Product: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
Rating: 4.0
Very entertaining
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Mike Newell's film adaptation of J.K. Rowling's book of the same title, is 157 minutes worth of visually stunning fun and entertainment. Overall, I would say The Goblet of Fire is my second favorite Potter film, just behind The Prisoner of Azkaban. Daniel Radcliffe returns as Harry Potter, now a fourth-year student at Hogwarts, which this year is also hosting students from two other schools of witchcraft and sorcery, with each of the three schools entering a champion into the Tri-Wizard tournament. Students who are age 17 or older and wish to enter must place their names in the Goblet of Fire, which will then select the champions for each school. But the Goblet also selects a fourth name--Harry Potter, who not only is 14, but also didn't even place his name in the Goblet. Harry also has his own hormones to contend with, as he develops a crush on Cho Chang. In addition to the returning principal actors, Michael Gambon has improved greatly in his second outing as Professor Dumbledore. Miranda Richardson is hilarious as Rita Skeeter, and Ralph Fiennes and David (Doctor Who) Tennant make outstanding villains as Lord Voldemort and Barty Crouch, Jr., respectively. My only regret is that many old favorites such as Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid), Maggie Smith (Professor McGonagall), Alan Rickman (Professor Snape) and Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) have been reduced to little more than cameo appearances in this film. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a very good, highly entertaining piece of cinema, and I am ever so eager to see the film adaptation of The Order of the Phoenix, which is due out next year.