Reviews

The Black Swan was one of those movies that was riveting from beginning to end. From the musical score, the directing, the camera work and to the characterizations brought forth from the excellent acting, the movie was engaging as it was insightful. I've enjoyed Aronofsky films before and have praised his work with the meaningful messages he puts through them, namely The Fountain. The message I took away from the Black Swan was mainly one of transformation. Nina's character was definitely under some psychosis with the situation she was in (mother trying to live vicariously through daughter, a rival's competition and simultaneous attraction, a demanding instructor, etc.) and the movie's graphical meat came through with the literal transforming of white swan into black swan. This works when the character Nina is also dealing with hallucinations which invokes symptoms of a mental illness which is convenient when a director is trying to portray literal transforming into the black swan. As an audience member you understand the whole cg effect during the last performance.

It seems the classic tale of Swan Lake was given a twist and modern version and I never would have known it since it seems ballet is an acquired type of performance for the masses. Kudos to all involved with film they brought the beauty of storytelling through ballet to life.

I thought this episode of Supernatural was entertaining. I liked the camera shots of the frog and Sam and Dean finally noticing it. The only small gripe I have about this episode is that they lumped Little Red Riding Hood with the Brothers Grimm, which is untrue. The real author or, err, collector of the story is Charles Perrault. Sue me, I'm a lit major. I liked the idea of twisted fairy tales and the show delivered. I especially liked the take on Hansel and Gretel. As gruesome as the scene was it still made me laugh on some level.

The ending with Sam and the Crossroads demon is a good lead up and foreshadowing of his character for the entire series. Thumbs up!

Supernatural is an impressive piece of work. I just finished watching all five seasons. I like so many elements of this show and I am happy that it's had success as a series for five years. The parts that make this show work are the story premise, the characters chosen, the relationships portrayed, the stylized direction and general creativity.

The beginning was very reminiscent of The X Files, a show I adored and of course the makers of the show were from X files time. Although it felt like certain episodes could easily have been an FBI case handled by Scully and Moulder, there was an unlimited element of where the story could go because it was two brothers trying to save the day. I don't think there are many TV shows that portray the male bonding experience in this specific way. The fact that a TV series portray a different type of hero in each brother is unique in contrast to popular culture right now (ie, Twilight). The simplicity of this sustains a TV series and gives a good story without too much of an ensemble cast plot line (ie, Lost, Heroes). The acting of the two leads gets better as the seasons roll on. The creativity really shines when lighter topics are shown (the trickster episodes, A Very Special Christmas) and interesting philosophies are roll off from the dialogue spoken (Hammer of the Gods).

As we get knee deep in the myth arc of the series we get a whole take on the angel, demon, God, Devil mythology which is a logical step from supernatural creatures hunted (kind of answers its own questions about how all that is supernatural was created in the first place) and it is interesting to watch with the end of the world on everyone's mind. There was a lot of humor thrown in with a great balance of action and drama in the mix.

Supernatural is fun to watch, it never failed to entertain me or keep my attention. It kept my eyes glued to the TV with the attractive men, convincing performances, funny dialogue, rock music, and spooky stories.

I enjoyed Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief. Reading the book was not required to like and enjoy the entertainment that was this movie. The movie was pure adventure with an atmosphere of humor that any child or child at heart fans would like.

Anyone that grew up intrigued with Greek mythology would like this movie. It incorporates a modernized Greek mythology that is all together fun and unique. I smiled at the details of the converse shoes with wings, pen sword, Medusa wearing shades and a Casino lotus lair. Logan Lerman did a fantastic job bringing the character Percy Jackson to life; I dare say moreso than Daniel Radcliffe's Harry Potter. I was impressed with how believable he came across as the angsty teenager struggling with his identity and becoming a hero. Poseidon is my favorite Greek god and a specific story on what if he had a son was bound to be interesting. Percy Jackson and the actor who portrayed him was a likable character. It was fun watching a demigod who could control water and it wasn't overly done either. I also liked how a portrayal of Percy's weaknesses (dyslexia, ADHD) ultimately becomes his strengths. This is a good message to youths who struggle to overcome their own flaws. His sidekicks also did a good job and I did wonder about their back story. A sequel could solve this issue.

My favorite villain was medusa. PJ's medusa was a lot more interesting than Clash's medusa given that Uma Thurman was the perfect actress to pull off this character. The biting hair snakes were funny and chilling at the same time.

