kennahijja (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
kennahijja) wrote2005-11-26 09:57 pm
kennahijja) wrote2005-11-26 09:57 pm
the GoF Movie
GoF impressions... very belatedly... very disorganised... and cut for spoilers (and probably people getting bored reading about it...)
Oh, yes, I liked it! Immensely, in fact, even more than PoA.
What struck me most was that the film really brought to live and made me love all the scenes I found a tad boring in the book - the tournament, the teen romance stuff. That, and that there was no mis-step at all in the visuals this time (unlike the werewolf in PoA...). It just *looked* gorgeous throughout, the World Cup, Beauxbaton's Carriage and even more so the Durmstrang ship, the Dragon (I'd been worried about those), the underwater world, the graveyard... All amazingly done.
My only serious WTF?!? moment was the World Cup, or rather, the lack of it... the only instance of bad pacing for me in an otherwise engaging and exciting film. Because, well, that was like 'oops, we showed all the lead-in and lead-out, but forgot the main event'. I grumbled at that for minutes, even at first seeing...
Loved the casting of the new characters, most of all Rita Skeeter (who stole just every scene she was in and the innuendo was *so* brilliant), and Voldemort (the second thing I was seriously worried about beforehand). Did not miss the red eyes at all. He was very different from my mental image, but the mixture of menace, restless energy and charisma, and I loved the sneaky-affectionate way he's got with his followers; I *saw* why they might want to follow them beyond being addicted to a weekly dose of the Cruciatus... And call me twisted, but I found him rather attractive (*she says, and hopes for an influx of Voldie-slash*). And the way his robe was formed out of shadows was just absolutely gorgeous. *And* I found him stroking Cedric's face with his foot beyond amazing (barefoot!Voldemort rocks!). And his expression while torturing Harry against that statue was borderline indecent! I loved it (*winks at![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
annephoenix)
Oh, and of course there's Barty Crouch, who must be the best rendering of a colourless book villain ever! My, my... rather hot, that young man, wasn't he? Yep, Voldie gets the best minions...
Talking of minions, there was too little Lucius (but there *always* is too little Lucius), although his accosting Harry by cane had me squeeing, and it was *so* obvious how he was Voldemort's favourite in the graveyard, bitching about disloyalty aside :). Too little Draco too, though he made the most adorable of ferrets! (that was another brilliant scene, including frantic!Minerva and Moody sticking out his tongue behind her back).
The few moments Snape had just *shone*. The slapping Ron and Harry (my inner slasher squeed some more), the potions cupboard scene (and his *voice* when he 'compliments' Harry, the way he touches Dumbledore's shoulder after Cedric, and the look between him and Harry when the Polyjuice ingredient theft is cleared up... *sighs*. Snape just rules! Although his exposure as a Death Eater was ridiculously backgrounded, as if it was more of a hint than a crucial plot element :(.
The trio... mixed feelings. I've never had many problems with film!Harry and lack of emotional range, and neither this time round. The body language in the scene where he comes 'round the gravestone to face Voldemort was so intense it made me shiver. Ron... never worked for me at all until this film, where he is *not* just grimacing comic relief, but really gets emotions across. His fallout with Harry was done so very well, and I really, really liked him this time 'round. Hermione I found even more annoying this time 'round, too perfect and too foregrounded. I could see where the H/Hr shippers were getting their illusions from, because it felt lots like a duo than a trio at times, even after Ron and Harry made up (which my inner slasher also drooled over).
I had great fun with the 'no, this is *not* a movie for children'-innuendo throughout. From a bit of chan with Rita molesting Harry in the broom closet, to Myrtle molesting poor Harry in the bath (*rotflmao*), to the bath-talk of Harry and Cedric, to 'physical' Krum... amazing!
What did not work so well... Moody was an excellent actor, but he did not *look* the part for me - too young, not paranoid enough. I liked the looks of the school entrances (very pretty), but very much not the uncanonical 'pretty French girls' - 'tough northern guys' division. And I found Fleur's role very dodgy/sexist throughout as a champion - we're not given a reason for her abandoning the second task, and I was really annoyed by all the sobbing hysteria in the maze even *before* we get to see that Krum was after her. Too much a message of 'girls just can't cut it' for me. Cedric and Krum, on the other hand, were just right (and my inner slasher fell out of its chair at the Ron/Krum subtext after the world cup!).
Oh, and is it my imagination or was there a continuity error when the story about Hermione and Krum is in the DP before the ball even takes place? Another instance that bothered me was that very unmotivated singing trip with Hagrid through the woods just to make up an occasion to trip over Crouch's body.
Also, Dumbledore, wtf? Knocking Harry into the wall like that, and the near-hysteria every once in a while? Followed by the 'We've lost poor Cedric, woe - I really like burning curtains, Harry' thing...?
But wibbles aside, I really loved the film, and will certainly watch it again when it turns up in English at our local cinema again, in a month or two. Had great fun. And have yet to see that floating plate with toasthummelchen told me in vain to look out for...
