Harry Potter

We went to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire last night. I was interested to see how they would distill a sloppy 750 page book into a decent film. I knew there would be fantastic special effects, and due to the actors involved, some great performances too. I needn't have worried - the film is pretty good.

SPOILER ALERT

Firstly, I think at times too much prior knowledge was assumed. Of course most of the people watching the film will have read the book, but nonetheless Death Eater related matters for example were never really explained.

Secondly, the Quidditch World Cup was a missed opportunity. They almost pulled it off, but it appeared to be the victim of savage editing.

Onto the positives. The chemistry between the stars is great. Espcially Hermione at the end of the Yule Ball.

Two of the new characters are outstandingly portrayed: Mad Eye Moody and Barty Crouch Jr.

The visuals are at times breathtaking. perhaps there are too many to cite - so I won't try.

The biggest downside to the film is that it is a trifle long. It was almost as if the Director did not know whether to have short hair or long hair and ended up with a mullet. There were plot-lines that did not make much sense because crucial scenes had been cut. The film would have been better without such sub-plots.

But on the whole it was an enjoyable film, and one that I will be buying when it comes out on DVD. So it can't be too bad!