Midnight mysogyny
So Mike Newell takes the directing reins. (Mike Newell primarily of Four Weddings and a Funeral fame.) While Steven Kloves (primarily of Harry Potter screening writing fame but perhaps soon of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time fame), again handles the screenplay.
And something isn’t quite right.
I like Goblet of Fire best of the books so far. It was J.K. Rowling’s first attempt to really break up the formula the books were beginning to fall into. Plus you have the resurrection of the Dark Lord.
But in the movie you have a rambling plot and a not-so-subtle misogyny.
Hermione is reduced from a nearly omniscient, clever girl to a whiner and worrier. Fleur goes from being a champion and an unattainable woman to… whatever it is she’s doing in the movie. Wearing swimsuits, tights dresses and revealing gym-style shorts. Any other woman of substance is either not present or simplified so as to be the romantic object.
Plot wise… I didn’t mind the major changes to the story. Some shortcuts (after all) had to be taken to make a 750-page book into a three-hour movie. But I miss some the teachers. And the world doesn't feel nearly as real as in Prisoner of Azkaban.
It’s worth seeing for a fan. But unlike Cuaron’s variation it might not be for a non-fan.
And something isn’t quite right.
I like Goblet of Fire best of the books so far. It was J.K. Rowling’s first attempt to really break up the formula the books were beginning to fall into. Plus you have the resurrection of the Dark Lord.
But in the movie you have a rambling plot and a not-so-subtle misogyny.
Hermione is reduced from a nearly omniscient, clever girl to a whiner and worrier. Fleur goes from being a champion and an unattainable woman to… whatever it is she’s doing in the movie. Wearing swimsuits, tights dresses and revealing gym-style shorts. Any other woman of substance is either not present or simplified so as to be the romantic object.
Plot wise… I didn’t mind the major changes to the story. Some shortcuts (after all) had to be taken to make a 750-page book into a three-hour movie. But I miss some the teachers. And the world doesn't feel nearly as real as in Prisoner of Azkaban.
It’s worth seeing for a fan. But unlike Cuaron’s variation it might not be for a non-fan.
Labels: Mark
posted by M S Martinez at 11/18/2005 02:36:00 PM
1 Comments:
am happy to step in here as a non-fan of the books.
With next to memories of the first two films, I am tempted to call the fourth movie the worst in the series for the sake of argument.
Your mysogny comments are well founded, but I would extend them further: no character in the entire movie is all that well developed. I haven't seen a more clueless protagonist since The Dude in Big Lebowski. Honestly, what exactly did Harry 'do' during the movie? Pretty much the only thing I know about his character is that he is willing to save people - which was made abudnatly clear when he risked his life for the third, let alone fourth time. When he mentions that for a second that he thought he might leave Boy Wonder in the Super Maze did anybody actually believe him?
Speaking of which, what the fuck was up with the Super Maze? Actually what was with any of the challanges? They were ridicuously arbitrary (and made absurdly redundant by a later plot twist - although calling it a twist is a stretch. Within the context of the movie the 'surprise' meant nothing).
Weren't characters supposed to hate Harry Potter (and was 'Potter stinks' really the best they could come up with)? Did they attend any classes? Was that supposed to represent any entire school year?
On the whole, Newell's movie was bland and uninspired. Although Ralph Fiennes's villainy, if not exactly menacing, was sublimely evil (an especially wonderful year for him as an actor).
For those of you readers, is there any reason why the series got so bloated at the fourth book? Are the books substantially better after J.K. laid it on thick?
Prizoner of Azkaban is still the movie to beat (and it even had to deal with the awful time-travel plot mechanic), and the next no-name director inspires little emotion in me.
Looks like it is back to apathy for the HP series for me.
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