Of course, there will be spoilers here for anyone who hasn't read up to Goblet of Fire, fair warning. And for future reference: Prisoner of Azkhaban = PoA, Goblet of Fire = GoF
OK, I really liked the Prisoner of Azkhaban film. It also happens to be my favorite out of the books (though I haven't finished reading Order of the Phoenix yet). But after finishing Goblet of Fire, I got to thinking of how difficult an adaption that is going to be, particularly since they've decided to do it all in one film.
Now maybe there is a script review or a copy of the script online somewhere already (since they are shooting it right now I believe), but I just thought it'd be neat to hear other people's opinion on what they should keep in the film or take out. Here's my take:
GoF is also probably my least favorite of all the books (though it may tie with CoS), just because it seems so predictably structured and monotonous. We have a nice break from the "formula" (aka. "The School Year") in the beginning, but then the episodic and formulaic school-year format takes over again, but made even more episodic by the edition of the three tasks that are like a damn countdown.
So, I honestly could see them cutting out the second task altogether and having only two tasks in the tournament - the first one and the last one. Of course, IMDB lists Moaning Myrtle as being in the film, and since I only remember her being in the book to help Harry with the second task I'd guess it's still in. But the second task always seemed like a pretty worthless event in the grand scheme of things in the novel, character-wise and plot-wise.
Of course, we all know already that the Dursley segment has been cut completely - good call IMO, though the Dursley sequence is actually important in Order of the Phoenix, so they'll have to be back.
I was surprised to hear some people complain about the "Scooby-Doo"-like reveal in the Shrieking Shack in PoA. Apparently, hearing the entire mystery explained - for the most part - in the shack reminded people of that kind of scooby thing. However, in PoA I felt it was fine because the "reveal" takes place in a scene full of tension with wands drawn and Harry trying frantically to make a decision about killing Black or not, and of course that isn't the end because you have the whole time-turner thing left1.
In GoF though, the "scooby syndrome" is horribly played. You have the bad guy being unmasked - all Crouch had to do was wake up and say, "And I'd have gotten away with it too if it weren't for you damn kids!!!" - and then him explaining the entire damn thing himself. Something will definately have to be done about that, it just WILL NOT WORK done as written, IMO anyway. Sure, they could do it in flashback, but if people had issues with the reveal in PoA, the criticism would be doubly-harsh against GoF.
Of course, the confrontation with Voldemort will probably stay pretty much as is. It's really only where the story finally gets interesting in the novel, and then it stays interesting as the whole conspiracy thing plays out.
The movie will have to work extremely hard to get non-readers to give a damn about Cedric being killed though (assuming they keep that in) since they haven't really seen him at all (somewhat the case in the book too, but not quite so bad).
I could also see all of the house-elf liberation stuff cut. Rita is easy enough to work into the film though I doubt a huge deal will be made out of the mystery of how she's getting her information.
Anyway, those are things off the top of my head that I can remember.
OK, I really liked the Prisoner of Azkhaban film. It also happens to be my favorite out of the books (though I haven't finished reading Order of the Phoenix yet). But after finishing Goblet of Fire, I got to thinking of how difficult an adaption that is going to be, particularly since they've decided to do it all in one film.
Now maybe there is a script review or a copy of the script online somewhere already (since they are shooting it right now I believe), but I just thought it'd be neat to hear other people's opinion on what they should keep in the film or take out. Here's my take:
GoF is also probably my least favorite of all the books (though it may tie with CoS), just because it seems so predictably structured and monotonous. We have a nice break from the "formula" (aka. "The School Year") in the beginning, but then the episodic and formulaic school-year format takes over again, but made even more episodic by the edition of the three tasks that are like a damn countdown.
So, I honestly could see them cutting out the second task altogether and having only two tasks in the tournament - the first one and the last one. Of course, IMDB lists Moaning Myrtle as being in the film, and since I only remember her being in the book to help Harry with the second task I'd guess it's still in. But the second task always seemed like a pretty worthless event in the grand scheme of things in the novel, character-wise and plot-wise.
Of course, we all know already that the Dursley segment has been cut completely - good call IMO, though the Dursley sequence is actually important in Order of the Phoenix, so they'll have to be back.
I was surprised to hear some people complain about the "Scooby-Doo"-like reveal in the Shrieking Shack in PoA. Apparently, hearing the entire mystery explained - for the most part - in the shack reminded people of that kind of scooby thing. However, in PoA I felt it was fine because the "reveal" takes place in a scene full of tension with wands drawn and Harry trying frantically to make a decision about killing Black or not, and of course that isn't the end because you have the whole time-turner thing left1.
In GoF though, the "scooby syndrome" is horribly played. You have the bad guy being unmasked - all Crouch had to do was wake up and say, "And I'd have gotten away with it too if it weren't for you damn kids!!!" - and then him explaining the entire damn thing himself. Something will definately have to be done about that, it just WILL NOT WORK done as written, IMO anyway. Sure, they could do it in flashback, but if people had issues with the reveal in PoA, the criticism would be doubly-harsh against GoF.
Of course, the confrontation with Voldemort will probably stay pretty much as is. It's really only where the story finally gets interesting in the novel, and then it stays interesting as the whole conspiracy thing plays out.
The movie will have to work extremely hard to get non-readers to give a damn about Cedric being killed though (assuming they keep that in) since they haven't really seen him at all (somewhat the case in the book too, but not quite so bad).
I could also see all of the house-elf liberation stuff cut. Rita is easy enough to work into the film though I doubt a huge deal will be made out of the mystery of how she's getting her information.
Anyway, those are things off the top of my head that I can remember.