Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) return to Hogwarts for their fourth year at Hogwarts where they are joined by students from two other schools of magic to compete in a tri-wizard tournament. Of course, every Harry Potter installment brings new characters to the ongoing saga; and this year is no exception. Goblet’s newcomers include Brendan Gleeson as Mad-Eye Moody, Robert Pattinson as Cedric Diggory, Stanislav Ianevski as Vicktor Krum, and Clémence Poésy as Fleur Delacour. However, the most anticipated newcomer to Goblet is the first appearance of Lord Voldermort himself (finally in a human form), played by Ralph Fiennes.

Everyone keeps asking me, “How was it?” Strangely enough, I’m not quite sure how to answer them. In comparison to the other Harry Potter films, Goblet of Fire is neither better nor worse that its predecessors. The first, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (directed by Chris Columbus), second, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Chris Columbus), and third, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azakaban (directed by Alfonso Cuarón), all remain loyal to the books. Yet, I had a problem with the latest film, Goblet of Fire (directed by Mike Newell) deviating from the novel.

Obviously, I knew the story needed to be trimmed in order to be converted into one film; yet, where Goblet differs from its predecessors is how Newell inserts scenes into the film which never actually existed in the book. Granted, only the audience members who have read the book before watching the film will notice these minor changes; but, after taking into consideration the millions of fans who have read Goblet of Fire, I have to wonder if they will be as disappointed as I was with its lack of loyalty.

Putting aside my own expectations, I was impressed by the phenomenal acting and enjoyed seeing the fourth novel come to life on the screen. I was a little wary of the increased amount of special effects; but unlike George Lucas, Mike Newell was able to tell us Harry’s story without completely going overboard. The only aspect audiences need to be aware of is how the saga continues to get darker with each film, which may not be appropriate for Harry’s younger fans. Goblet is the first Harry Potter movie to receive a PG-13 rating; and, parents really should take this into consideration before they take their 5 year-olds to see it. Over all, Harry’s fans should enjoy Goblet of Fire; and, the appearance of Lord Voldermort makes the wait worthwhile.