Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

The Harry Potter films have just been getting slicker and slicker. The first two Chris Columbus-directed efforts did their best to please readers and stuck pretty much to the source novels. Alfonso Cuarón’s vastly superior third film took a whole lot of liberties with the original story, but crafted a much better movie. Turning the fourth tome into a movie is no mean feat, but thankfully Mike Newell’s film focuses only on the integral plot developments, casting aside all the bits and pieces that fleshed out the book. We’re left with one fast-paced action-filled ride that doesn’t feel anything like the 157 minute running time.

The Goblet of Fire is even darker than its predecessor, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and in fact there is very little sunshine available at all to illuminate proceedings. The special effects, whilst still occasionally frustrating, are better than they’ve ever been in the Harry Potter movies. This is easily the funniest film in the series also, and Newell (director of Four Weddings and a Funeral) obviously knows how to get the best out of such well-known characters.

It’s been great fun watching the recurring performers over the years, and seeing the kids grow up has been an almost unparalleled cinema experience. Both Daniel Radcliffe (Harry) and Rupert Grint (Ron) seem to be doing their best to act younger than they actually are, and I’m sure the constant rumour that the cast will soon be replaced will continue for some time. I’ve always felt that Emma Watson (Hermione) has been under directed throughout the series, and this is the same in the fourth instalment. A strong performer, she sometimes seems to go a little too far, like she’s trying too hard and has already got her Oscar acceptance speech ready. Now that the kids are well into their teenage years, there’s room for a little more emotional drama – romance, jealousy and sexual innuendos abound, and it makes for a much more interesting cast of characters.

Brendan Gleeson is one of the new arrivals as the Igor-like ‘MadEye’ Moody, and – as with all the adult stars of the series – delivers a brilliantly restrained performance. The mature actors have always quite rightly taken a backseat to the child stars, and in fact Alan Rickman’s Snape stands quietly in the background for the first quarter of the film, almost like he’s waiting patiently in the wings. Of course the arrival of Ralph Fiennes (The Constant Gardener) is probably the most significant addition to the Potter film alumni, although he’s almost completely unrecognisable under all the makeup effects.

It was interesting to note that John Williams isn’t at the helm of the orchestral score this time; instead we have Patrick Doyle writing and occasionally relying on Williams’ recognisable tunes. As a consequence, the music certainly is a lot less intrusive. Williams has always been heavy on the leitmotifs, and his work on the Star Wars prequels was edging towards annoying by the time The Revenge of the Sith came out. (Yes we see how the well-known themes from the original trilogy were slowly coalescing, but please why couldn’t we have had something original?!)

Deliciously dark, there isn’t a dull moment in The Goblet of Fire, and in fact the only flaw is in the last scene, which had the audience laughing rather uncomfortably. To be fair though, there’s no escaping it now – this is part of a series, and thus it’s hard for the filmmakers to round off the tale neatly. But anything would have been better than this frustrating little last minute hiccup.

So why am I only giving it a traditional rating of 3.5? Well it has to be said that the Harry Potter films don’t offer much more than gleeful escapism. The Triwizard Cup was a fairly flimsy narrative structure, but for all its flaws, (i.e. surely these deadly trials constitute child abuse!? And what sane parent would sign their child’s permission form?), the story was a lot of fun.

I didn’t enjoy the fifth book, ‘The Order of the Phoenix’ as much, but here’s hoping that the Harry Potter movies keep getting better and better.