GOF: spark-notes style

Rating: Null/10 (18 November 2005)

Don't set your poor little hopes too high about this movie.
I feel like the director was relying too heavily on his audiences being devout Potter fans and not enough on actually telling the story. The movie was like watching an easy digest, in- case-you-missed-it-while-reading, spark notes version of events. True, we were supplied with the bare essentials to make things click (namely the beginning and end of important events) but all of that crucial middle stuff that ties it all together was missing.
Not enough focus was put on the actual story, ahem parts being rushed over or cut out to make way for five hour special effect dragon chases. All very impressive, all very dramatic, but i'd rather have had a plot thankyouverymuch. The director did a nice job with teen awkwardness but enough already with myrtle trying to sneak a peak at harry. He's going through puberty, he's awkward as all hell, we get it OK?
As for Ralph Fiennes as voldemort, he was good, but not much of a stretch for him for those of you who saw the English patient. The costuming and makeup were virtually the same. Also, did anyone else find it hard to accept the guy from maid in Manhattan as the most evil evil havoc making dark wizard of all time and forever? All in all a pretty simple movie, with moral fiber tacked hastily on as an afterthought and some nice eye candy in Diggory. Hmm...what else would you expect from a HP movie? Go and see it but pay matinÃ©e prices. Or download an audio book, it might just be cheaper and more satisfying.