A Fanastic continuation of the series

Rating: 8/10 (15 November 2005)

I thought Sorcerer's Stone was a faithful adaptation of the first book. I thought Chamber of Secrets was better, even though it is probably my least favorite of the books. And I thought Prisoner of Azkaban was outstanding and the best movie so far. I was worried that with the constant changing of directors, the movies wouldn't feel connected, but my fears have been for nothing, since Alfonso CuarÃ³n brought the vision I had hoped the first two movies would have, and Mike Newell continues down that path with Goblet of Fire. While the first two movies had more of a clean and friendly look, the last two movies have turned darker and more mystical, which makes sense considering the story lines are getting darker and more serious. In Goblet of Fire everyone is hitting that age where girls (and boys) become more important and feelings stir inside that you don't understand. One of the problems (in a good way) with having read the books numerous times, is that I know when things aren't there, and when things are changed. The first difference comes almost immediately when a character is shown in the first sequence, who is only mentioned in the book. I do however understand why he was shown, since there isn't a narrative to keep him in the minds of the readers. He needs to be shown so that you can recall him later on when he pops up again. I'll admit at first I was worried that this was a precursor to how the rest of the movie would be, but for the most part, the script was faithful to the book. Screenwriter Steve Kloves (who has written the first four films, but is taking a break from the fifth movie before coming back for the sixth) knows the story so well that he can easily shift from Dobby saying something to Neville saying something, and have it not only make sense, but still be acceptable to us die hard fans. The major points of the book were in place, save for the Quidditch World Cup, which was compressed into a few minutes. We see the aftermath of the World Cup, we see all three Tri-Wizard tournament challenges and we see the Yule Ball. If you ask any of the Harry Potter faithful, I think we'd all say that those are the biggest set pieces. At the same time, the story line of Mad-Eye Moody is well done, as well as the continuing romance-to-be of Ron and Hermione. So from a book-to-movie point of view, I thought the script was well written and still faithful to the book.
There is no question Goblet of Fire is a darker and more intense movie than any of the past three. Prisoner of Azkaban took the series darker, both story-wise and visually. Goblet of Fire continues that trend and takes it a step further, with some of the fiercest moments in the films so far. The first of the Tri-Wizard challenges involved Harry having to get a golden egg out from the protection of a dragon. The fight was loud and violent and was amazingly done. It was almost poetic the way it was filmed. That was followed by the underwater sequence which was again, beautifully filmed and very forceful in the way it was shown. (Don't read the rest of this paragraph if you don't want to know how the movie ends). Then there was the final challenge, the maze, and the scenes in the graveyard where one of the major characters is killed off. Even though I knew it was coming, it was still a shock. There was no build up to it, it just happened. That is quickly followed by the rebirth of Voldemort, which involves a bone from his dead father, the hand of a servant (Wormtail) and the blood of his enemy (Harry). The sequence is disturbing and likely the reason the film got a PG-13 rating. The entire movie is much more aggressive in nature than the previous three films. Make no mistake, this movie is an adventure film from the start.
One of the other things I liked about this movie more than the past three, was the use of the 'secondary' characters. The movie boasts such a strong lineup of actors that it's a shame when they don't have much to do. But in this movie, there was a lot for them. Dumbledore was arguably in the movie more than anyone besides Harry. His character has gone from a calm background presence, to a strong and forceful protector (which again, will be shown more in the future). Snape was used much more this time out and I love that because I think Alan Rickman as Severus Snape is the best casting of an actor for a role I've ever seen. And talk about the rest of the cast. Beyond the returning Rickman, Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith and Robbie Coltrane, you have the added star power of Brendan Gleeson (as Mad-Eye Moody), Miranda Richardson (as reporter Rita Skeeter) and of course Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort. Fiennes is an inspired choice for the darkest creature this side of Darth Vader. He is almost unrecognizable behind the makeup, yet his essence still pours through and his take on Voldemort is a mixture of slight whimsy and immense power and hate. All of the adult characters are tremendous actors and that helps bring the level of the film up. That is not to say the younger actors aren't good. In fact, they've each improved as the series has gone on. The one thing I've noticed is they now have the ability to hit comedic marks and not make the lines sound forced. Yes, they do look a bit old to be playing 14 year olds, but since we've grown with them over the past few years, I can't imagine anyone else playing the roles.