, Harry stumbled upon him while in a total different scene while Crouch seemed dead not "crazy" like in the book - and the scene instantly cut to Harry casually walking to Dumbledore's office as if nothing had happened. It was certainly poor cutting and rushed post-production. It did not emphasize the seriousness of the matter and the theme of conspiracy in the scene. Yet again it left me confused, irritated and let-down.
Perhaps you are wondering why I decided to talk about these issues. Well when reviewing this film, I felt it necessary to let the two types of viewers going to see this movie (one for its accuracy according to original text, and the other for its action factor.) And therefore I must say, if you are a fan of the original Harry Potter book - you won't be impressed with this film. However if you are going to see it for the special effects - you should thoroughly enjoy this film.
I think that the acting was average (Daniel Radcliff looked as if he was being told exactly what to do instead of trying to use acting instinct) with certain characters (Rupert Grint) seeming more natural in their roles. Music and lighting were used very well to effect and sets seemed in magical perfection.
In conclusion I think that Hollywood needs to thank and respect the authors of these books for coming up with new and fresh ideas (which seem to make good profit at the box office as well) not just disrespect them by unintelligently cutting bits that told the story and expanding bits that did not. As always however, the Harry Potter phenomenon made this film exiting and I must admit it was the main reason why I rated this film at "5". I do hope they respect the next instalment not only as it is one of the most thought about - but it is also my favourite and I hate to be let down.