Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

[Swordlady]

I saw GoF last Friday, and enjoyed it immensely. However, I do have some gripes:

1. They should've shown some of the World Cup Quidditch match. That would've helped with Krum's character development, which was pretty lacking in the movie. Then again, all of the champions - except Harry, of course - were underdeveloped.
2. They should've also shown the veela at the World Cup, and Fleur's veela bloodline. Again, we learn little about Fleur in the movie - and she reappears in HBP.
3. Cedric Diggory and Cho Chang should've been introduced in PoA; that would've made the emotional impact of Cedric's death deeper.
4. Rita Skeeter's character was wasted. She and Hermione developed an acrimonious relationship in the book - which Hermione used to her advantage in the next book. How are they going to tie her into the OotP movie (which I understand will be in production soon)?
5. Dumbledore didn't explain how Harry and Voldemort's wands connected in the end.

I felt like the movie had an expectation that the viewer has read the book, and could "fill in the blanks". But some of these missing details are going to become more problematic if Books 5-7 hit the big screen.

 

[Navarre]

I felt like the movie had an expectation that the viewer has read the book, and could "fill in the blanks". But some of these missing details are going to become more problematic if Books 5-7 hit the big screen.

I think that's one of the biggest considerations. Regardless of the books, the movies have to lay a foundation that the sequels can build upon. From what you've mentioned, they might indeed have some issues there.

 

[arnisador]

However, I do have some gripes:

1. They should've shown some of the World Cup Quidditch match. That would've helped with Krum's character development, which was pretty lacking in the movie. Then again, all of the champions - except Harry, of course - were underdeveloped.
2. They should've also shown the veela at the World Cup, and Fleur's veela bloodline. Again, we learn little about Fleur in the movie - and she reappears in HBP.
3. Cedric Diggory and Cho Chang should've been introduced in PoA; that would've made the emotional impact of Cedric's death deeper.
4. Rita Skeeter's character was wasted. She and Hermione developed an acrimonious relationship in the book - which Hermione used to her advantage in the next book. How are they going to tie her into the OotP movie (which I understand will be in production soon)?
5. Dumbledore didn't explain how Harry and Voldemort's wands connected in the end.

I definitely agree that the Fleur Delacour character was woefully underdeveloped in the movie. She came across as a wimp who couldn't finish task #2 and was easily taken out by Victor Krum--himself dumbed down to an overly simple "dumb jock" stereotype--in task #3. I also agree on your points 3, 4, and 5. Cho Chang's reaction to Cedric Diggory's death also matters when she and HP start to develop a relationship.

I also thought they made it too easy to see that a certain character was not what he or she appeared to be...whereas in the book the hints were more spread out and buried in other details. But if you hadn't read the book and seen the other movies, and didn't know what that certain potion did, you might not pick up on the significance of the hints as easily, I suppose.

As to showing more of the Quidditch World Cup...here I have mixed feelings. I would've liked to have seen more, yet throughout the movie I felt that the director and editor had made wise choices about showing just enough of many events to get some action in, but not so much that it became overkill. So, I thought that this was a judicious application of leave-them-wanting-more rather than the usual blast-them-with-effects that's so common these days. I actually was impressed by their restraint and felt it contributed to the movie's success.

Surely books 5-7 will be filmed...but I've started to hear people wonder aloud if they'll use the same characters for the kids. I think they'll try very, very hard to do so. Yet, Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) is already 18 years old...who knows?

My son and I talked about whether these movies are now just for those who have read the books. I'd like to hear from someone who has not read the book but has seen the movie--how did you find it as entertainment?

 

[Swordlady]

They didn't have to show the entire match at the World Cup. Even five minutes would've sufficed; just enough to showcase Krum's skills a little, and why he was such a big deal.

I'm also beginning to fear that the HP movies are becoming "fanboy" flicks (i.e., only appealing to those who read the books). Though on the other hand, they may encourage more people to read the books. And getting children to read anything nowadays is quite a feat!