The movie had all the elements required of a summer blockbuster: well paced action, cool special effects and a fun storyline. I'll eventually read the books.

Criminal Minds is one of those addicting shows on TV right now. More fun to watch it on DVD with absolutely no interruptions from commercials. Out of all the crime beat shows we have – CSI, NCIS, L&O, etc. this one is my favorite. The acting is superb and convincing. I like the portrayal of a team of profilers that catches the bad guys. For problem solving at that level, you need a team of expertise. I've watched the series from the beginning and at times I do miss the characters Gideon and Elle but their replacements Rossi and Prentiss do a fine job with the group chemistry dynamic.

I give much credit to the writers of the show to venture into such dark matters of human nature and how sick people can be. Even with this main topic that weaves throughout the series, there's a careful character pacing with each of the profilers that is believable, something which does not entirely translate as well on the other TV shows mentioned. I appreciate how the show stays relevant to real time, like with episode "the internet is forever." Social media network with an evil purpose was never more fascinating and engaging. The episode had excellent twists. I also appreciate the famous quotes on each episode. I look forward to the upcoming season and the conclusion to last season's finale.

I highly recommend this TV series.

Moonlight I got roped into watching this TV series on DVD, which is the best way to watch it. There's no commercials and escalating storytelling.

Moonlight was good TV. There were so much sexy actors to watch. Alex O'Laughlin and Sophia Myles had amazing chemistry on screen and they did a great job bringing Mick St. John and Beth Turner to life. I adored Josef's character. I wish the series could have continued because the vampire theme was done well. The season built up a good plot towards an intriguing next season if it could have happened. I liked the new twists on the genre; how vampires could walk in sunlight, be paralyzed when staked, etc. The romance was well paced and didn't go over board. Vampire detectives are always sexy.

This show is required viewing for the vampire lover out there.

I liked this movie. I did not know this movie was based on a book until I saw the opening credits. There was definitely an original feel to this movie with many familiar themes borrowed or paid homage to other fantasy novels/movies. Yes, at times the plot and dialogue seemed choppy, as if there was more that could be explained (the light and the dark, Tom's relationship with his father, etc.) but this made me want to read the book more than anything. The acting was more than decent despite the choppy dialogue. Alexander Ludwig was convincing as Will Stanton; he pulled off the character of an angst-y 14 year old boy with the weight of the world on his shoulder. Christopher Eccleston as the villain/rider was also stand out in his role. Neither protagonist or antagonist over acted, IMHO. The imagery stayed with me even after the movie was over, i.e. the crows, the crows coming out of the cops and the wispy smoke that traveled around the rider and all things "dark." There were many elements to this movie that reminded me of all the popular fantasy movies (HP, LOTR) but there were other parts that was unexpectedly intriguing, like the fact the hero comes from a loving and warm family. It seems the movie makers achieved only "good" and not "great." I'll simply take this movie as a trailer to where the real story is and go buy the book.

This movie made me cry. It was the romance and love so evidently portrayed that made such a compelling story. Stories of love are hard to believe and bring to the movie screen; it usually works better as a novel. The two leads did an excellent job with their respective characters. It starts out as your typical high school movie which was amusing but done well in that it introduces Landon, who is played by a smoking hot Shane West. Mandy Moore was a perfect Jaime. Her pixie like looks and the self-confidence exuding from her character was appropriate. The love unfolding between the two was convincing and great to watch. The music weaved through out was unobtrusive and used wisely. I appreciated that. I recommend this to anyone in the mood for a love story.

I was surprised at how this movie engaged me. I was deeply skeptical about this film since I feel that Hollywood has consistently been inaccurate in its portrayal of Hawaii, its values and its people. I got over being infuriated and gave this movie a chance. I liked it. The entire theme of surfing and aloha was natural and although the acting was wooden by the lead haole guy in the first half of the story, I cared about what was going to happen. When Duke Kahanamoku's character was introduced I understood why he was not the lead actor/main focus of the story. He was a true Hawaiian that practiced cultural values that saved, befriended and had much to teach the arrogant modern day surfer. Sean Kaawa did a great job playing the Duke.

