A step in the right direction

Rating: 7/10 (12 December 2005)

The last two Harry Potter movies were very forgettable. They seemed to be too much of an impossible adventure as opposed to a story. They didn't follow the book very closely and left me with a bad taste in my mouth. The Goblet of Fire, with a new director, seems to be a cut above the rest. Yes, the terribly awkward dialog is still there. They try to suck as many cheap laughs out of Ron Weasley and the Weasley brothers as possible, and it gets old. Harry is a terrible actor, Ron is even worse, Hermoine is way too dramatic to be considered realistic. Yes, those last second miracles are still here. Harry finds himself about to meet his certain doom and then WOOSH! Someone comes dashing in to save him at the last second. That situation seems to be reoccuring over and over in the series, but we are used to it now and have to grudgingly accept it. Despite the gaping holes, they are not as big holes as the first three movies. I really enjoyed the direction, the film came off much darker. There was more attention given to little details, and some excellent shots of scenery, etc. The graphics seemed to be much improved, although still very cheesy at times. If you didn't like the first three movies don't worry. This one still has some of the basic mistakes, but is better at the same time. You should enjoy it.