Harry Potter And The Goblet of Fire Review

HIGHS

• The films are continuing to mature nicely along with the characters. Alfonso Cuaron really jumpstarted this with Azkaban and now Mike Newell is continuing the trend with Goblet.
• Great special effects that are essential to telling the story but don't try to over-impress. The dragon and black lake sequences were particularly well-done. On a somewhat related side note, I'm always impressed with the costume designers they get to work on these films.
• I like that these stories aren't afraid to put the kids in real peril. The tournament events are pretty intense and it comes across that Voldemort is a very credible threat. Were I in my early teens when movies like this were being made I would have been thrilled.
  
• I can't think of a better actor to play Voldemort than Ralph Fiennes. I mean, the guy looks like a snake without prosthetics.
  

LOWS

• While Goblet had more action and some nice moments between characters, Azkaban was more skillfully directed. Newell certainly does a decent job but the film jumps around a bit and feels more like a lot of indivudual scenes clumped together than a flowing narrative. In no way was I left feeling that an entire year had passed at the end of the film. Goblet is still worlds better than Chris Columbus' offerings, however.
• Inevitably, if you haven't read the books you're left needing your friends to eleborate on certain parts in the lobby afterwards while rabid passersby berate you for not having the neccessary knowledge prior to seeing the film. It's called being an individual, not a sheep, lady! The movies are as far as my interests go, I'm sorry. Now go home, feed your cats and polish your pewter Hufflepuff thimble set. (Sorry, got off on a bit of a tangent there. And I know what many of you are thinking... the Gryffindor thimbles make a nicer set.)
  
• Moaning Myrtle returns.
  

Torrey's Opinion:
5- Strongly Recommended
4- Recommended
3- A Mixed Bag
2- Sub-par
1- Don't Bother

Random related fact: The studio originally had the idea of adapting the 734 page book into two seperate films that would be released several months apart, much like what was done with Kill Bill. Alfonso Cuaron, the director of Azkaban, helped convince Mike Newell that enough of the book's bulky sub-plots could be cut to make one workable film.

Also, it might interest my buddy Schnepf that Jonny Greenwood and Phil Selway from Radiohead were both members of the band that performed at the Yule Ball.