Pros and Cons of Goblet

Rating: 9/10 (19 November 2005)

As many Harry Potter fans do, I have mixed feelings about Mike Newell's 'The Gobelt of Fire'. I will therefore list my view on the pros and cons; _Pros *Neville's character was enhanced in this film by some brilliant acting from Matthew Lewis; we see some real depth from his character that I thought wouldn't be shown until the fifth installment. *Daniel Radcliffe's performance; anyone who ever doubted this guy's acting range and crying abilities will be blown away...very blown away. The scene where Harry is crying over Cedric's dead body is done incredibly well, a strong improvement from Harry's infamous crying scene in 'Prisoner of Azkaban'. Radcliffe is no longer the reactive, wide-eyed kid we knew; he now IS Harry Potter. *Rupert Grint's acting abilities were strengthened in this one as well; he gives a lot of depth to Ron in the scenes where Ron is jealous and angry at Harry. he proves that he can be funny as well as dramatic. *The fact that the characters really are all teenagers; and still in awe of the fantastic wizarding world. *Brendon Gleeson as Mad Eye Moody-he's a scene stealer. He totally owned the role, and gave a wonderful rich portrayal, making the transition from 'Mad Eye' to Barty Crouch Jr. very smooth. *The special effects were much better than I expected; they will NOT fail to impress. The Quidditch World Cup, the dragon scene, the second task were all stunning eye candy. *The leaving out of potentially awkward scenes, such as S.P.E.W and Winky. I personally thought that the earlier Dobby scenes and other creature scenes such as the Biting Books were awkward and distracting. This film was more mature and focused. *This movie does lack the artistic rich tone and style that Alfonso Cuaron brought to 'Azkaban'. However, I still think that 'Goblet' is the best film yet. -The Cons *This film feels incredibly rushed, even to readers of the books such as myself. It could have been handled more smoothly I think. *Characters like Frank and Cedric were undermined and watered-down. You end up having no sympathy for either character when they are killed, especially Cedric. Instead of the polite; humble gentleman that the book Cedric is, the movie Cedric is cocky and shallow. His character is hardly shown with Harry or Cho, leaving a hollow awkward feeling when he dies. There is no touching on the tension between him and Harry about their struggle for Cho and the Triwizard Cup, yet their strange bond. Their relationship was portrayed disappointingly, saved only by Radcliffe's magnificent crying scene. *Emma Watson's acting. I think she's putting too much of herself in this role. There is too much snorting before and after her lines, and when she reacts she gets an glare. Too much over-acting here. In 'Prisoner' she did a fair job, but I have yet to see her act to the standards she did in 'Sorceror's Stone'. Hermione's character was saved only by the Yule Ball scenes and the Avada Kedavra classroom scene. *Too much Harry/Hermione and not enough Harry/Ron. While we all acknowledge Radcliffe's and Watson's chemistry, it is important to remember that Harry and Ron's relationship is so much stronger than that portrayed in the films, which is a shame. *Finally, those classic bits which all Potter fans wanted in that got out, such as the Weasleys/Dursleys, Rita Skeeter as a beetle, the weighing of the wands, and the explanation of the Veela.
Despite all the cons, 'Goblet' is a highly entertaining film and is not likely to disappoint even the most hardcore Potter fans. It's well-worth seeing in the theater, and in my opinion is the best one yet!