Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire (A or 4/4 stars)
Dark & difficult times lie ahead for Harry Potter in 'Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire', directed by Mike Newell. Our young master wizard, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), technically underage, is selected to partake in a highly dangerous, but enormously glorifying Tri-Wizard Tournament btwn. 3 wizarding schools. The other schools include the Beauxbatons from France, led by a Giant (literally) Head-Mistress, Madame Olympe Maxine (Frances De La Tour), & the Durmstrangs of Central Europe, led by Igor Karkaroff. This is, perhaps, the series' best film version yet.
Harry's 4th summer in this series concludes & he eagerly shuffles off to Hogwart's once again. The usual characters have gone to watch the Quidditch World Cup. It is a great scene in which we get a glimpse at world renowned Quidditch champ/heartthrob, Viktor Krum (Stanislav Ianevski) and also the Death Eaters who ravage through the venue, destroying everything in sight. The presence of the Death Eaters sends off a signal that Lord Voldemort is regaining his strength. His 'dark mark' is left in the sky for all to see. What Harry must do now is juggle several life-altering events, all while trying to complete classes at Hogwart's.
Some of these life-altering events include participating, staying alive, & winning the great Tri-Wizard Tournament! Sprinkled throughout these events includes mending fences with old pal, Ron (Rupert Grint). And perhaps, most difficult of all, nailing down a girl to accompany him at the Yule Ball; he hopes to ask fellow classmate, Cho Chang (Katie Leung). Harry & his classmates are 14 now. They're growing up & learning, quite quickly, that being a teen can be exhilarating. But it can also be a whirlwind of emotions. Can Harry step up to the plate, once again? Can he, unfathomably (literally & figuratively), win the tournament? Will he lose some of his friends along the way? Can he rise to the harsh challenges that puberty often brings? And most importantly, can he defeat one of the most evil beings in all of fiction, Lord Voldemort (a stunning Ralph Fiennes)?
On a purely dramatic level, this film is spectacular. Every character becomes more invested in each other & what they're doing. As expected, from the books, the film is much darker than its predecessors. What casual fan ever thought that they could get scared watching a Harry Potter flick? Well, Voldemort's rebirth will give you nightmares for weeks. But 'Goblet of Fire' has its fare share of comedic moments, as well. The movie shifts from being highly dramatic to rather light-hearted when the Yule Ball sequence is shot. It is a nice transition and a welcomed change from the heavy drama that the Tournament lends. The Yule Ball can be likened to an 8th grade school dance (with all the 8th grade drama that ensues).
Emma Watson is pretty, and pretty smart as Hermione. Sir Michael Gambon returns as the sage Dumbledore. Maggie Smith is genius as Minerva McGonagall. Alan Rickman steals scenes as Snape. And Robbie Coltrane is the loveable Hagrid. New characters this year include Brendan Gleeson as the new Professor of Defense of the Dark Arts, Alastor 'Mad Eye' Moody; and boy is he needed on campus this year. Miranda Richardson has some fun as Rita Skeeter, a flibbertigibbet journalist at the Daily Prophet. And Robert Pattinson is fine as Cedric Diggory. The acting, as usual, is quite stellar.
On a visual level, the film soars. All 3 stages of the Tri-Wizard Tournament are shot amazingly. The sequence where Harry battles a Dragon is thrilling. His underwater task in a lagoon is terrifying. And the maze he must get through in the end is daunting to say the least. In all, the movie was lengthy, but very tight. I actually think it could have gone on a bit more to fit in some storylines that appear to have been left out from the book. Never did I feel bored or look down at my watch (something I've done all year long). The PG-13 rating is warranted, & so all parents should take caution. But if the kid can handle it, I say, have a blast. I am already eagerly awaiting the next installment. Too bad we have to wait nearly 2 years. Hopefully, it will be well worth the wait.
Harry's 4th summer in this series concludes & he eagerly shuffles off to Hogwart's once again. The usual characters have gone to watch the Quidditch World Cup. It is a great scene in which we get a glimpse at world renowned Quidditch champ/heartthrob, Viktor Krum (Stanislav Ianevski) and also the Death Eaters who ravage through the venue, destroying everything in sight. The presence of the Death Eaters sends off a signal that Lord Voldemort is regaining his strength. His 'dark mark' is left in the sky for all to see. What Harry must do now is juggle several life-altering events, all while trying to complete classes at Hogwart's.
Some of these life-altering events include participating, staying alive, & winning the great Tri-Wizard Tournament! Sprinkled throughout these events includes mending fences with old pal, Ron (Rupert Grint). And perhaps, most difficult of all, nailing down a girl to accompany him at the Yule Ball; he hopes to ask fellow classmate, Cho Chang (Katie Leung). Harry & his classmates are 14 now. They're growing up & learning, quite quickly, that being a teen can be exhilarating. But it can also be a whirlwind of emotions. Can Harry step up to the plate, once again? Can he, unfathomably (literally & figuratively), win the tournament? Will he lose some of his friends along the way? Can he rise to the harsh challenges that puberty often brings? And most importantly, can he defeat one of the most evil beings in all of fiction, Lord Voldemort (a stunning Ralph Fiennes)?
On a purely dramatic level, this film is spectacular. Every character becomes more invested in each other & what they're doing. As expected, from the books, the film is much darker than its predecessors. What casual fan ever thought that they could get scared watching a Harry Potter flick? Well, Voldemort's rebirth will give you nightmares for weeks. But 'Goblet of Fire' has its fare share of comedic moments, as well. The movie shifts from being highly dramatic to rather light-hearted when the Yule Ball sequence is shot. It is a nice transition and a welcomed change from the heavy drama that the Tournament lends. The Yule Ball can be likened to an 8th grade school dance (with all the 8th grade drama that ensues).
Emma Watson is pretty, and pretty smart as Hermione. Sir Michael Gambon returns as the sage Dumbledore. Maggie Smith is genius as Minerva McGonagall. Alan Rickman steals scenes as Snape. And Robbie Coltrane is the loveable Hagrid. New characters this year include Brendan Gleeson as the new Professor of Defense of the Dark Arts, Alastor 'Mad Eye' Moody; and boy is he needed on campus this year. Miranda Richardson has some fun as Rita Skeeter, a flibbertigibbet journalist at the Daily Prophet. And Robert Pattinson is fine as Cedric Diggory. The acting, as usual, is quite stellar.
On a visual level, the film soars. All 3 stages of the Tri-Wizard Tournament are shot amazingly. The sequence where Harry battles a Dragon is thrilling. His underwater task in a lagoon is terrifying. And the maze he must get through in the end is daunting to say the least. In all, the movie was lengthy, but very tight. I actually think it could have gone on a bit more to fit in some storylines that appear to have been left out from the book. Never did I feel bored or look down at my watch (something I've done all year long). The PG-13 rating is warranted, & so all parents should take caution. But if the kid can handle it, I say, have a blast. I am already eagerly awaiting the next installment. Too bad we have to wait nearly 2 years. Hopefully, it will be well worth the wait.