Maybe it‘s because I just re-read the novel before watching it again, but this movie is jarring in its simplicity compared to the book. I get that you can‘t cram all the contents of almost 800 pages into a normal-length film, and some plot points need to be made more plain because exposition isn‘t as easy in this medium*, but it felt like they left out some scenes for budget reasons (like the world cup) but then over-dramatised scenes which didn‘t really need it (like the first task) or added completely superfluous ones (like the dance scene) - and of course, there‘s the parts changed for no conceivable reason, like the Beauxbatons/Durmstrang gender separation (are there no male French wizards??), the maze (surely the special effects budget was taxed just as much by this as it would have been by a Sphinx?) and the much-criticised angry!Dumbledore.
*I get leaving out Bertha Jorkins or Neville giving Harry the Gillyweed, for example, it‘s unnecessarily convoluted for a movie, but I hate the parts where they change things for „clarity“ (because they think viewers are idiots) and then ruin the whole point - like Polyjuice Potion not transforming your voice, which they thankfully changed for this movie, or someone‘s eyes glazing over under the Imperius Curse (despite Moody saying you couldn‘t tell who was under its influence).