I was impressed with the special effects – the look of Waikiki and Manoa and thought the camera was clever (I couldn't 100% be sure of which part of the island the scenes were taking place). The simplicity of the landscape, a Waikiki uncrowded; as a Hawaiian this made me yearn for a Hawaii I wish I knew and perhaps that will always be the power of a time travel story. Hawaii back in 1911 is an awesome idea and I was glad to see it done so well. I was moved by that one camera shot when David is against the old broken train wagon. The surfers that populated this story were put to good use. Those ocean shots! Those waves! I appreciated the subtle way Hawaiian values on surfing, life and aloha were woven into the movie. I want to see more movies like this! Kudos to the film makers and everyone involved in bringing this story life! Mahalo.

I saw this the first time it came out in the theater in 2004. I recently walked into Blockbuster and saw this playing in the background and it piqued my interest again to borrow it and watch it. I was able to appreciate various different things this time around since in my mind it wasn't being compared to the other epic movies that were around the same time.

Vin Diesel as a leading action man actually gave the movie its humorous edge and it worked. His one-liners through out all the action and suspense was cheesy but effective. The special effects were excellent. I liked the look of the character Lord of the Necromongers. The way he moved was creepy but fascinating to see each time he displayed speed or violence. The stand out scenes for me was between the scheming husband and wife, played by Thandie Newton and Karl Urban. Of course the fact that they were also very sexy to watch is a plus. Although the narrative is not an original sci-fi story, the different ideas mixed together was well done (the mysterious underverse, Riddick being the last Furyan that carries the anger of his entire race).

Overall, I recommend this movie for its epic-ness and unique story-telling.

Night watch is one of those cool, different movies you need to watch if you are a fan of the horror, sci-fi, or fantasy genre. The story feels familiar with the legend of the Light ones and Dark ones; their ongoing feud and intricate truce. I like how the good and evil theme is played out so differently than other movies out there. Zavulon, general of the dark ones and Gessar, master of the light ones are enemies but can sit down and talk like buddies. The way that nothing is really spelled out for the viewer (not being sure exactly what Anton is) is a plus and not a negative in the way that we can't follow the plot. Although it seems like there are plot holes aplenty upon repeat viewings you understand it faster and can follow and perhaps even guess what is in its sequel (Day Watch).

The acting convinced me, the blood (plenty of it) and violence was perfectly graphic, the direction was so stylistic it rivals the big production movies of Hollywood that lacks originality and there were just cool elements that surprised me (like Buffy the Vampire Slayer getting 30 seconds of screen time and that sword that came out of Zavulon's spine). There is also something extremely sexy about this movie. I highly recommend this movie.

I liked this movie for its cool special effects and action scenes. I was always a fan of teleportation and so far this is the only movie to make it its running theme. I'll admit that Hayden Christensen is very nice to look at but not the best of actors around to hold this type of movie. I wanted to like the character David Rice but found myself not caring for him at all. His selfish actions were horrible (robbing banks, not using his ability to save drowning victims). He is no hero and I'm not sure if the point was to make him un-likable. I enjoyed the scenes with Griffin and agree with many here who say he stole the screen every time he appeared. My favorite was the fight with Roland and that highly mentioned car racing scene in Hong Kong. This is the first time seeing Sam L. Jackson in a flat out villainous role. He does it well. I won't be watching it again for the faulty plot but so far it's the most interesting movie in the theater.

This movie has beautiful and gorgeous imagery. How this imagery is woven in the plot is pure genius. Every camera shot, music effect, special effect and top notch acting compounded the powerful message the story paints. I am amazed at the incredible acting of Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz; they are my favorite a-listers in the Hollywood game because everything I've seen them in is convincing and engaging. My favorite "Tommy" character is the Spanish conquistador. And every time Rachel Weisz hit the screen, her presence was magnetic and my eyes were glued to the screen.

I feel very fortunate to have watched the "baby" of this director, Darren Aronofsky. It's like experiencing a musician's favorite song or a poet's cherished words; the imagination and creativity questioning mysteries are boundless and how the movie processes that is effective in the story it chose to create. The simple life and death question is put into a dream like perspective here that I can totally relate to despite the disjointed narrative it is presented in. This movie is art, the kind you want to mount on the wall and have it displayed. This artistic movie is poetry with flawless rhyme, rhythm and flow - short and profound. It is one of a kind.

Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix is my second favorite book after the third book (Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban). I don't know; it could be that the movie experience was horrible in the theater. The film had problems starting. We got through the previews, and then there was a 15 minute lag. The last hour of the movie was interrupted with the screen being in half and the roll just dying out. Theater personnel had to fix the film twice. The whole experience left me sour. That being said, the story itself felt very rushed.

