Long movie with good special effects, but be wary of violence

Rating: 8/10 (3 December 2005)

Goblet of fire is a long movie, about two and three-quarters of an hour, so be sure to empty your bladder before the movie and don't drink too early during the movie. I found myself holding it in and towards the end it became very uncomfortable. Although this is a long movie, the book is much longer relative to the other books in the Harry Potter series. Given that the book is so long it is quite remarkable the filmmakers were able to keep the movie under three hours. It was suggested early on that the movie be split into two (like Kill Bill was), but this plan obviously didn't go ahead.
Another aspect of this movie I found annoying was the ethnic stereotyping. The Indian girls just happen to wear traditional Indian clothing and the Bulgarians act so much like stereotypical Bulgarians. I'm not certain whether Rowling or the filmmakers are to blame for this but the whole movie feels like a mishmash of simplistic stereotypes.
Sometimes the acting, I thought, was rather fake, with characters overacting or exaggerating expressions. But given the age of the actors (most I presume are teenagers) I guess this is tolerable.
The movie has good special effects, especially pictures of the lake, the maze, and other large-scale outdoor scenes. However, sometimes the special effects looked plastic-like, such as early on in the stadium at the Quidditch World Cup.
Something else to keep in mind is the violence. Characters are murdered, hands are chopped off, blood is spilled, and much of the movie is rather dark. Be wary of sending children to the movie. Most children, especially those who have read the book, probably won't be too bothered by the violence and tension. There is probably much worse on TV and on the Internet, so there is a good chance they have already developed an immunity for violence.