Random ramblings on GoF

[Eustace_Scrubb]

Siriusly Snapey Susan wrote:
>
> Re: missing scenes, good and bad.
> 
> GLAD Winky & Dobby were gone (though it made some adjustments to the 
> story necessary, which probably made the story harder for non-fans 
> to follow).

Eustace_Scrubb:
Well, one resulting adjustment was considerable added presence for
Neville, which I liked a lot.  In the POA film, the other Gryffindor
boys were nearly invisible.  They weren't overshadowed by unnamed
"Gryffindor boy" this time.  I think Mathew Lewis _can_ act this part
and hope that they'll keep most of his parts in OoP.

Siriusly Snapey Susan:  > I'd 
> guessed the entire hospital wing scene would be eliminated, but it 
> still bummed me out.  Yes, the "replacement" scene of DD with Harry 
> in his dorm room was *excellent,* imo (Gambon felt very canon!DD to 
> me in that scene), but still....

Eustace_Scrubb:
I continue to like Gambon as DD.  I agree they had him a bit too
agitated when he confronted Harry after the selection snafu, but
otherwise he's done very well IMHO.

Siriusly Snapey Susan:
> MISSED the actual "tasks within the task" of the maze.  I do 
> understand why they eliminated them, and the way it was done was 
> striking, visually, but I did so enjoy all of that in the book.

Eustace_Scrubb:
The whole maze scene was one of my biggest peeves with the movie and
those I attended with as well.  Was a CG sphinx and another giant
spider just too boring for them?  The constantly changing pattern of
vegetation made me feel that an Ent or maybe Old Man Willow should
have been in the middle of the maze.  This was a change for which I
could see no good reason.  (The over-the-top handling of Harry's duel
with the Horntail didn't bother me nearly as much because that just
seemed like the typical movie-version exaggeration of the actual
scene--like Harry hanging out of the Anglia by one hand instead of
just getting bored eating candy with nothing to drink.)
 
Siriusly Snapey Susan:
> How did others react to the pensieve scene?  For some reason, I 
> pictured the Wizengamot as being inside a CAVERNOUS, spacious 
> area... and this scene made me feel very claustrophobic, very 
> frantic about things.  That's probably what Newell *wanted* us to 
> feel, but it didn't match my image at all.

Eustace_Scrubb:
Actually this matched my vision pretty well; it _was_ cavernous, but
the space all seemed to be _up_ above.  Although I did kinda think
that Crouch and the other judges looked a bit like "Q" from the Star
Trek TNG pilot and finale with those hats.

Siriusly Snapey Susan:
> Overall, I really enjoyed the film very much.  It was engrossing, 
> entertaining, exciting, humorous, emotional, just all kinds of 
> things.  It was an Experience, iow.  Dan & Rupert each did an 
> excellent job, I thought.  Rupert was very convincing with venomous 
> & hateful looks aimed at Dan when he believed he had betrayed him. 

Eustace_Scrubb:
I thought Rupert got Sullen-pouty-jealous!Ron just right.
I could go on, but I'll wait until I see it again...I hope to get to
an Imax before it disappears!

Cheers,

Eustace_Scrubb