Product: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
Rating: 4.0
A magical adventure with a down-to-earth side
This is a darker but no less wonderful magical adventure that sticks fairly closely to the central plot of the novel. The story has been condensed and reworked to make it fit into the alloted time span, but it doesn't lose too much in the process. Goblet of Fire was never the best of the Harry Potter books, but the movie version might benefit from a Peter Jackson style extended edition with some of the sub-plots from the novel included. That said, the movie was dark and exciting. The challenges were thrilling, especially the dragon fight, and Mad-Eye Moody stole every scene he was in. Teenage relationships are nicely observed, especially considering the fantasy surroundings, and one thing this film does well is to show that Harry and his friends are just as human as the muggles watching them.