The creators had so much material to work with to deliver a great film but they fell short. Like Goblet of Fire, events and exposition of said events were truncated to advance the plot. The transitions to get through the plot were not chosen well. You knew when every scene was done and we were on to the next one. I hate this. There was nothing smooth about this, I was waiting to get in the groove of the story but every scene was too jarring. If I didn't read the book, I would have been very confused and bored. Although I did enjoy certain aspects of the movie, like the portrayals of Umbridge, Luna, Luscious Malfoy, the House of Black, Bellatrix, the Weasley twins and key moments like the D.A. lessons the elements were not satisfying enough to make up for the horrible editing.

The movie moved too fast to showcase action scenes. More thought should have been given to the script writing especially for the beginning and ending of the book. In the book, Harry is so angry in the beginning of the story and at the end he is a mess of fury and grief and there is a clear feeling of dread for our hero, which is what makes the story so compelling. I'm disappointed this does not play that way in the movie.

I wanted to watch this more than once in the theater but its not great enough to see again.

Holiday is the definition of "chick flick." It has everything it needs for chick flick material – attractive male and female leads, drama, humor and a believable happy ending. Two females unlucky in love decide to do a 2 week vacation home exchange. Amanda who lives in a posh estate in L.A. trades houses with Iris who lives in a quaint cottage in England. Both these ladies meet men they were not expecting and discover truths about themselves uncovering qualities they did not know they had. The movie chronicles the journey of these women's self-discovery and it was often humorous and at times heart breaking.

This movie worked with the excellent acting, especially Kate Winslet who plays Iris. I would not have enjoyed the movie as much if she was not in it. I should have known I would have been moved; there was a reason Titanic was a huge hit and she was part of why that movie was a success. Her heartbreak was very convincing. I also enjoyed Jack Black's brand of comedy. The singing of the movie scores in the movie rental store is my favorite scene. Jude Law also does an amazing, convincing job of Graham, the widower who falls in love and gets his heart broken to the point of him crying. The Graham crying scene is also one of my favorites.

The background theme of this love story was very interesting as well. The fact that all characters were involved in the entertainment industry was uncommon and I liked it. The movie trailers of Amanda's life were amusing and Arthur, the screen writer's journey, was also a pleasant subplot.

Although the pacing of this movie could be slow, I highly recommend this movie to all those people needing that fuzzy warm feeling during the holiday season.

Words to describe this movie: unconvincing, unentertaining, boring, obvious. In essence, bad art.

I got that this was a satire on American culture. However, the movie just failed to be entertaining because it was so aware of itself being a satire. This made delivery of all the actor's performances unconvincing. It's like they all knew they were making a statement about American Idol and the president and prejudice. I simply could not laugh at the obvious plot and one-dimensional characters. I think it's because I already knew the story and the way it could end. Drop Dead Gorgeous was a better satire about an entertainment type of industry.

This movie rocked on so many levels it hurts. It was furiously funny and intelligent. You would think that from the title and movie image that the movie is about cigarette smoking. Cigarettes are not the main agenda of this movie. It really is about a well crafted, creative Spin Doctor named Nick Naylor. Nick is a lobbyist for cigarette companies. He is a master of talk and spin that could argue and charm anyone about a subject and this is really what the movie is about. I thoroughly enjoyed the Rasputin likeness of the character but he was also sprinkled with human qualities being a father and loving his son. So while we actively see him working as a lobbyist, his son questions his motives and methods and uses the same skill to work for him. I loved this about the movie.

I particularly liked the "merchant of death" conversations and the extreme realness of language spoken by all characters. I have not had the pleasure of reading the book but look forward to looking it up and reading it when I get the chance.

The movie is really about the freedom to think, I highly recommend it.

This movie had very pretty people. The boys were nice to look at; hence this is me not complaining about the eye candy the movie had to offer. The premise of this movie worked for me. It was all about magic, power and testosterone. I liked the ideas this movie brought up about magic. I was reminded of comic book story made to theater movie a la Spiderman, Batman etc.

Everyone gets a passing grade for their profession in participating in creating this film. The premise was excellent. The plot was okay, but I wanted better. The acting was decent. The special effects were above average. I enjoyed the fight at the end with the power balls in the style of Dragon Ball Z. Although I could have done less with unconvincing villain monologue. I thought they handled the subject of magic in a cool way – with the obvious nonverbal spells, the spider spell and the gliding/flying.

The most convincing scene was the opening scene. This movie could have been better but I enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone interested in magic/power plots.

