The best since Sorcerer's Stone

Rating: 7/10 (5 December 2005)

Goblet Of Fire is the fourth installment in the popular Harry Potter series, about a British boy wizard named (what else?) Harry Potter who attends the Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry with his best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.
This time around, in his fourth year, Harry's been plagued by a terrible recurring nightmare of the Dark Lord Voldemort, his mousy, cowardly servant Peter "Wormtail" Pettigrew, and a mysterious young man whom Harry has never met, all gathered in an abandoned old house, plotting the downfall of "The Boy Who Lived".
But these dreams are not all that Harry has to contend with. A fierce competition known as The Triwizard Tournament is being held at Hogwarts, with students from two other magical schools visiting. One student from each school over seventeen has the option to submit their name to the Goblet Of Fire, which will choose the competitors who will compete in a series of terrifying, potentially lethal magical tasks. Harry is more than happy to sit back and let others be the hero for a change, but someone else apparently has other plans. Harry is shocked and terrified when his name, which he had NEVER submitted in the first place, is selected by the Goblet as the FOURTH Triwizard Champion. The Goblet Of Fire, however, constitutes a binding magical contract, and Harry is forced to compete, despite being three years underage, and far less experienced than his opponents. While many of his classmates think Harry is just trying to get more fame and glory, Harry doesn't want any of this, and must rely on his closest friends and talents if he is to survive. Little does Harry know that a shocking twist of events will lead him straight into Voldemort's trap for the showdown of a lifetime.
Many new characters show up this year, including Harry's first crush, Cho Chang, the troublesome yellow journalist Rita Skeeter, the mysterious Durmstrang Headmaster, Igor Karkaroff, the absolutely gigantic Headmistress of Bueaxbatons and Hagrid's love interest, Madame Maxine, Hogwart's creepy, but lovable new Defense Against The Dark arts teacher Alastor Moody, and the cold as stone politician who is said to have once sent his own son to Azkaban, Barty Crouch. We also have the other three Triwizard Champions, Hogwarts own Cedric Diggory, the french heart breaker Fleur Delacour, and the young Bulgarian Quidditch Champion, Victor Krum.
Returning characters include the terminally-depressed girl ghost who lives in a toilet, Moaning Myrtle, Hogwarts sinister potions teacher who loathes Harry, Severus Snape, the stern but kindly Deputy Headmistress, Professor McGonagall, and Hogwarts Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, who is beginning to show his human side in his obvious terror for Harry's safety.
The trio has all improved greatly since the original film, and Daniel Radcliffe in particular does a fantastic job crying in one very emotional scene near the end. He is also very believable as a boy who is sick of being the hero and just wants to relax and be a normal kid. You see his stress and anxiety as he struggles to cope with the Tournament, which he never wanted any part of in the first place. He is only fourteen, yet you see him try to cope with his emotions and get through the tasks unscathed.
The adult actors are all terrific as well, with Ralph Fiennes and Jason Isaacs as villains, Timothy Spall as a cowardly servant of the Dark Lord, and David Tennant as a crazed madman. Alan Rickman is wonderful as always as the detestable Professor Snape. Brendan Gleeson turns in the best performance of all, however, as the paranoid, intimidating, but lovable new professor who devotes his time to helping Harry survive the perils of the Tournament.
Overall, Goblet Of Fire is the BEST Harry Potter movie since Sorcerer's Stone. Sure, there are quite a few things cut out, but you have to face that the book is HUGE and in order to make a movie of acceptable length, certain things had to go. It doesn't make the movie confusing. Even a non-reader will understand what's going on if he/she PAYS ATTENTION. But I do suggest a second viewing to grasp all of the subtle clues that you may have missed the first time around. Each Harry Potter movie, is, in a sense, a brilliant adventure/mystery with clues strewn through the movie for you to pick up on.