I saw "The Goblet of Fire" yesterday and found it wanting. Perfect technical execution of course, as one would expect given the mega-budget of a block buster series, and wonderful visuals. But I had no use for the inappropriate and often corny slapstick and, what? Rock music at a Hogwarts dance?
It's often puzzled me that no one has done a feature on Rawling's so very obvious food issues. I mean, every book is full of fat jokes (endless descriptions, pig tail on a fat kid, blowing up an already fat aunt, endless references to overeating, etc., etc.) and the nutritional value of what's being served at Hogwart's feasts is clearly zero. Chocolate is prescribed when you don't feel good, candy is everywhere. Well, it did start out as a children's series, but what I really think, and would be willing to bet a significant amount of money on, is that Rawlings was/is a hardcore bulimic with huge food issues.
Anyway, on to the women. There really aren't any attractive ones. Sure, the blow-up sequence of the aunt in HP III is probably a collectors' item, but in terms of real-life women there isn't much. I must admit that it was nice to see Hermione grow up to be a nice looking teenager in HP III, but her appearance in HP IV makes me think she's headed to be this generation's Winnie Cooper (the really cute girl in "Wonder Years" who grew up to look very ordinary at best).
For HP IV, I had high hopes for Fleur Delacour, was wondering what Madame Maxime would look like, and certainly wanted to see the Veela. Well, Fleur is hugely miscast. I certainly didn't expect her to look like Gwyneth Paltrow's homely sister. And while Madame Maxine seemed 8 foot tall, I had expected the heft described in the book rather than an Ichabod Crane kind of gangly figure. We're talking Andre the Giant's skinny sister. As for the Veela, they made no appearance. I even had some hope for Rita Skeeter, but no, another dud. Viktor Krum, on the other hand, was perfectly cast, as were most of the other male characters.
Oh, that leaves Cho Chang. I was looking forward to see what they'd done with her, and she really did not disappoint. The Scottish accent on an Asian girl was an interesting touch. I wonder how she'll do in HP V - the movie.
It's often puzzled me that no one has done a feature on Rawling's so very obvious food issues. I mean, every book is full of fat jokes (endless descriptions, pig tail on a fat kid, blowing up an already fat aunt, endless references to overeating, etc., etc.) and the nutritional value of what's being served at Hogwart's feasts is clearly zero. Chocolate is prescribed when you don't feel good, candy is everywhere. Well, it did start out as a children's series, but what I really think, and would be willing to bet a significant amount of money on, is that Rawlings was/is a hardcore bulimic with huge food issues.
Anyway, on to the women. There really aren't any attractive ones. Sure, the blow-up sequence of the aunt in HP III is probably a collectors' item, but in terms of real-life women there isn't much. I must admit that it was nice to see Hermione grow up to be a nice looking teenager in HP III, but her appearance in HP IV makes me think she's headed to be this generation's Winnie Cooper (the really cute girl in "Wonder Years" who grew up to look very ordinary at best).
For HP IV, I had high hopes for Fleur Delacour, was wondering what Madame Maxime would look like, and certainly wanted to see the Veela. Well, Fleur is hugely miscast. I certainly didn't expect her to look like Gwyneth Paltrow's homely sister. And while Madame Maxine seemed 8 foot tall, I had expected the heft described in the book rather than an Ichabod Crane kind of gangly figure. We're talking Andre the Giant's skinny sister. As for the Veela, they made no appearance. I even had some hope for Rita Skeeter, but no, another dud. Viktor Krum, on the other hand, was perfectly cast, as were most of the other male characters.
Oh, that leaves Cho Chang. I was looking forward to see what they'd done with her, and she really did not disappoint. The Scottish accent on an Asian girl was an interesting touch. I wonder how she'll do in HP V - the movie.
