Welcome back, Potter

Went to see the new Harry Potter film today, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire."

I enjoy these films; they're usually visually beautiful, they're all full of English people, and I dig that a whole generation of kids are learning great phrases like "taking the mick(ey)" and "brilliant" and "piss off." The anglophile in me rejoices.

I've read the first four books, and tend to read the next in line close to when the film's coming out. I enjoy them. They don't fascinate me and I don't adore them the way some do -- like the screaming teenage (girls, mostly) who were crushing one another outside the Zeigfeld theater tonight (one held a sign saying she'd been there since "six," and since it was 3:30 in the afternoon, that's a bloody long wait) and screaming every time a tinted-window car drove up. When an actor from the film actually emerged, it was near pandemonium. One police fence was nearly bending over under the crush.

So, looking forward to the film, it's fun to see with real fans and kids, and it was nice to watch. I enjoyed it, as I knew I would. The problem with any of the Potter films, of course, is that they'd really be better served by a mini-series, particularly the latter ones. There's so much information in the books, so much plot and goings-on that it'd be nice to actually have one of these films breathe. This one was two-and-a-half hours (!) and still left out a lot. And the woman I sat next to, who co-edits the fan site "The Leaky Cauldron," seemed to agree. That said, I felt a bit like a cheat for just enjoying it while -- towards the end -- audible snifs could be heard around me. I mean, anyone who's read the book (and that's anyone in that theater) knew what was coming, yet -- snifs! Good for them.

All of that said, watching the film reminded me of two other things which routinely annoy me about the whole series.

No. 1: Despite having saved the school multiple times, despite having killed off (well, or so it seemed) the Most Evil Wizard Ever, He Who Shall Not Be Named, despite basically being a self-effacing, slightly geeky, uber-nice guy who would otherwise blend into the tapestries, every single book and movie seems to be populated with a school of people who have no memory of Harry Potter's prior good acts. Or that he always triumphs and is vindicated. Or that he will do something like risk his own life for his friends. Nope: In "Goblet," for example, immediately everyone -- including his best male friend, Ron -- assumes the worst of him when his name comes out of the cup, despite that they know it isn't physically possible. Ron turns on him. The schoolkids wear "Harry Stinks" badges (another Brit word I'm hoping gets picked up here). Snape still accuses him of stealing from the potions cabinet. It's as though all of the accomplishments of the previous books mean nothing, and that's not only frustrating, it feels like bad plotting. We know we're building to a conclusion in just one more book; why aren't the books showing us character development beyond the three main friends?

No. 2: Ths is the one that would probably get me beaned with the Goblet by fans, but the truth is, Harry's not really much of a hero. He has his moments -- the whole saving two people at the risk of his own life, etc. -- but the thing is, Harry doesn't act. He is acted upon. He shows up, and is put upon, pushed around, given advantages or help by friends, and just kind of buffets along. I thought about this again when I flashed by "The Wizard of Oz" on TBS this evening: Dorothy acts. She may get blown not by her own accord into Oz, but she gets up and immediately starts taking action. She has a goal, she wants to get out. She helps people along the way by taking action, and when there's a bucket of water, she flings it. If Harry Potter was blown into Oz, he'd sit around until Glenda led him by the hand to the Scarecrow, and the Scarecrow would urge him to go to the Emerald City, and so on. Harry's remarkably passive (I'm sure there are exceptions, but this is an overall take). Hermione and Ron are the actual heroes here, they do things and think things and get things done and seem to have emotions. Harry is just there.

No. 3: I just thought of my third problem, but this is more of a projection: I'm really, really, really worried this is all going to end up as another "Star Wars" -- namely that Harry will somehow be Voldemort's son. I worry about that, because then I'm really going to feel I wasted my time on this series. Not that it's a bad story turn -- but, you know, done.