Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4)

by J.K. Rowling

[thepunktheory]

Book vs. Movie:
I didn't read this book, I devoured it. Rowling has a way of writing - you just can't put the book down. The story itself is woven cleverly, surprises await at every corner.
What I really enjoy is that Rowling allows the story to unfold properly. She also focuses on life outside Hogwarts. In this book for example, we get a detailed report on the Quidditch World Cup which was highly exciting to read.
The movie, however, did not wow me os much. I was especially annoyed that a huge part of the book was squeezed into only ten opening minutes. There were so many aspects and characters that never made it to the movie - very disappointing.
Moreover, due to the rather long novel, the film seems rushed. Although it's two and a half hours long, there is no time to let the story breathe. One event is chasing the next and the whole movie feels cramped. Due to that, many scenes - and characters - are lacking depth. As they are not giving enough time to unfold, some aspect remain shallow and therefore can't even be compared to the book.
But what needs to be mentioned is of course the strong side of the film: marvellous images. With every adaptation I am amazed to see the magical world come to life. Especially all those creatures - dragons etc - look extraordinary.
Moving on the cast I want to highlight once again that no better actors could ever have been found to play Harry, Hermione and Ron. Daniel Radcliff, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint fit absolutely perfectly - just like Alan Rickman as Snape. One of his best roles ever!
What didn't fit that well was David Tennant as Barty Crouch Jr. Although his acting was more than intense, he didn't feel right for the role - not when I consider how Barty was depicted in the book.
Although Michael Gambon was a great choice for Dubmledore, they never got him right (in any of the films). The movie Dumbledore isn't as funny, as witty, and most of all: as heart warming as the one in the novel. This disappoints me every time.

Summing up you can say that The Goblet of Fire is an outstanding book. But due to its length it was turned into a rather hectic movie that is only saved by strong images and great actors.