The Best Yet

Rating: 7/10 (20 November 2005)

OK OK, I know saying 'the best yet' isn't really saying much, but Harry Potter 4 has finally arrived and it was seriously enjoyable.
Not only is The Goblet of Fire the first 12a Potter film, (exciting if you're 5, I suppose,) it actually scared me - an avid horror fan! (well, a bit...)
TGoF starts off with the Weasleys, Harry and Hermoine trudging off to the Quidditch World Cup at daybreak. After a swirling, dizzying portkey journey, the Quidditch stadium is positively spectacular. Unimaginably high, it fulfils all of Rowling's descriptions, and then some! The movie even manages to condense Rowling's exciting, but nonetheless not-quite-as-cool-as-Hogwarts, World Cup section of the fourth book into a couple of minutes of screen time. Thumbs up! What is particularly frightening though, is the Death-Eaters march through the fleeing wizards after the Cup Final. Pointed hats, reminiscent of Ku-Klux Clan attire, pierce the dreamlike wonderworld that used to be Potter movies, and brings TGoF into a new, much scarier sphere. There is something actually chilling about the scenes of destruction that follow the glory and frivolity of the World Cup celebrations.
Back at Hogwarts, Harry, Ron and Hermoine become real teenagers (moody, jealous, flirty) although, regrettably, not real actors (still sadly a bit too much gasping and a bit too little acting). Harry mysteriously gets entered into the Triwizard Tournament and the games begin with expected, but still very much appreciated, aplomb.
The three other contestants; Cedric, Fleur and Viktor are perfect literalisations of their novel counterparts. Cedric is dashing, ethical and popular, Fleur is beautiful, blond and French and Viktor is rugged, forceful and intimidating. Special effects complete the package as they allow dragon-chasing, mermaid-bashing and maze-running to rival Hampton Court to exist on the Potter screen.
And what we're all waiting for - Voldemort. Ralph Fiennes looking extremely worse-for-wear, does his usual superb spot of acting. He radiates evil and is pretty terrifying (especially for the little 5 year old who sat next to me in the cinema), although I think he could've done with a hood to be honest.
Stellar casting has made Harry Potter movies receive a great deal of merit where perhaps they have deserved a great deal less. TGoF utilises Skinner, from Only Fools and Horses as Barty Crouch, as well as the usual ensemble of Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Gary Oldman (not in it for much though), Timothy Spall and of course Alan Rickman, who is quite amusing in this movie.
Mike Newell, the director, obviously had to skim down on some of the books' finer details, and of course, the movies will never be as richly detailed as the books themselves, but Newell has added in a couple of factors that have been neglected in the Potter cinematic saga until now: 1) A real darkness. Not just some kiddy scare-tactics. TGoF is actually scary, eerie, tense and exciting. Not just a watered down version of all of the above. 2) Fred and George. Finally a director has remembered the hapless twins! Their comic potential has not been fully exploited yet, but at least they are slightly amusing in this movie, where in the previous films, they've been a couple of long-haired, overly-celebrated extras.
Well done, finally a Potter film that's worth its salt. The lengthy run-time flew past as swiftly as a scarred bespectacled kid on a broom, narrowly escaping a particularly ferocious Hungarian Horntail.