Harry Potter y el Caliz de Fuego

Si, leyeron bien. Mientras termino mi review de HP&MdP, pueden ir leyendo este que hice hace varios añitos ya para un grupo de Usenet. Esta en inglés, pero ni bien termine con HP6, lo traducire.

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I really have no idea how to start expressing my complete disappointment about this movie.

For those who have read GoF, we know how important the book is, as it marks the first real fight between Harry and Lord Voldemort, how the wizarding world is about to change: when the book finished I felt a feeling of emptiness and despair. I feel the same after watching the movie, whatsoever, no for the same reasons.

The movie is funny, yet, I am not so sure it should be. When I heard Newell had said this movie was meant for an older public I thought 'damn, sure he's going to lead us to the emotional path Harry's going to walk now he knows Voldemort had returned to kill him'. I was wrong: it was all about how charged with hormones the characters were. Once, twice was enough but later it was like hearing the same joke once and again. There were more important things to express.

I definitely wouldn't like to be a witch in times of disaster. When the camp was burnt, I can't believe the only person left there was Harry. No one else. Not even considering at that time he was still the precious Harry Potter, one single person stays there to help him (not even Ron or Hermy). And also, he was the only person who was knocked out. And Crouch was there standing along, easily to catch. No one else saw him.

The tasks were indeed exiting. If you are teen years old. I was already bored while Harry fought the dragon and thinking, 'when is this going to be over? Why Harry just don't grab the egg and finish it?' But no, no, no... The Dragon had to break the chains that hold them - which perhaps might cause many Ministry agents to be literally fired - and flying away, destroying parts of the castle. How is that no one even ruffled when the Dragon escaped? What if the Dragon changed his mind and leaded to Hogsmeade? And is not a crime to kill a protected specie, as I think Harry did?

There is one single thing that saves the movie: the performances. Daniel Radcliffe had really really improved since PoA. (And he's been making some push-ups, eh?) Rupert Grint, the same. He seemed to have some talent for comedy. I really loved Neville ('I killed Harry Potter!!', hilarious!). Yet, I don't know why they keep destroying Emma Watson's character. Poor Hermione needed a hug because the world's going to change… boo boo. And why did she cry at the end of the Ball, anyway? Because Won-Won thought Krum was using her. Big deal! You're dating Viktor Krum! Who cares what your pseudo-boyfriend thinks? (and, whoever told you that dress was pretty is not your friend).

How many lines the champions had, anyway? I think I remember Fleur saying a couple of things. Her character didn't express anything to me, no the 'perfect miss' vibe Fleur did have and that make us all both hate her and love her. And whatever they did to Krum? Ok, he is handsome and that but how is that that airhead bloke suddenly could have noticed Hermione, the only girl who didn't pay any attention to him when he seemed to enjoy his fame and girls who chase him. It makes sense in the book, not in the movie. They tried to make him look like Beckham or something? There are big huge and astronomical differences between the both of them (like Krum being a good player).

The big scene I was hoping was obviously the resurrection of Voldemort. Personally, I think the whole thing was too short, too swift and not as exciting as I was expecting. Ralph Fiennes did a tremendous job and I did enjoy him: his Voldemort was exactly as I had imagined (although for a moment I thought I had been switched to 'the Mummy Returns' he he!). Too bad he had just a short time, so we'll have to expect Order of the Phoenix. Nevertheless, I am sure some younger fans are going to have nightmares about him since now…

Children are going to love this movie; especially those who have no learn to read yet. I can't complain about the FX, they are great but at some point, you just get tired of them. Why dedicate so many minutes to the first task? The time could have been used to more important things: A more close encounter between Harry and Sirius, more reasons to make us believe Snape was evil, or simply the touching finally scene we saw in the book after Harry returns from the final task. In the book, Harry fells by first time what a real hug is and that there are many people worried about him but in the movie he looked all abandoned by everyone. Only Dumbledore entering the room, making jokes about how he fired his curtains. And there was not concern from him about Lord Voldemort's return. Just a little hint of how he feels Fudge is not doing a good job. The passion he showed when almost strangulated Harry should have feel it at that moment, realizing he is perhaps the only man who could have done something, which in fact was to call the Order. We should have guess he did it when that was mean tot be shown: it's perhaps the most important part of the book, the split of the magical community.

I keep saying there is a lack of emotion in the film. During Priori Incantatem, it was the first time Harry had a real contact with his parents, but it looked as though he was used to see them popping from his wand everyday. Don't you remember the 'the woman appearing was the one he'd thought of more than any other tonight.'? And there was not even one single 'Ah' when Dumbledore speaks Voldemort's name among the students: I though all of them were scared of it.

Honestly, I missed Cuarón. I even missed Columbus! Many people complained that Cuarón had changed many things, but Goblet of Fire is a good example of 'keep straight to the book' doesn't guarantee a good work. So, Cuaron changed the plot, he forgot about the Marauders… I can't forgive that when I remember that I feel absolutely nothing when the movie ended, except that I wanted my money back and the eight hours I lost that day at the theatre.

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