Goblet of Fire • Non-Gaming • Film • Eurogamer.net

ilmaestro 18 Nov 2005 03:30:39 32,932 posts
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Just got back from watching this, it was absolutely stunning. With the exception of possible a couple too many attempted moments of humour that just sounded flat or out of place this was a fabulous, energetic reimagining of the story. Not a lot is changed (although some fairly important bits are), and almost all of the changes make sense, some for the better. The effects are top notch, with a great sense of scale given to the three Triwizard tasks. The first 15 minutes or so are exceptionally rapid in their pace, cutting through a lot of waffle in the book, to the extent that it feels like a prologue and that the real film starts with the selection process for the tournament. The kids have grown into their roles (at the very least in terms of their appearance) quite nicely, and with the exception of Cho's Scottish accent the new characters have been cast superbly (always did love Trigger). The darker tone that most of the film takes is very atmospheric, and with the fabulous action scenes help the film to keep flying along at a terrific pace. Can't wait to go back and watch it again, easily the best Potter film so far (although GoF is my favorite book, so...) and an excellent action-fantasy film in its own right. Might tidy this up a bit when I'm not as tired, but I recommend that any fan of Harry Potter sees this as soon as possible, even if you weren't too thrilled by the first two films. Anyone who isn't a fan of Harry Potter, well you'll quite possibly enjoy the film, although the story will be a good bit less cohesive, obviously, but why are you reading this thread in the first place?

Oh yeah, and with every HP film, Emma Watson gets that bit closer to being legal ;P

Edited by ilmaestro at 03:39:50 18-11-2005

Toonster 18 Nov 2005 03:38:02 6,930 posts
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ilmaestro wrote:
J

Oh yeah, and with every HP film, Emma Watson gets that bit closer to being legal ;P

Edited by ilmaestro at 03:39:50 18-11-2005

Oh, you cheeky bastard, you!

/nudges

Tricky 18 Nov 2005 11:33:40 5,088 posts
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ecosse_011172 wrote:

ilmaestro wrote:

Oh yeah, and with every HP film, Emma Watson gets that bit closer to being legal ;P

Edited by ilmaestro at 03:39:50 18-11-2005
I got such a hard time from my mates when I innocently commented that she'd be rather attractive in a few years...

Yeah, but that's only 'cos they felt guilty about thinking the same thing.

Off to see this at 5.30 tonight so I'm definitely looking forward to it. otto's right - the first two films were boring as hell (or sucked from the cock of goats, the cooooooooock, if you prefer) but the third one was bloody brilliant. From what I've heard about it, this one tops the third film.

Now of course the next challenge is: how do you make Order of the Phoenix interesting? ;-)

quedex 18 Nov 2005 11:36:49 3,135 posts
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Tricky wrote:
Now of course the next challenge is: how do you make Order of the Phoenix interesting?

Filming OotP should be quite easy considering it is only 2 pages of story embedded in 17000 pages of JK Rowling's verbal diarrhoea.

Deleted user 18 November 2005 11:37:19

My mate made a comment that Hermione was fuckable once.

This was after we'd seen the first film.

We don't talk to him much anymore.

StixxUK 18 Nov 2005 11:37:31 8,755 posts
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Weeelll.... (having not seen the film myself) I reckon the films are really made for people that enjoyed the books and know all the back-story and what's going on, so you might miss one or two details. They're straightforward enough that you can understand them easil on their own, I would have thought. Especially if you've seen the earlier films.

Ecanem 18 Nov 2005 11:41:41 5,039 posts
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Made the same comments about Natalie Portman when I saw her in Leon.. My mate agreed though.. =P

As for Potter.. pah.. its for kids and they'll probably love it..

I've only seen the first movie (forced to sit down and watch it with my kid) - hated every minute of it.. poor acting shit direction and.. you get the picture - not a fan..

Deleted user 18 November 2005 11:44:40

Gremmi wrote:
My mate made a comment that Hermione was fuckable once.

This was after we'd seen the first film.

We don't talk to him much anymore.

It was you, wasn't it?

Deleted user 18 November 2005 11:45:29

Was there a Superman teaser at the begninning?

Ecanem 18 Nov 2005 12:04:05 5,039 posts
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ecosse_011172 wrote:
Look how Natalie Portman turned out, grrr...