I fell in love with Buffy the Vampire Slayer after watching the Firefly series on DVD. Prior to BtVS, I was shot towards Joss Whedon shows via the movie Serenity. I wanted the back story of the movie Serenity before watching it. (I ended up purchasing the Firefly series because it's worth more than one viewing.) I missed a heck of a series on television but was rewarded with watching a theater story epilogue to the Firefly series. I fell in love with the Firefly 'verse and finally ventured into Netflixing the entire BftVS series. It was worth it; it lead me to buying the whole series.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is great entertainment. It has just the right amount of sexiness, drama, humor, and horror. I got deeply involved with the characters; my favorites are Giles, Spike and Buffy. I enjoy the comic book feel to the show. The anchor characters of the show (Willow, Xander, Buffy, Giles, Dawn-ca.5) are pitted against intriguing and scary villains each season. Hell-god Glory and evil Angelus were my favorite villains. Buffy has super-hero strength and mocks evil with humorous puns just before or just after kicking butt. This is a character that fights in every episode and you just have to admire that sentiment.

Here's my list of favorite episodes (top 15): 1. Once More With Feeling (season 6) A musical I didn't even expect! Every piece of dialogue, each note, each lyric was fabulous delivery that tied to the arc plots of the season and was so accurate to the character's secret feelings.

2. Hush (season 4) The creepiness and feel of this episode was convincing but it wouldn't have been Buffy without the comedy. (Giles trying to explain who the Gentlemen were) This was the most creative episode with excellent use of nonverbal communication.

3. Innocence (season 2) Evil Angel, nuff said. And what he did to Buffy! That Bastard! So I was right there with her when she had that Bazooka pointed at him.

4. Halloween (season 2) I liked it for the character of Ethan Rayne. He was so slimy. And everyone acting out of character was "neat."

5. Intervention (season 5) I did find the reason for the existence of the Buffy Bot sick and twisted but I loved the funny dialogue. "I can make sketches" Sarah Michelle Gellar and James Marsters are awesome actors.

6. Fool for Love (season 5) This episode was James Marsters at his best as Spike. I appreciated and enjoyed the back story of this character and love the idea of him being "a bloody awful poet." Underneath this villain doing evil lies a broken heart and romantic character; I love it.

7. Doppelgangland (season 3) I was amazed at the acting chops of Alison Hannigan in this episode. She pulled off 4 different characters - original Willow, vampire Willow, vampire Willow trying to be original Willow, original Willow trying to vampire Willow. The result was convincing and the story was humorous.

8. The Wish (season 3) I liked the introduction of the idea of alternative realities and exploring the "whatif" within something that is already fictional. Without the fandom already being a sealed deal this episode still would have worked. Vampire Willow and Xander stole the show.

9. I Only Have Eyes For You (season 2) The tragic lovers scene repeating had its comic and dramatic effect. It was this episode that showcased David Boreanaz as a great actor. He went from being evil, to being the female role of the tragic lover and then forgiving said lover for being shot and then back to being evil. I also loved the jokes about Spike being unable to walk and being on wheels and the Spike getting out of the chair at the end.

10. Tabula Rasa (season 6) A blank slate that wiped out all the characters memories resulted in some funny dialogue and entertainment. I also liked Tara's conviction and soliloquy on magic. Michelle Brant singing "Goodbye to You" was an excellent way to paint a painful picture of what the characters were going through at the end of the episode.

11. Smashed (season 6) Spike and Buffy finally getting together was a literal building falling apart. I couldn't believe the producers even went there and yet I thank them for it. The evil trio cracked me up and I always smile hearing the "get the freeze ray out of here" lines.

12. The Body (season 5) The unique direction and production of this episode impacted the story a lot. Not hearing music and it just being straight drama about pain and loss made the death of Mrs. Summers very real.

13. The Gift (season 5) "Oh My God. My Leg, my leg." It was about the funniest intro to the episode and the sadness of Buffy's death hit home to me how much I loved the characters and the series.

14. Something Blue (season 4) A story of magic done unintentionally was funny with the 'whatif' of Buffy and Spike getting together and direct hits of Xander and Giles from Willow. She made Giles blind and demons target Xander. These actors know these characters well.

15. Afterlife (season 6) The thing I like most about this episode is the affection that is portrayed between Dawn and Buffy and then Spike and Buffy. It made the rest of scoobies look shallow in comparison to what they feel towards the hero.

