GOBLET OF FIRE : They Keep Getting Better...

Rating: 9/10 (7 December 2005)

HARRY POTTER & THE GOBLET OF FIRE
I have found these films to be enjoyable ever since THE SORCERER'S STONE, and yet I still continue to be surprised by how much they are able to continually strengthen the visual style, and tighten up the books in more appropriately cinematic ways with each passing film. GOBLET OF FIRE is superior to the earlier works and yet it still fits in very well with the preceding films.
The film is a visual feast. The Quidditch match in the very beginning is beautifully portrayed, and Newell handles every elaborate sequence (virtually every round of the tournament, though especially the underwater segment in my eyes) with a confident, and selective eye.
However, what was most incredible to me was the way that Newell managed to take something as simple as a boot (the turnkey) in the very beginning, and make it my favorite image in the movie. As the camera chases the Weasleys, Potter, and Hermoine up the hill rolling through the grass towards a beautiful sunset... only to finish the shot on a tattered shoe. It captures perfectly how magical Potter's world is, yet also how simple.
The screenwriter deserves massive amounts of respect for condensing the book in a major way (and I loved the book when I read it 3 years ago)... however, he never loses the central theme of the novel or it's main narrative drive (having not read the book for a while and not remembering the specifics, I barely noticed anything missing b/c I was kept so involved). He also manages to balance out the dark/tragic elements in the end with the lighthearted innocence of children in school perfectly, never does one tone feel detrimental to the other.
The adult performers always manage to do strong work with their small roles. I still view Watson, Grint, and Radcliffe as less then stellar actors... in every film I feel like I am watching them mimic EXACTLY what the director had to INSTRUCT them to do (I just don't feel like they really live and breath the characters, I always see a wheel turning). But, they look the parts, are enjoyable to watch, and I think they continue to slightly improve in each film.
In the end though, this isn't a film that I go to in order to admire the performances. It is a popcorn flick, however one done with a lot of artistry. The plot developments are exciting, the characters are amusing, the imagery is beautiful, the action sequences thrilling, and the story engrossing.
Highly entertaining... and the best POTTER film so far.
... A- ...