Goblet of Fizzle - minor spoilers

Rating: 7/10 (19 November 2005)

Because I so thoroughly enjoyed the third movie, The Prisoner of Azkaban, I had very high hopes for this next installment. Unfortunately, they were not only disappointed, but completely dashed to pieces.
My first major complaint is the shift to teenage soap opera. Yes, the characters are adolescents now, but major chunks of the movie come off like The HP on the WB. This sort of thing can and has been tastefully done, but this is not one of those times. There is quite a bit of sexual innuendo, body part camera shots, and other material that is decidedly unsuitable for the target age group. Although this movie is rated PG-13, it is because of "sequences of fantasy violence and frightening images". No warning is given, however, that we're about to embark on a journey to Hogwarts 90210.
Somewhat related to the first point, the music for this movie is quite a departure from the delightful "something wicked this way comes" vibe we had in the last movie. Portions of the score here, especially those during the aforementioned melodrama, sound like they were lifted from romance classics of the 1940's, complete with what I suppose were meant to be emotionally stirring violin chords. Oh, Beauregard!
Through the movie I kept waiting for a scene to be shot on a set where I'd think to myself, wow, that is really cool. I'm picturing the first time I saw the moving staircases in Hogwarts, for instance. As far as I can recall, the sets in this movie were dreary backdrops that weren't particularly interesting. Yes, there were interesting things here and there, but that sense of wonder and discovery isn't there like the past movies.
Even the magic seemed lackluster in this installment. Apart from a few spells detailed in one classroom scene, there's nothing really innovative here, and we certainly aren't swept along with the excitement of learning new things. It seemed that there was almost an overabundance of magical items through the movie, haphazardly placed and mostly irrelevant to the plot. Ho hum.
Don't get me wrong. This movie does have some fairly good sequences, and some very well done moments (like Harry and Hermione on either side of the tent flap), but overall it was a major letdown for me. This is, by far, my least favorite of the four movies. I'm not sure I'd even watch it again without a good reason. I grudgingly give this a 7/10 (I'd watch it again), but it's almost a 6 (not interested in watching it again).