The End

The Angel series is just as great as Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Looking forward to receiving the whole series in the mail.

The theater was packed when I went to see POTC: Dead Man's Chest. The movie lived up to the hype - it was entertainment overload. From the CGI, to the incredible believable acting, to the set designs and the constant backdrop of the ocean I loved every sensory feeling the movie evoked. The story intrigued to the point of wanting to go to Disneyland to ride the ride again. Even though some say the movie was long, the story never dragged. The introduction of new characters -- Davey Jones (fabulous), creepy voodoo witch/woman on the island, and the East Indies Sugar Co. guy Beckett was refreshing and did their parts perfectly. I love monster movies so when the Kraken was released to annihilate ships it was an awesome thing to see.

I've seen the other films slated for blockbuster this summer and this one is by far the best one I've seen. IMHO, it wins the contest.

Now the ending of the film -- left me speechless. The third installment of this trilogy better explain everything and make me want to buy it when it becomes available on DVD.

I enjoyed this movie cause I enjoy lots of movies I watch in the theater. I expected, what everyone is calling, classic Adam Sandler movie machine - Waterboy, Wedding Singer - style of comedy. But it was actually a thought provoking movie. I did like the funny parts. I thought it was great seeing David Hasselhoff in a major movie being poked fun at (the fart joke was hilarious) and there were some very funny predictions of the future (Britney Spears having 23 children).

Adam Sandler has matured as an actor by taking these kind of roles. I was even surprised at the twist (Christopher Walken being the Angel of Death). But I knew that he never left that bed in Bed, Bath & Beyond.

Message heard, slowing down now and smelling the flowers.

I loved the new Harry Potter Movie (Goblet of Fire) and this is despite some things I didn't like or agreed with.

I loved the British humour. I loved that Fred & George Weasley got more speaking lines and were the hams the way they were in the book - they stole the scenes they were in. I thought the director made wise decisions with little things like Ginny having screen presence and portraying Cedric as a favorite. The special effects were phenomenal, almost on the same level as Peter Jackson's Wing Nut Film LOTR movies. The dragon, (OMFG), was awesome! Goblet of Fire is easily the best eye candy of fantastic effects of all the Potter movies. The Myrtle/Prefect Bath scene was exactly how I imagined it as I read it the first time in the book. Although I was disappointed to not see the other champions fighting their dragons, the extension of Harry's battle with the dragon was worth it. And was it just my theater or did they not show the miniature version of that Chinese Fireball dragon? The Yule ball scene was great. Everyone was pretty to look at. I think Dan Radcliffe does an excellent job of being Harry Potter. The other scene that awe struck me was the graveyard scene. Ralph Fiennes did a great job portraying Voldemort and I thought the director showing the importance of Voldemort being able to touch Harry was a big clue into what is to come with the upcoming books.

The things I had issues with:

Mad Eye's eye needed to be more menacing. I wanted to hear him repeatedly shout CONSTANT VIGILENCE to the students.

The acting of Emma Watson. I thought she overacted her scenes. (Although I thought her tragic scene on the stairs after the Yule Ball was classic teenage drama). I also think all the movies so far is portraying Hermione as being the one level headed friend Harry has, but this is not true. The screen writer is delegating Ron as slapstick, bitter and lazy and it just annoys me.

The fact that they can't slap green contacts on Dan Radcliffe. Harry (from the book) has green eyes and they should have changed it because I was so reminded of Lord of the Rings when I was watching the movie - it seems the close up shots of Dan Radcliffe was projecting Elijah Wood's Frodo Baggins.

Dumbledore being very off character from how he is portrayed in the book.

Fleur was supposed to be head-turning gorgeous. She was a beautiful actress; they should have played up her looks.

If I didn't know the book, I would be lost with the strange somewhat emotional intense wand battle between Harry and Voldemort. And Dumbledore's whispered priori incantatem was not good enough of an explanation to me. Harry should have said, huh?

Even though I had issues with the adapting of the book to this movie, it is still worth watching in the theatre. There were cuts made to the storyline that was understandable (it was a 700 page book) but I disagree with characters and scenes they chopped, switched, and massaged (Dumbledore, Priori Incantatem explanation). HP Goblet of Fire has an epic fantasy feel to it that any sci-fi/fantasy fan will appreciate. I think my favorite movie in the series so far is Prisoner of Azkaban (for the storyline – its my favorite out of the series, unique direction, better transition between scenes and an overall stronger impact).