Harry Potter is no longer kiddie stuff

This is my 3rd time writing this post as my computer has officially gone kaput. Now i'm using my laptop.

Had my 2nd last paper today and it wasn't a very good experience doing it. No one expected the questions that came out and it was much tougher compared to previous semesters. There were 2 questions on derivations, 1 tough high weightage question involving a never seen before combination of phase diagrams plus resistivity, and some other questions requiring us to have a good knowledge of various equations. The previous semester paper was "chicken feet" compared to ours and i guess it must be due to the fact that the professors had a hard time grading students as everyone must have scored relatively well last semester. As a result, the professors decided to give us a hard time this time round. :(

Everyone was complaining after the exam and it is always a good sign as everyone else is also in the same shoes. :) (except for some geniuses and muggers in my course) For people who dunno, my course is at least 70% littered with either geniuses or people whose hobbies are studying, reading and revising. And i'm not from any of the 2 categories. Sometimes i really wonder where their motivation comes from.

Some of my aerospace friends and i decided to take a break after the paper today and decided to catch a movie at Jurong Point. We bought tickets to Harry Potter at 3.35 pm, which is more than 2 hours later as the earlier timeslots were already selling fast. We went to the arcade after having our lunch as some of my friends wanted to play some games. I don't really enjoy going to the arcade coz i basically suck at all the games other than Daytona, feel that arcade is a waste of time and money and that the noisy environment is a put-off. After about 1 hour of watching them play some games and playing photo hunt together, i got a mild throbbing headache from the constant electronic noise in there. I guess it could also be due to brain ache from the mentally exhaustive exams. I didn't help that i only slept 4 hours the day before also.

Luckily, i was able to concentrate during the movie and i actually enjoyed it tremendously. The Goblet of Fire is now my personal favourite among the series as it has matured quite a lot from its previous trio. The opening scenes which includes the Quidditch Grand Finals is eye-poppingly spectacular, not saving a penny on the visual effects. The threat of evil is again on the rise again, this time more real and dangerous than ever with Lord Voldermort slowly gaining his foothold on the realm of evil. Harry Potter confronts not only his infatuation woes, but also friendships that could easily strain, morality issues and his survival skills which is put to the ultimate test in the Triwizard Tournament.

Danger and evil lurks on all corners of this movie, making this episode the most violent in the series as Harry Potter duels with a ferocious dragon, merpeople and finally Lord Voldermort himself. The jokes are plenty as well to calm the tense atmosphere in parts of the movie. The supporting cast is a delight with some memorable performances, esp the nosey reporter. There is some emotional resonance in the movie as the children realise the imminent threat that could possibly cost them their lives and the strength within their friendships. At a duration of 2 hours 20 mins, i didn't feel its length from the movie but from my slightly strained neck. The Goblet of Fire is indeed hugely entertaining, a visual and cinematic achievement. Lets hope the next episode The Order Of The Phoenix will live up to the high expectations that The Goblet of Fire has set.