Are you saying you wouldn't? Her voice is grating but in my fantasy we're not talking... =P

LaundroMat 18 Nov 2005 12:49:38 1,443 posts
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Having read none of the books, I saw the first HP quite late and liked it, found the second one a bit crap (Noddy should be hanged) and third one was fantastic.

Looking forward to this then.

Incidentally, has anyone seen A History of Violence? Any good?

Ecanem 18 Nov 2005 12:55:40 5,039 posts
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ecosse_011172 wrote:
You misunderstood, I don't care about her voice, I certainly would.

/ remembers how good she looked in EP 2 of Star Wars
/ drools

Ah, my bad then.. it was an "Austin Powers" style grrr and not an angry grrrr.. =P

TheDifficult3rdAlbum Staff 18 Nov 2005 13:55:03 51 posts
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LaundroMat wrote:Incidentally, has anyone seen A History of Violence? Any good?

Yes - Suprisingly good actually. It's got a bit of a shit ending but then so did Empire Strikes Back, so it's no disaster.

Meanwhile - Portman: She's never really done it for me, I have to say.

Deleted user 18 November 2005 14:38:55

/dons overcoat

/leaves for cinema

fergal_oc 18 Nov 2005 14:52:10 2,764 posts
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Can't wait to see this tomorrow

Bit of chrimbly shopping in Reading before heading to the cinema.

Looking back 1 was enjoyable, 2 was a little less enjoyable, 3 was good, but this one looks ace. Best book of the 4, hopefully best film too.

sam_spade 18 Nov 2005 14:54:21 15,745 posts
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cubbymoore wrote:
/dons overcoat

/leaves for cinema

OI! You forgot your puppies.

Tricky 18 Nov 2005 14:58:42 5,088 posts
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TheDifficult3rdAlbum wrote:
Yes - Suprisingly good actually. It's got a bit of a shit ending but then so did Empire Strikes Back

/steadies aim

/fires

"Yes sir, we have taken the heathen out. Clean kill. He won't go spouting rubbish like that again."

ilmaestro 18 Nov 2005 22:07:08 32,932 posts
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otto wrote:
Sounds good! Heard lots of positive reviews of this one so far. How did you rate the first three? Just so I have a point of reference.

(Personally I thought the first two sucked from the cock of goats from the cooooooockk but the third was excellent imo.)

The first two films were underwhelming when it mattered, the Quidditch sequences weren't exciting enough, Philosopher's Stone was too slow at first and too rushed at the end, the kids were useless in the first two, the direction was very much by-the-numbers with not a consideration for the older members of the audience, they spent far too much time at the Dursley's (one of my favorite aspects of the fourth is that we zip very quickly through to Hogwarts, only pausing what seems like momentarily for Harry's dream, an interesting look at the World Cup opening [I was slightly disappointed that Bagman was not included though] and a tremendous, atmospheric reworking of the attack by the Death Eaters). The thing that saved the second one a little for me was that I thought that for a short time in the middle they recreated the atmosphere of Hogwarts during the attacks (especially during the Harry-is-a-parseltongue revelation) quite well.

PoA I enjoyed, I was far more impressed with the highlight effects sequences, and the kids finally started to look the part (this would be the film that confirmed to me that Emma Watson would become 'interesting') especially Radcliffe, who I thought was a major part of why I couldn't really get into the first two films. It also had much better additional cast members (like GoF) and Cuaron also tried to pace the film a lot better, taking a more appropriate amount of time over the finale (or so it felt to me). Overall, I wouldn't say that Harry Potter has ever had a sugar-coated feel to it, and this was also the first film that reflected that. If a had to rate them on a Total Film style star system, I would give the first two ** and the third and fourth ****, although I would say that the GoF is considerably more enjoyable than PoA.

ilmaestro 18 Nov 2005 22:13:54 32,932 posts
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Furbs wrote:
For us non-book readers, does the film make sense?

Overall, yes, definitely, but you might miss bits until you either watch the film over again or really think about what exactly was said and done by different people. On the other hand you could just ignore the bits that you don't quite get, because the really important bits are quite cohesive. In some ways, you might enjoy the film more from not having read the book, because some small aspects of the film are done differently and IMO in a more logical or exciting way than the book but TBH, I'm not sure why any non-book readers are still following the films, as they are all superior in book form (albeit a little more time consuming) and indeed the first two films might, just might, have convinced me that the series wasn't worth following.

ilmaestro 18 Nov 2005 22:16:52 32,932 posts
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kalel wrote:
Was there a Superman teaser at the begninning?

