Movie Review: Harry Potter & The Goblet Of Fire

Oh, lucky us - we got to see a preview showing of the new Harry Potter movie, Goblet of Fire this evening!

We’ve all big fans of the Harry Potter movies, so were looking forward to the latest (movie) episode in the saga.

Basically, the movie starts off at the Quidditch World Cup where Voldemort’s followers - the Death Eaters - put in an appearance and show that ol’ Snake Face is still alive but not quite kicking….yet. On the return to Hogwarts, Dumbledore announces the Tri-Wizard Tournament to be held in the school. Inexplicably, after the third (and final) name is called, the Goblet of Fire shoots out a fourth piece of paper - with Harry’s name on it.

And so begins Harry’s participation in the Tri-Wizard Tournament: battling dragons, evading mermaids and finally seeking out the trophy from inside a massive deadly maze, culminating in a terrifying encounter with Voldemort and his minions in a cemetery.

Now, I just came out of the movie about an hour ago, so most of this is fresh. The movie is possibly the strongest in the series so far. There is better transition between the huge set pieces and a lot more detail in the telling. With the earlier movies, you sometimes felt that you were waiting for the next big stunt or special effect. Not GOF. The story flows effortlessly and both I and Mrs Levee were absorbed from start to finish.

Thoughts About The Cast

The romantic sub-plot between Ron and Hermione is really starting to develop. Rupert Grint and Emma Watson play the lovestruck teenagers to perfection - they make a few great snipey comments to each other in between bouts of jealousy and frustration.

The Weasley brothers, Fred and George, are top notch in the movie. Along with the likes of Neville Longbottom, Ron and the randy ghost Moaning Myrtle (what do you expect from a girl who hangs around the boys toilets?), they provide some priceless comic moments to break up some of the more serious scenes. The interplay between the twins is hilarious in places, particularly as they try to artificially age themselves to enter the Tournament.

The new Dumbledore still doesn’t sit well with me, I’m afraid. I always imagined Dumbledore to be a sort of sleepy but really switched on kind of dude. Michael Gambon plays Dumbledore too alert for my liking, speech slightly too clear and that accent! He certainly looks the part, but after the first two movies, Richard Harris had kind of cemented my view of what Dumbledore should be. I think I’m just going to have to get used to it.

Daniel Radcliffe does a great job playing the boy wizard. Coming out of the cinema, Mrs L suggested he was a bit gormless, like a wizard Frodo. But isn’t that how he’s supposed to be? Thrown in at the deep end, discovering a magical heritage and a faceless villain who wants to end him? We’re reminded of Harry’s vulnerability a few times throughout the movie, especially in his overtures toward Cho Chang. There’s a scene in the Hogwarts great hall where Harry makes an ass of himself in front of Cho - watch out for that bit!

Conclusion

The Potter franchise is really starting to heat up. As someone else commented, you leave the movie wanting more. When I finished reading Half-Blood Prince in the summer, I was dying for the next installment. This is the mark of greatness - I felt the same thing each time a Lord Of The Rings movie was released - damn, I have to wait another year to find out what happens. J.K. Rowling is keeping us all on a knife-edge waiting to find out how this series ends.

The frustrating thing is, she claims she already knows, the idea came to her “fully formed”!

So to summarize, the Goblet Of Fire is an amazing movie, beautifully told and executed. The special effects are much less obvious this time around, much slicker than earlier movies. Ralph Feinnes makes a terrifying Voldemort, and on that note I’ll leave it - Goblet Of Fire is not one for really young kids. Best movie I’ve seen in ages.