The Harry Games

Rating: 2/10 (3 March 2013)

Mercifully, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire fixed the error made in the previous feature: they remembered to include an exciting, action packed and door-opening finale. Sadly, they just had to sacrifice the first two-thirds to get to that good conclusion.
So frustrated, I am. I've listened to the fans, to my social circle and to my social media friends. And I've been warned that these movies are made for fans and you MUST HAVE READ THE BOOKS to follow the movies. Hogwash! This is a separate medium and should be treated as such. It should have the elements of the book, but understand there could – and is – a new audience out there.
I'm losing this battle and fast. Even more random scenes cloud this enormously rough entry in the series. In fact the movie is so far all over the place, with ideas, characters, scenes, names, legends, games, grudges it all seems like: YES, YOU NEED TO READ THE BOOK TO CONTINUE.
Well, since I won't read them, after I finished book one, I might be in more trouble as the series progresses. Sadly, I feel my ratings will decrease because I do not feel the writers/directors are going to do the right thing. No lost soul should enter a Christian Church for the first time and be greeted with "So, why are you lost? Have you not read what Christ has done for you? Buffoon! Get out and come back when you read the Bible cover to cover. I don't have time for you."
At any rate, with a surprisingly new opening – i.e. gone are the abusive adopted parents and the vicious warning Harry ignores of his pending death – that involves a kind of game, I guess, that will make someone – wait for it – victorious. Obviously, Harry will be involved, by his own doing or not, though the way the game's played out is less foretold. Including, the three-part game that apparently is spread aimlessly thorough the year. ??
That's the basic synopsis of a film that wanders from here to there, that holds one door open while reaching for the next, that fast forwards teen adolescent, love lost, gained, anger, betrayal, redemption, secrets, etc, etc, etc, and so on and so forth. I get the fact that these are excellent elements to make a good story, but you don't have to use half a dictionary to make one sentence. Pick a direction, a path and have the conviction to stick to it.
Here are some additional thoughts I had while trying to wade through this mess:

I'm actually finding myself caring less and less for these side characters. YES, its Harry's story and journey, but his annoying counterparts could meet their doom by series end and I wouldn't bat an eye.

Ron's bipolar and it's getting increasingly tedious. He's acting hurt, upset, okay, angry, jealous, etc, etc and all the while he's sporting a 1970's Leif Garrett hairdo that's more distracting – and awful – than anything else.

The first three movies, aside from a few key elements, are essentially the same film and should've served as the first hour of ONE movie that these people stretched to four. This chapter, Goblet of Fire, could've filled out the final hour of Harry Potter Part One.

ARG Robert Pattinson. In their defense, he wasn't the UnAlive Creature Bella will lust over in the Twilight series yet, but here's evidence he's been injected with Botox since, at least, age nineteen.

Since roughly 75% of this film's fluff doesn't matter – or at least, they've given me, to date, no reason it should, I would suggest people watch #2 while skipping the first and third movies and just be told that things get darker in part four. And not more clearer, as the dark comment indicates.
(Editor's Note: I decided to listen to the masses for this Harry POTter phenomena and revisit the series. I've only seen the first two, both once and in first run theatres. Since it's been around a decade since the initial releases, I've started over with #1 and will get to what everyone calls: the better years. Cheerio!)