Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Directed by: Mike Newell
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Brendan Gleeson, Robert Pattinson
Rated: PG-13 for sequences of fantasy violence and frightening images.
Parental Notes: This is a darker film than the first three, and not as suitable for young children. There are frightening creatures, death-defying chases, and more than a few dark and frightening images. Children who easily handled the book should be fine, but the younger, more sensitive set may wind up with nightmares about skulls and evil wizards.
The latest Harry Potter film, “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” is a success on two levels. It succeeds as an adaptation of the book in that it has pared a somewhat bloated text down to just the essentials. It succeeds as a movie on its own in that it has an involving plot and sympathetic characters, not to mention a truly nasty villain and thrilling adventures. Its only failing is that it feels a trifle cramped at times, as though scenes were trimmed around the edges to make them all fit. That said, it’s a thrilling installment in a reliably good series.
Now in his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, fourteen-year-old Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) finds himself competing in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, a magical contest between representatives of Hogwarts and the other two major schools of magic, the Durmstrang Institute and Beauxbatons Academy of Magic. Students wishing to compete in the tournament put their names into the Goblet of Fire, which on the appointed day spits out one name per school. This year, however, Harry’s name was also spat out, even though he didn’t put it in and is too young to enter.
Although everyone is suspicious of Harry, once a student’s name comes out of the goblet, they are obligated to compete — so even though there are now two Hogwarts champions (the other is series newcomer Cedric Diggory, played by Robert Pattinson) and Harry is in no way ready to compete in the difficult Tournament, he has to. Fortunately, he has his old friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) to help him plan and prepare, and it’s nice to see him truly out of his depth for once. Meanwhile, Harry has been having disturbing dreams which may indicate the dark lord Voldemort is up to something, and the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Alastor Moody (Brendan Gleeson) is a bit odd.
The film, like the book, is packed with magical details. There are dragons and merpeople to be battled, a huge hedge-maze to solve, villainy of all kinds is afoot, romance is in the air, and more. Wisely, screenwriter Steven Kloves (who has written all the Harry Potter screenplays) and director Mike Newell have pared the somewhat bloated book down to its essentials.
Gone are the practical joke toys the Weasley twins sell, as are Hermione’s well-intentioned but annoying attempt to liberate the house elves at Hogwarts and other unnecessary subplots. We are left with only the central plot and those revelations which are directly necessary for future films. Although at times the film seems a bit rushed, trying to pack a huge plot into only 157 minutes, overall it clicks together.
The story we’re left with is a doozy, and it’s exhilarating to watch. The tournament involves three challenges, and the special effects are largely superb. The dragon Harry has to outwit in the first task looks frighteningly real, and the merpeople are thoroughly eerie, and the maze is a terror of writhing foliage. Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) is more ghastly than ever once he finally appears, and the big confrontation toward the end is effectively handled. It’s easy to simply forget that all this is a movie and get caught up in the thrill ride of a plot.
Radcliffe is a natural as Harry, and he, Watson, and Grint have really grown in skill over the course of the films. Everyone on screen really lives their parts, so that they don