Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

a movie that could have delivered a lot ended up lacking. the first scenes held a lot of promise - we find the gang headed to the Quidditch World Cup. we see the PortKey, the magical tents, the stadium itself, the entry of the rival teams... the suspense builds up, we're going to see a good sports game, folks!, and then.....!

it's back to the tent. what the---?

transition could also use a lot of work. characters needed more introduction, like Barty Crouch Jr. the actor playing Albus Dumbledore needs to be replaced! can't they find another Richard Harris? Hermione had some moments where she went overboard with waxing sentimentality, but I am blaming the director and scriptwriter on that one.

and for crying out loud, why do the Gryffindors always have the Slytherins as their classmates in virtually ALL their classes? i suppose they needed to feature draco malfoy, but Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs need exposure, too! that said, i don't it was even identified that Cho Chang was a Ravenclaw. or Hufflepuff... see what I mean? Cho Chang herself was a disappointment. i was expecting to see some acting chops from her, like how she really like cedric over harry, but it wasn't the case. hope they are able to use her more for the next film (if there is one) "Order of the Phoenix". honestly, i'm not looking forward to this one. by far, it's the darkest and most boring of the lot.

the movie also has to establish why Harry stays in Hogwarts. you'd think he would have stayed away from the place, with killers left and right, just going after him. they could emphasize more on his awe over magic. the tent scene was a good starter, so was the part where he first saw his gills. but it didn't end right. they could've have change the dialogue wherein, instead of Hermione sadly saying next year is gonna be different, they could have given that line to Harry. then Hermione and Ron would drape their arms in comfort over their buddy and remind him of their loyalty and friendship. a bit corny, but it will drive the point how Harry should be in Hogwarts.

also a point to consider: they have to establish the fact that he couldn't wait to get out of the Dursley home. this is nitpicking, but they should always remember that there are non-HP fans watching the movie as well. also, they should point out how harry is improving in his magic. he is, after all, already in his 4th year.

with all this negative comments, you'd think this isn't a recommended movie. not that it was a bad film altogether. it was actually watchable. but being a big harry potter fan, it does disappoint when you know the movie version of a book could do so much better. at least, the camaraderie between ron and harry is always a nice thing to watch.