Probably my least favorite of the series, but it's still engaging entertainment.

Rating: 8/10 (6 January 2011)

(Credit IMDb)
Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts is about to start and he is enjoying the summer vacation with his friends. They get the tickets to The Quidditch World Cup Final but after the match is over, people dressed like Lord Voldemort's 'Death Eaters' set a fire to all the visitors' tents, coupled with the appearance of Voldemort's symbol, the 'Dark Mark' in the sky, which causes a frenzy across the magical community. That same year, Hogwarts is hosting 'The Triwizard Tournament', a magical tournament between three well-known schools of magic : Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. The contestants have to be above the age of 17, and are chosen by a magical object called Goblet of Fire. On the night of selection, however, the Goblet spews out four names instead of the usual three, with Harry unwittingly being selected as the Fourth Champion. Since the magic cannot be reversed, Harry is forced to go with it and brave three exceedingly difficult tasks.
The Goblet of Fire remains the weakest of the series in my opinion, but that doesn't mean it's a bad film, in fact it's a very good one. There is still plenty of excitement, and action scenes that took my breath away, there was just something about it that felt off to me. Maybe it was just me, but I wasn't into it like I was the others. Though I've been treated to so many amazing Harry Potter films, my selfish side comes out. Criticism aside, it still does a lot right. Harry is entering darker territory now with each passing film, and it's a treat to watch. New relationships are formed, and we even get to see two of the most popular franchises team up. Edward Cullen from Twilight (I mean Cedric Diggory) and Harry. The ending itself is pretty effective, and made a lasting impact on me to be sure. I felt they didn't go far enough with the lingering conflict between Ron and Harry though, I'd have like to seen them carry it a bit further. The positives definitely outweigh the negatives.
Performances. Daniel Radcliffe is clearly into darker territory now and he's at the maturity stage to pull it off. He's getting better with each film. Emma Watson is feisty and charismatic as usual. Rupert Grint plays a snotty type for the better part of the first half or so, and did it effectively. He was good. Robert Pattinson is OK here, but his part isn't as big as it seems until the end. Jason Isaacs's wig is a bit of a shame but he plays menacing to a T, and had a presence. Tom Felton is decent as Draco, he plays his role well. The rest perform well.
Bottom line. My least favorite, but I still enjoy it very much. It's got all the ingredients to make your experience extremely enjoyable. If you're a Potter fan, and haven't checked out, I suggest you do so. Highly recommended
8 ½ /10