Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - What's missing from the movie? [SPOILERS!]

[Wombat]

What else is missing?

Well, Krum is actually a character instead of window-dressing. And he and Hermione have a much more interesting relationship. And he is there just before Crouch is killed ... which leads to all kinds of misunderstandings.

Rita Skeeter becomes the bane of Harry's existence instead of a minor annoyance in a scene or two ... which feeds into events in the next book.

Hermione's House Elf Liberation Front (well, actually SPEW) shows a side of the wizarding world that they would like to ignore, which again becomes a major plot point in the next book.

Sirius Black is in contact with Harry over a longer period.

And Ludo Bagman, an amusing but less important sub-plot character, is dropped entirely.

Overall, there is a lot more developement of the characters, their backgrounds, and the whole situation.

The movie took the major action of the book and put in on the screen in a fairly pretty manner; it left all of the pith of the tale behind, making it rather shabby and rushed in comparision.

 

[Ulrik]

The movie took the major action of the book and put in on the screen in a fairly pretty manner; it left all of the pith of the tale behind, making it rather shabby and rushed in comparision.

While I agree that the movie feels a bit rushed, I don't think it could be anything else. The book is, what, 700 pages, and Rowling never writes as ploddingly as, say, Robert Jordan.

I can't see how the movie could possibly avoid feeling a bit rushed, or leaving interesting parts out. I think they did a really good job, actually.

 

[Viking Bastard]

And Ludo Bagman, an amusing but less important sub-plot character, is dropped entirely.

Yes?

 

[Rykion]

Warning Spoilers Ahead

Ludo Bagman was a former pro-Quidditch player and head of the Department of Games and Sports. He cheated Fred and George in a bet at the Quidditch World Cup and was acting very unusual. He was actually bankrupt and placed a large wager on Harry to win the Tri-wizard Tournament. He was doing his best to make sure Harry won, but didn't get any money as Harry tied rather than winning outright. He had to flee from the goblins he had borrowed money from.

Rita Skeeter published multiple stories on Harry. It made him look like he was an attention seeking liar, and Hermione his girlfriend who broke up with him to date Krum. Even Mrs. Weasley believed bad things about Hermione. The important part to the storyline is that no one will believe Harry when he says Voldemort is back because they see him as a liar. Hermione discovered Skeeter was secretly an ani-magi that could turn into a beetle. She caught her in beetle form and forced her to stop the stories.

As others have mentioned, Crouch jr. was killed immediately after being found by Fudge. It was revealed that his father had helped him escape Azkaban at request of his dying wife. They brewed polyjuice potion and used it to change Crouch jr. for his mother, who died shortly thereafter in Azkaban. Crouch jr. was kept imprisoned by his father, but escaped at the World Cup. Fudge allowed the dementor to kill Crouch jr. making him a suspect as a death eater trying to prevent word of Voldemort's return from spreading.

It was also explained at the end that Harry and Voldemort had wands made with a feather from the same phoenix. They each cast a spell at the same time, linking the magical core of their wands. When Harry won the battle of wills, he forced the magic back into Voldemort's wand causing it to cast its last spells in reverse.

There is a lot more, but those are the key items missed in the movie.

 

[RichCsigs]

It's been awhile since I read Goblit of Fire, but wasn't there something about Harry winning a cash prize for winning the tournament?

 

[Rykion]

There was a cash prize, but I don't think much is made of it, and its use, until book 5.

 

[Ambrus]

Harry did win a substancial amount of money as a prize for the Tri-wizard tournament but didn't want it since Cedric had to die for him to gain it. He instead gives it to Ron's two older brothers so that they can use it as starting capital for a wizard joke shop they want to open in Hogsmead. He does this because he thinks it'll be important for there to be more laughter in the world now that Voldermort is back. He and his friends end up using some of their magical joke trinkets during the following book.

 

[Meloncov]

wizard joke shop they want to open in Hogsmead.

It's in Diagon Alley, not Hogsmeade, which already has Zonkos.

The book had a heavy subplot about how Ron was poor while Harry is very rich.

Also, the bit about Rita Skeeter being an Anamagus is in book five, not four.

 

[Tiberius]

It's in Diagon Alley, not Hogsmeade, which already has Zonkos.

The book had a heavy subplot about how Ron was poor while Harry is very rich.

Also, the bit about Rita Skeeter being an Anamagus is in book five, not four.

No, she's revealed as an animagus in book 4. This fact is used to blackmail her in book 5 to write the pro-Potter piece for the Quibbler.

 

[Vocenoctum]

It was also explained at the end that Harry and Voldemort had wands made with a feather from the same phoenix. They each cast a spell at the same time, linking the magical core of their wands. When Harry won the battle of wills, he forced the magic back into Voldemort's wand causing it to cast its last spells in reverse.

And, that Phoenix is Fawkes.