Three, three, three movie reviews in one! Been a long time waiting, for certain, and here’s a multi-movie review wrap up.
Harry Potter: Goblet of Fire
Oh boy, another solid adaptation of the Harry Potter series, this episode is two hours and thirty minutes of fun. These films are loved universally, so I’ll not squander breaths nitpicking. I must say, though, those children are rather oldish looking these days. Maybe that’s a good thing. Also, what the hell is up with the catcalls from the audience when half naked Harry slides into the bath? Note to tomcats on the prowl: fourteen will get you five. Unless you live in Mississippi, where fourteen will get you twenty. So let us hope you’re a female teacher from Florida, because that only draws probation.
Verdict: Theater, matinee. Needs a big screen for full effect.
Saw II
There’s a soft spot in my heart for well done serial killer movies, and this one fits the bill. Enter Jigsaw, the manipulative mastermind who lures his victims into a game situation and lets them decide between life or death. I love suspenseful movies with twist endings, and particularly liked this one. Fans can see the first film — or walk in cold — but I recommend a Saw, Saw II double bill. Definitely not for the faint of heart, lots of blood and gore. Advice for dieters: come to Saw II with an empty stomach; it’s a surefire appetite suppressant.
Verdict: Theater, full price ( if you’re cool ). DVD purchase ( if your wife refuses to come along )
A History of Violence
A man. A family. A small town. A killer. An interesting premise halfway realized. This film has lots going for it: an excellent cast, a well-written story, and a man on a journey back from a violent past. Unfortunately, the director made some…different sort of choices, and squandered lots of screen time on what could have been a slow buildup to the question, is this small town hero the same man the Mob claims is a contract killer? I wanted to keep guessing a lot longer. It’s still a good movie, but it had the seeds of greatness, which makes the ending harder to accept.
Verdict: Theater matinee, DVD rental.
Speaking of Mr. Potter, during one of the twenty or so times they played the other movies this past weekend, my girlfriend and her sister swore they could hear Mr. Malfoy starting to cast Adava Kedavra (or however you “spell” it, ha-ha) spell on Harry before Dobby intervenes. I’ve listened to it, and it could Malfoy growling or it could be him saying “Adava.”
I’m not really up on all the Potter film trivia bits, but I was curious to know if you either noticed this yourself or if you’d of anyone else talking about it.
Ian, I happened to see that very movie last week at the in-laws house, and I recall that moment. However, I did not decipher whatever the elder Malfoy uttered. In light of the Goblet of Fire, it wouldn’t be surprising. J.K. Rowling draws the kind of fan analysis most can only dream of.
True enough. I dig the analysis to a point. That’s why I like King’s work, and why I enjoy TV shows like Twin Peaks and Lost. But any show with layers invariably lends itself to the type of fans who will read too much into things. I like to think I’ve got a good tuning fork for this stuff, while not digging so deep that the theories are really nothing more than wishful thinking.