Oh, yes, I liked it! Immensely, in fact, even more than PoA.
What struck me most was that the film really brought to live and made me love all the scenes I found a tad boring in the book - the tournament, the teen romance stuff. That, and that there was no mis-step at all in the visuals this time (unlike the werewolf in PoA...). It just *looked* gorgeous throughout, the World Cup, Beauxbaton's Carriage and even more so the Durmstrang ship, the Dragon (I'd been worried about those), the underwater world, the graveyard... All amazingly done.
My only serious WTF?!? moment was the World Cup, or rather, the lack of it... the only instance of bad pacing for me in an otherwise engaging and exciting film. Because, well, that was like 'oops, we showed all the lead-in and lead-out, but forgot the main event'. I grumbled at that for minutes, even at first seeing...
Loved the casting of the new characters, most of all Rita Skeeter (who stole just every scene she was in and the innuendo was *so* brilliant), and Voldemort (the second thing I was seriously worried about beforehand). Did not miss the red eyes at all. He was very different from my mental image, but the mixture of menace, restless energy and charisma, and I loved the sneaky-affectionate way he's got with his followers; I *saw* why they might want to follow them beyond being addicted to a weekly dose of the Cruciatus... And call me twisted, but I found him rather attractive (*she says, and hopes for an influx of Voldie-slash*). And the way his robe was formed out of shadows was just absolutely gorgeous. *And* I found him stroking Cedric's face with his foot beyond amazing (barefoot!Voldemort rocks!). And his expression while torturing Harry against that statue was borderline indecent! I loved it (*winks at
annephoenix)Oh, and of course there's Barty Crouch, who must be the best rendering of a colourless book villain ever! My, my... rather hot, that young man, wasn't he? Yep, Voldie gets the best minions...
Talking of minions, there was too little Lucius (but there *always* is too little Lucius), although his accosting Harry by cane had me squeeing, and it was *so* obvious how he was Voldemort's favourite in the graveyard, bitching about disloyalty aside :). Too little Draco too, though he made the most adorable of ferrets! (that was another brilliant scene, including frantic!Minerva and Moody sticking out his tongue behind her back).
The few moments Snape had just *shone*. The slapping Ron and Harry (my inner slasher squeed some more), the potions cupboard scene (and his *voice* when he 'compliments' Harry, the way he touches Dumbledore's shoulder after Cedric, and the look between him and Harry when the Polyjuice ingredient theft is cleared up... *sighs*. Snape just rules! Although his exposure as a Death Eater was ridiculously backgrounded, as if it was more of a hint than a crucial plot element :(.
The trio... mixed feelings. I've never had many problems with film!Harry and lack of emotional range, and neither this time round. The body language in the scene where he comes 'round the gravestone to face Voldemort was so intense it made me shiver. Ron... never worked for me at all until this film, where he is *not* just grimacing comic relief, but really gets emotions across. His fallout with Harry was done so very well, and I really, really liked him this time 'round. Hermione I found even more annoying this time 'round, too perfect and too foregrounded. I could see where the H/Hr shippers were getting their illusions from, because it felt lots like a duo than a trio at times, even after Ron and Harry made up (which my inner slasher also drooled over).
I had great fun with the 'no, this is *not* a movie for children'-innuendo throughout. From a bit of chan with Rita molesting Harry in the broom closet, to Myrtle molesting poor Harry in the bath (*rotflmao*), to the bath-talk of Harry and Cedric, to 'physical' Krum... amazing!
What did not work so well... Moody was an excellent actor, but he did not *look* the part for me - too young, not paranoid enough. I liked the looks of the school entrances (very pretty), but very much not the uncanonical 'pretty French girls' - 'tough northern guys' division. And I found Fleur's role very dodgy/sexist throughout as a champion - we're not given a reason for her abandoning the second task, and I was really annoyed by all the sobbing hysteria in the maze even *before* we get to see that Krum was after her. Too much a message of 'girls just can't cut it' for me. Cedric and Krum, on the other hand, were just right (and my inner slasher fell out of its chair at the Ron/Krum subtext after the world cup!).
Oh, and is it my imagination or was there a continuity error when the story about Hermione and Krum is in the DP before the ball even takes place? Another instance that bothered me was that very unmotivated singing trip with Hagrid through the woods just to make up an occasion to trip over Crouch's body.
Also, Dumbledore, wtf? Knocking Harry into the wall like that, and the near-hysteria every once in a while? Followed by the 'We've lost poor Cedric, woe - I really like burning curtains, Harry' thing...?
But wibbles aside, I really loved the film, and will certainly watch it again when it turns up in English at our local cinema again, in a month or two. Had great fun. And have yet to see that floating plate with toast
hummelchen told me in vain to look out for...
no subject
My definition of 'hot' can be rather warped at times, granted ;). I liked Moody's performance, it's just a matter of looks - like Remus in PoA, who played perfectly, but gave me trouble visually...
no subject