Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
From AwardAnnals
| Film: | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire |
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| Series: | Part 4 of Harry Potter |
| Director: | Mike Newell |
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| Distributor: | Warner Home Video |
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Reviews
Amazon.com
The latest entry in the Harry Potter saga could be retitled Fast Times at Hogwarts, where finding a date to the winter ball is nearly as terrifying as worrying about Lord Voldemort’s return. Thus, the young wizards’ entry into puberty (and discovery of the opposite sex) opens up a rich mining field to balance out the dark content in the fourth movie (and the stories are only going to get darker). Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral) handily takes the directing reins and eases his young cast through awkward growth spurts into true young actors. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe, more sure of himself) has his first girl crush on fellow student Cho Chang (Katie Leung), and has his first big fight with best bud Ron (Rupert Grint). Meanwhile, Ron’s underlying romantic tension with Hermione (Emma Watson) comes to a head over the winter ball, and when she makes one of those girl-into-woman Cinderella entrances, the boys’ reactions indicate they’ve all crossed a threshold.
But don’t worry, there’s plenty of wizardry and action in Goblet of Fire. When the deadly Triwizard Tournament is hosted by Hogwarts, Harry finds his name mysteriously submitted (and chosen) to compete against wizards from two neighboring academies, as well as another Hogwarts student. The competition scenes are magnificently shot, with much-improved CGI effects (particularly the underwater challenge). And the climactic confrontation with Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes, in a brilliant bit of casting) is the most thrilling yet. Goblet, the first installment to get a PG-13 rating, contains some violence as well as disturbing images for kids and some barely shrouded references at sexual awakening (Harry’s bath scene in particular). The 2 1/2-hour film, lean considering it came from a 734-page book, trims out subplots about house-elves (they’re not missed) and gives little screen time to the standard crew of the other Potter films, but adds in more of Britain’s finest actors to the cast, such as Brendan Gleeson as Mad-Eye Moody and Miranda Richardson as Rita Skeeter. Michael Gambon, in his second round as Professor Dumbledore, still hasn’t brought audiences around to his interpretation of the role he took over after Richard Harris died, but it’s a small smudge in an otherwise spotless adaptation. —Ellen A. Kim
Barnes and Noble
Defying the theatrical tradition of lessening returns with each successive sequel, the series based on J. K. Rowling’s phenomenal book series takes another magical step forward with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which is as solidly entertaining as any film that debuted in 2005. Like its predecessor, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire adds another layer of darkness, earning a justified PG-13 rating (the series’ first) with some truly harrowing fantasy chills. There’s also a bath scene that gets a little creepy, in a little-girl-ghost-coming-on-to-a-boy-wizard way. It certainly fits the story’s underlying Hogwarts-on-Hormones theme, but little ones may have questions. There’s no question that British director Mike Newell has firm command of the material, though, as the story joins Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his loyal friends Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) for their fourth year at Hogwarts Academy—just as it’s named the site of the year’s Triwizard Tournament, which will pit a competitor from Hogwarts against individual representatives from schools in Bulgaria and France. Things go weird when, in addition to spitting out a champion from each of the institutions, the wondrous Goblet of Fire spews out “Harry Potter” as well, and no one from Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) on down quite knows what to make of it. Evil’s afoot, specifically in the form of Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), and even those who have not read the book will find the unfolding mystery and the action set pieces that punctuate it more than compelling. Which is a credit to Newell’s brilliant storytelling as well as the source material; there’s no need for Harry and friends to so much come of age, in a traditional cinematic story arc. Rather, they are now of age, and puberty’s complexities throw the social soup up in the air, adding emotional heft to the special-effects sequences. Newcomers Brendan Gleeson, as dark arts instructor Alastor “Mad Eye” Moody, and Miranda Richardson, as nosy tabloid journalist Rita Skeeter, play pivotal roles; and while that results in less screen time for favorites Alan Rickman (Severus Snape), Maggie Smith (Minerva McGonagall), and Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane), they still make the most of their scenes. After all, it’s Harry’s story; and this borderline-great Goblet of Fire really raises the cinematic ante for Order of the Phoenix, scheduled to arrive in November 2007. Greg Fagan
Related works
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Big news on the Harry Potter musical front: After scoring the first three installments in the series, John Williams has been replaced by Patrick Doyle. Still, Williams never feels far away. His main theme pops up here and there, and a track like “Voldemort,” which eloquently illustrates the soul of a blacker-than-black wizard with thunderous cymbal crashes, shrieking horns, tumultuous strings, and a stately finish, firmly belongs in the Williams mode. Overall, Doyle acquits himself well. He can do light when needed (“The Quidditch World Cup,” which starts out…
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Book 4 of Harry Potter
Harry Potter is back! A teenager pitching headfirst into the world of near adulthood, Harry returns to Hogwarts for his fourth year. Will he be allowed to play in the Quidditch World Cup? Has Lord Voldemort and his sinister cohorts, the Death Eaters, returned for murder? What will happen at the Triwizard Tournament? Will Hogwarts beat the Beauxbatons and the Durmstran? Will Harry be one of the contenders? And what about girls? All of the familiar characters are back along with several new ones in a tale that will make this book another favorite among Muggles of all ages. There are also enough loose strands at the end to keep us all in eager anticipation of book five.
