Design © 1998-2008 Ken Kocanda |
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| Gone with the Wand | ||||
| Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire | ||||
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| Review Review by Ross Anthony | ||||
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There's so much to say. First, let me remind the viewers that Harry is now a teenager, hence the movie plays much more to teens than kids. Some parents may not appreciate the innuendoes tossed about by the teenage hormones at play in the film. That said, teens will. It also serves to make the film more real -- grounding it, despite the magic. The other warning, teachers at this school haven't been trained in the fine art of 21st century PC discipline. They whack their students on the back of the head, in one case, turn a kid into a ferret. Pretty severe. And of course, the film can be a mite too scary for tots. Enough of the warnings. The direction in this film is phenomenal. Seldom does a 90-minute film come along with such a vibrant pace, fun at every turn, never a dull moment. The picture sports rich texture, keen dialogue, and captivating imagery. The special effects are so well integrated into the story/production that they don't stand out. There's a shot of a dragon clawing its way along the rooftops that captivates with weight and seriousness. The acting is top notch all the way around (save for the dark lord). Brendan Gleeson brings wonderful life to Harry's mechanical-eye'd, hard-scarred mentor. "Moody is a gunslinger with a wand," Geeson says of his character. The only major problem with the film is that it has no real climax. Yes, it leads to a certain major conflict. And that conflict is temporarily resolved, but after 2.5 hours, such minimal resolution is rather anti-climactic. Further, the character that we are all made to dread, when personified is rather whiny and unimpressive (though I love his nose-less mask effect which is absolutely awesome). Could it be Ralph Fiennes lacked an ominous presence? Or could it be the writing that brings forth a whimpering dark lord? Or was it just that this conflict was not as well developed as the rest of the film? A strong A- or a weak A. I'll round up because the direction is so darned good. Says Daniel Radcliffe, "What I really like about Harry is that he's not a hero in the classic sense, a brave all-conquering Superman. Harry's vulnerable. He's scared. Even though he's helped so many people, I think he's always yearned to leave his past behind him and let the 'hero' thing end." |
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Grade..........................A (3.5/4) |
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Copyright © 1998-2008. In addition to reviewing films and interviewing celebs at HollywoodReportCard.com, traveling the world, composing great music, motivational speaking, Ross Anthony also runs his own publishing company in the Los Angeles area. While traversing the circumference of the planet writing books and shooting documentaries, Ross has taught, presented for, worked &/or played with locals in over thirty countries. He's bungee-jumped from a bridge near Victoria Falls, wrestled with lions in Zimbabwe, crashed a Vespa off a high mountain road in Taiwan, and ridden a dirt bike across the States (coast to coast). To get signed books by Ross or schedule him to speak check out: www.RossAnthony.com or call 1-800-767-7186. Was this review helpful? (Include your email if you'ld like a response.)
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