Not just a Harry Potter movie, fourth has true magic!

Rating: 9/10 (17 November 2005)

'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' is easily the best Harry Potter film to date. Action, suspense, drama, and even some touches of horror are all included in the darkest of the stories to be adapted yet. Not only is the film exciting for readers of the best-selling book series, but it also has potential to draw in non-readers who may not have enjoyed the first three films quite as much as other fans have.
As a reader of the books, I was saddened at some of the scenes left out of the film. However, I can appreciate that the scenes left out were not as important to the main story. Other readers will complain about some of these scenes, but the film has enough to explain the story to those who have not yet read the books, while leaving enough out so that the film did not drag on too long.
This movie was placed into the hands of director Mike Newell, and he did a wonderful job with it. The scenes play out as if you were reading the book, even if the dialogue is changed. He does not focus too long on the mundane or on backgrounds already seen several times. We've already seen the hallways with the moving stairs, so he doesn't worry about showing them again. It's the same for other locations. The rooms we see are the ones actually vital to what is happening in the story.
The acting is nicely done. It's amazing to look especially at the three main kids, and compare them to where they were in the first Harry Potter film. Not only have they matured with age, but their acting has as well. Rather than seeming like they're trying to fit into the parts, it seems as if they truly are those characters. Daniel Radcliffe especially does a good job as Harry towards the end of the movie, as we build to the most climactic scenes.
The film is so different from the first three, it is amazing. All four films hold the essence of the books, but this one has the most appeal to the viewers who have not read the books. The first two films tried to pack too much of the story in just to please the readers, and became a little too drawn out. The third film, well better done than the first two, seemed to lack a little more of the Potter essence, trying too hard to fit for non-readers. This film had the proper balance. Certain scenes in the film are longer than in the book, adding more action and suspense. While some readers may wonder at this, it adds more excitement for the casual viewer. And yet, at its core, the film has the true Harry Potter themes running true, even if it lacks some of the details.
As compared to the previous Harry Potter films, this was the best so far, as previously stated. Yet looked at on its own, without comparison to the others, the film is still truly an outstanding piece of work. Rather than being compared solely to the others in the Harry Potter series, it has true magic that carries it into the realm of truly great fantasy films. It may not be entirely perfect, but the film still definitely deserves 9 stars, almost a 10.