Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Review

Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) looks forward to a little peace of mind in his fourth year at Hogwarts. Alas it’s not meant to be. Hogwarts is hosting the Triwizard Tournament in which one champion from three prestigious wizarding schools competes in a series of life-threatening tasks. As the three competitors are chosen by the enchanted Goblet of Fire it inexplicably spits out one final name. Guess who? Someone is obviously setting up Harry. His friends and professors try to help him but Harry is pretty much on his own. Yet as he edges closer to the Triwizard Cup nothing can prepare the boy wizard for the ultimate confrontation with pure evil. That’s right Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) is back and boy is he pissed. Dark and difficult times do indeed lie ahead. There’s a wonderful familiarity with the characters that keeps getting stronger with each film. The kids–Radcliffe Rupert Grint and Emma Watson–are finally comfortable in their characters’ skin. Although they still have trouble hitting those dramatic notes their adolescent camaraderie is genuine. With the new characters the casting is once again impeccable. The Harry Potter movies have become a great way for prominent British actors to pocket a little extra change. Brendan Gleeson (Troy) is blusteringly hilarious as Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody the new unconventional Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher while Miranda Richardson (The Hours) is aptly persnickety as the nosy tabloid-esque reporter Rita Skeeter. And then there’s Fiennes playing the Dark Lord with exquisite maliciousness. Can’t wait to see what he’ll do with the role in future installments. Poor Mike Newell. Apparently producer David Heyman originally wanted the British director–known for helming smaller more intimate fare such as Four Weddings and a Funeral and Donnie Brasco–to direct the first film The Sorcerers Stone. Newell had to pass at the time and instead waited until he was offered one of the most complicated of the Harry Potter novels. Oh well no harm done. Newell handles the spectacular special effects with style (with some help no doubt) and adds to the franchise for the first time oh-so-veddy British sensibilities. He wanted to give audiences a taste of what a British boarding school is really like even a school that teaches wizardry and witchcraft. Goblet of Fire is full of little eccentricities especially between the professors that keeps the magical spirit going in between all the action.