This is the first of the Potter movies that I haven't already read the book. As I've said before, there's not enough time to cover every detail found in the books. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire transitions wonderfully from the chilling creepiness found in The Prisoner of Azkaban into a mature dramatic darkness. The movie forgoes the happiness and frivolity of the previous movies and replaces it with teen problems, epic action sequences and hilarious British humor.
Looking for a trouble-free year at Hogwarts for a change, Harry Potter finds himself unwillingly entered in the brutal TriWizard competition, up against a fellow Hogwarts student and two others from visiting schools. With the assistance of loyal friends Ron and Hermione, and the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Mad-Eye Moody (Brendan Gleeson), Harry seeks to reveal who has put him in harm's way yet again. As Harry struggles to stay alive during these brutal contests, his investigations and dreams lead him to Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), who is making new efforts to rise again and exact his revenge.
The cast continues to amaze...
Daniel Radcliffe makes me love Harry even more. He is vulnerable, angry, not always sure what to do, and has actually gotten quite good at comedy routines.
My favorite, Rupert Grint has really grown. He's lost the baby-round face. Ron's role as Harry's mate is not just for comedic relief this time. He gets jealous of Harry for getting into the tournament, and is tired of being referred to as "Harry Potter's Stupid Friend". I love the maturity Ron is taking and his 'bloody hells'.
Emma Watson continues her overly dramatic role. Her character is one bone of contention for me. It's a love/hate. Hermione is the know-it-all drama queen/student we love, but Watson has a tendency of over-enunciating her lines and being too melodramatic, which worked in The Sorcerer's Stone when Hermione was condescending and childishly bossy, but is annoying by this point.
The Phelps Twins are remarkable as Fred and George and entertain with their hilarious banter and excellent screen presence. No longer do they come across as wooden cut-outs just reading from a cue-card and instead they are able to show the mischievous spontaneity of the Weasley twins
Matthew Lewis was great at showing Neville's sensitive side without making him too klutzy. Ginny has a lesser role here than expected. And for the record, I REALLY don't want Harry and her to hook up. It just wouldn't be right.
Another favorite, Professor Snape is but a background note for most of the movie, but the one scene in his potion pantry is worth the price of a ticket.
Professor Dumbledore took a whole other direction and one I'm not to sure about. Gone is the wizened, calm head wizard we know. Instead, we have a frantic and unsure old man who seems to jump at every shadow and at one point, seizes Harry and interrogates him.
Of the few new characters we meet, all of them are welcomed additions. The new Defense from the Dark Arts teacher, Brendan Gleeson's Mad-Eye Moody is creepy. There was not enough back-story on him for me to understand what role he plays, save for pushing Harry along. Rita Skeeter played by Miranda Richardson was the only one I could do without. Skeeter is truly as irritating in the film as in the book.
Also, we meet two new wizardry schools from Europe. Both provide the viewer a glimpse into the huge world J. K. Rowling has created.
Last, but certainly not least, Lord Voldemort. Ralph Fiennes hisses and rages as evil incarnate. He is genuinely terrifying as the evil Lord Voldemort. A suitably conniving Timothy Spall ably assists Fiennes in his wickedness and also the most fearsome set of nostrils to grace the silver screen since Hannibal Lector flexed his snout at Agent Starling in The Silence of the Lambs. Thought he was going to talk Harry to death, but I must say that the Dark Lord being beaten by a bunch of ghosts raised cheese issues for me.
The tasks of the TriWizard Tournament are perhaps the best thing about the movie. The story line adds character development, action, and density to the movie. Harry's round with the dragon is intensely scary but amazing. His second task, slightly less so, but the dragon was a tough act to follow. The maze is scary, easily a villain by itself. Think The Shining on crack. The finale will leave pretty much anyone with a soul breathless and crying.
Although the darkness is very well presented here, director Mike Newell scores by perfectly showing a usual teenager problem. He addresses the awkward teenage stage full on. The mid-movie Yule Ball sequence is where crucial moments of teenage lust and cruelty are showcased, finally giving the series an accurate portrayal of adolescence. Since the theme of the film is transformation, Newell gives time for the three leads to grow into awkward teenagers, complete with self-conscious behavior and bickering. Newell and returning screenwriter Steven Kloves (who deserves massive credit wrestling the J.K. Rowling world into semi-coherent films) use the ball as a setting for Harry, Hermione, and Ron to begin confronting their newly thorny friendship, and to a smaller degree, their burgeoning sexuality (also seen in a moment with Harry in a bath while Moaning Myrtle comes on to him). The sequence is also a rare chance for the story to take a breather and enjoy the characters and the surroundings. It's an unusual moment of pageantry for the series, but it elevates the characterizations away from the gee-wiz level they were stuck at, and lays the groundwork spectacularly for the hormonal trouble that lies ahead for the trio.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the best in the Harry Potter series, for now anyways. It shows the emotion and fear of the characters with so many memorable scenes. There's a phrase in the movie that could explain everything going on Harry's mind. Difficult times lie ahead, and soon we must choose between what's right and what's easy. It's the perfect definition for all that's going on Potter's mind. This human side of the powerful wizard makes the movie irresistible, and one of the year's best.
Addendum: 01.07.06
Having finished the book, there are a few issues I need to take up. Ok, so I'm nit picking...
- The echoes are cool and are WAY better than the whole ghost thing I had going on.
- Neville in the book is completely different from Neville in the movie and NOT in a good way. Dobby gives the gillyweed to Harry.
- Am I the only one who came away from the movie thinking Karkaroff was the one who put Harry's name in the Goblet?
- The ending of the book is MUCH better than the movie, but more importantly, I don't think the ending of the movie in anyway matches the seriousness found in the book.
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