No. Kong and Narnia were the only 'big' films teased/trailed where I saw it.

/is not suprised @cubby

Edited by ilmaestro at 22:27:15 18-11-2005

ProfessorLesser 18 Nov 2005 22:45:45 19,693 posts
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Just gotten back from seeing this.

4 stars is about right. I'm disappointed, though. The 4th book was the one I always thought was written for film, and it has so many quality moments in it that were dropped. The film could easily have been 5 stars... if only it could have been longer.

It's not short by any means, but I'd have happily sat an extra half an hour to see the respective challengers' battles against the dragons, and the brilliant entirety of the third task.

Missed oportunity, though. Where it is very good is actually in fairly strong performances from all three of the kiddies. Emma Watson is actually starting to make me tingle... you know... 'down there'. And anyone who says otherwise is either gay, lying or a lot older than I am. I do worry that she'll just become another Keira Knightley, though. That is, type-cast by her voice alone.

Ron and Harry were pretty good, certainly their best performances yet. Unfortunately, as ilmaestro quite astutely comments, the moments of comic relief are dire, and thoroughly kill the atmosphere. They're not even funny - in most films I can let it slide if I actually laugh. In this film it made me want to turn around and beat the 8-year-old girl behind me who did laugh with my bare fists.

Michael Gambon wasn't as crap as in the third film.

That's all I have to say until a second viewing cements my overall opinions.

Deleted user 18 November 2005 22:49:29

Post deleted

Deleted user 18 November 2005 22:49:52

ProfessorLesser wrote:
Emma Watson is actually starting to make me tingle... you know... 'down there'.

/quotes for posterity

If I'm going down I'm taking you guys with me!

Deleted user 18 November 2005 22:52:33

Actually made me cough from laughing, bastard.

ProfessorLesser 18 Nov 2005 22:57:36 19,693 posts
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Pff. Cubby's probably older than I am anyway.

ilmaestro 18 Nov 2005 22:59:00 32,932 posts
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I agree about Gambon, although the direction they've taken Dumbledore in still doesn't sit quite right with me. I'm not sure I needed to see the other dragon battles (they're not in the book, after all) but I agree that the omissions from the third task were an oversight, as much I was impressed by the style of the sequence and the idea of the maze itself as an adversary.

The worst of all the lines that were in there to try and make the kids giggle was surely Ron's 'piss off'. It was just unnesessary in a HP movie.

I think we'll soon be at the stage where the opposition to the 'Emma Watson comments are fair game' side of things is severely outnumbered.

What did you think of the distinct changes from the book (how they dealt with Barty Crouch Jnr. etc...) Prof?

Deleted user 18 November 2005 23:00:49

Four years, seven months, and five days older than her.

...

Not that I'm planning on using that in court or anything.

ProfessorLesser 18 Nov 2005 23:09:21 19,693 posts
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I have to be honest, I don't remember the book all that well. It's been a good two years, though. Don't Ron and Hermione tell Harry how the other 3 dealt with their dragons? I'd have liked to have seen it.

I remember some fella called Bagman vaguely, but nothing about what his relevence was. Didn't Percy fit in somewhere as well? The whole Quidditch World Cup sequence was rushed. At the very least, we should've seen the actual game.

I quite liked how they handled Barty Crouch Jr. in all but the tongue-flicking - that was poorly judged. The audience knew who Mad Eye Moody really was, then, long before we did in the book. The end sequence was also rushed - where was the emphasis on Snape and Malfoy as Death Eaters? Where was Harry's frantic questioning of Dumbledore?

You're right about him, too. He's not right. But he is at least better than in PoA.

ilmaestro 18 Nov 2005 23:11:01 32,932 posts
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Yeah well, as far as I'm aware, I'm still young enough to have a chance at getting by on the 'but I thought she was sixteen guv!' defence

/officially can't wait for the next film...

ProfessorLesser 18 Nov 2005 23:13:58 19,693 posts
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ilmaestro wrote:
/officially can't wait for the next film...

Do me a favour! I'm fucking dreading it.

I can't possibly see how it will be good, in any way. Not even if it's selectively spliced with the 6th book in an effort to make a complete film. There's no way it can be good. Without a complete re-writing.

The story from the 4th book onwards is, I'm sorry to say, just inherently bad.

Oh, AND ANOTHER THING... what about that naughty unregistered animagus, eh? Eh? Filthy tabloid scum.