another fine installment

Rating: 7/10 (22 May 2006)

In "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," the fourth installment in the perennially popular series by J. K. Rowling, the young wizards seem to have a bit more on their minds than just flying around on broomsticks and casting spells. For along with puberty come activated hormones and a sudden burgeoning interest in the opposite sex. This brings a nice grown-up dimension to a series that continues to enchant young and old alike with its constantly renewing creativity and imagination.
All, however, is not puppy love romance and fancy dress balls, for there is still the serious business of wizardry to be done at Hogwarts Academy. In this edition, Harry is compelled to take part in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, a sort of Olympic Games for magicians that is so intense that it has resulted in the deaths of a few of the participants in the past. In order to win the prize of the goblet of fire, the contestant must face three challenges - a battle with dragons, an underwater rescue of some kidnapped friends, and a trip through an elaborate maze, with the goal in each case being the capturing of a mysterious giant egg. At the base of the contest lies the evil Lord Voldemort (a creepy Ralph Fiennes), who is, as always, trying to eliminate young Mr. Potter by any means necessary.
Although a bit long at two hours and thirty-six minutes, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" still manages to breathe new life into a franchise that should by all rights be turning pretty stale by now. It does so partly through some really fine set pieces - i.e. the challenges - partly through the high flying imaginativeness of so much of the storyline, partly through the endearing relationships among the various characters, and partly through the performance of Daniel Radcliffe, who keeps Harry Potter lifelike, compelling and interesting as an everyman hero. The tone is also remarkably dark in the later stretches of the film, as is befitting the advancing ages of the characters, although very young children might find some of the scenes a trifle disturbing, so be forewarned.
Filled with beautiful images and dazzling special effects, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" is another worthy addition to a series that is fast becoming a modern day classic in its own right.