XDA

Went to see the new Harry Potter movie, made from the fourth book, my favorite of the series, HP and the Goblet of Fire. It was pretty good. All the regulars from the first three movies were back, looking much older than their stated ages, except for Richard Harris, who died a few years ago. The new Dumbledore is played by Michael Gambon, as fine an actor as treads the boards these days, but he's so different from Harris, even in a huge beard, that it's a little disconcerting. It was worse in the last movie when the death of Harris was fresh, but it's still like the new Darrin on Bewitched. The main ingredient missing in the Gambon version is Dumbledore's calm benevolence. The good new addition this time is Brendan Gleeson as Alastor 'MadEye' Moody. He's terrific And in the not getting any prettier with age category is Frances de la Tour (the female lead in the British TV show of the late '70s, Rising Damp) as the giant headmistress of the skyblue uniformed French witch academy.

The book is over 700 pages long and the movie just over 2 and a half hours, so there is a headlong, breathless, show it, don't bother to explain it, pace to it all. I was rather disappointed with Ralph Fiennes portrayal of he who is not to be named (the quintessence of evil Lord Voldemort--oops, I said it). British filmmakers learned early on that the monster is always scarier in the mind so what ever you do don't show it clearly. Same goes for book villains. Once it's on the screen, it's just a man (or woman) and half the dread is instantly gone. And what was with the slits for a nose?--almost all reptiles I've seen have holes for nostrils, not slits.

Regarding one of the main mysteries of the film (which I had clean forgotten from the book) they were dropping hints left and right about it and I didn't even come close to picking up on it. Well done! The tasks that Harry has to do (except for the maze--what a let down) are pretty daunting and the death at the end is shocking still and painful. I think I got a little misty thinking about the 18 year old casualties we're taking against militant Islamicists.

The young lady playing Hermione (Emma Watson) is indeed budding into a real beauty, but she has lines on her forehead which make-up could not erase. Little early for that, I think, at just 15. What will she be like at 40? The puppy love going around among the 14 year olds is pretty tame and not detailed enough for us to nod our heads in remembrance of our early High School flirtations. Neville Longbottom is getting uglier and more awkward with age, but he plays a complete character and is on the edge of interesting. He danced the night away though while the handsomer leads just sat around kvetching and boring their dates to tears. The younger Malfoy sure has changed over the past four years--you can tell it's the same boy but, man, what a difference. I still kind of like his old man, but can't wait for him to get killed in book 7.

The dragon part was pretty darn good as was the demonstration of the unforgivable curses by Moody. I can't think of a part where it actually dragged. Kids will like this a lot, as will true fans; it's a little intense for 5 year olds or younger. They say Gary Oldman was in it as Sirius Black, but I didn't see him. The Weasley twins (Fred and George) were terrific and, at 19, they tower over the other players. The new bad guy Barty something is played by the guy (David Tennant) who is the new Dr. Who. Just thought you wanted to know. This is one of the better movies out there and I think by far the best of the series. It's like everyone became old enough to act well or something. The director, Mike Newell, actually British, might have had a little to do with it as well. He directed Pushing Tin, Donnie Brasco and Four Weddings and a Funeral, so he knows what he's doing. Go see this movie.