Yay for Harry!

*Spoiler Warning: If you don't want to hear my opinion on the new Harry Potter movie, read no further!*

Well, folks, I had a very fun adventure on Friday night. Going to see any movie on opening night is always an adventure, and this is especially true when said movie is a long-anticipated, huge blockbuster like Harry Potter. My boyfriend and I bought tickets a month ago, and we got to the movie theater 2 hours before the movie started.

And it was all worth it.

People, go see this movie! I know, the first 3 movies weren't really all that great...but trust me, this one is ten times better than any of the previous movies.

While I have always enjoyed the first 3 HP movies (I own all of them), I have always thought that it's a shame the movies don't capture the books the way they should. Sure, the movies have always been faithful to the events in the books, but they don't come close to capturing the essence of the books. The spirit of the story is the most important part, and I don't think they really portray it well at all. I think it is partially because they were so tied down to the books that the previous 3 movies haven't functioned all that well as films. They just move choppily from one event to another and don't flow well at all. HP IV is different in that it is the first of the movies to depart from the book and focus only on the most important events: the Triwizard Tournament, the developing relationships between the 3 main characters (and between Harry and Cho), and the return of Voldemort. Everything else is pretty much eliminated, which has disappointed many of the Potterheads, but I have to say I approve. With the focus narrowed in such a way, the movie can actually function as a cohesive whole: rather than jumping around so much, this film actually flows and doesn't come up against the same pacing problems. It's a substantial improvement.

Not only is the script better, but I think Mike Newell is the best director the franchise has had yet. This film, rather than being so focused on spectacle and the "cute" parts of the books, has a much more realistic feel to it. (For instance, I was quite happy to see that the Dursleys are left completely out of this installment. The Dursleys are a prime example of something that works fine in a novel but just doesn't work on the screen. They are delightfully comic in the books, but in the movies, though portrayed as described in the books, they come across as ridiculous and grossly overdone. Some things just won't work well and need to be left out!) Despite the fact that dragons, evil sorcerers, ghosts, flying horses, and other crazy creatures populate the movie, HP IV doesn't give off the same fairy tale aura as the first three. It's dark, scary, gritty, and ultimately a successful and serious film. Bravo!

As always, I very much enjoyed most of the actors. I have always liked the main trio of actors who play Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Daniel Radcliffe (Harry) is actually a better actor than I even gave him credit for; this film is much more demanding, and he rises to the occasion quite admirably. Emma Watson (Hermione) is great, too, but she looks like she's in college, not like she's 14. Rupert Grint (Ron) has always been my absolute favorite; he's adorable, and perfect for his role. I must say that his long hair is rather unappealing, but oh well. He's fourteen, so he's supposed to look awkward. Mad-Eye Moody was very well done, as were the three champions. My only problem with the casting is Dumbledore. I liked the original Dumbledore much better; and while Michael Gambon is probably a fine enough actor generally, he just isn't Dumbledore at all. Oh well. I suppose we can't expect perfection, can we?

I could probably ramble on for a while longer, but I think this is quite enough. Go see this movie, people. And when you do, call me. I'm dying to see it again!