Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

I had intense worries when Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was adapted into a film back in 2005. The book was so much bigger than past installments of the series, it seemed impossible that it could be adapted into a satisfying film. There was initially talk that it would be adapted into two films, but director Mike Newell opted against this - confident that he could fit it all into one film. When I first saw Goblet of Fire at the cinema, I felt unsure about this. I felt unsure that someone who hadn't read the book would've been able to follow it... so much had been cut and condensed, and it was jam packed full of incident that it was hard to follow the finer details. Now, some time later, I found myself watching Goblet of Fire with no real recollection of the book, and it was a much more enjoyable experience. It does hold up and it does make sense, and the decision to compact it all into one film results in Goblet of Fire being perhaps the most relentlessly engaging and action-packed movie in the whole franchise.

• We kick off with a minor version of the theme tune, reminding us of how 'dark' the series is now getting.
• In a way, I think this film is the Empire Strikes Back of the Harry Potter series... it's the qualitive middle entry in the series that ends on a down note. Then again, you could say that about the next three Harry Potter films after this as well; films four to seven all end with the death of a major character. Granted, the character death in Goblet of Fire is that of a new supporting player, but Cedric's death marks the first point in the series where a character actually dies, and it isn't bloodless either - so it's quite a shock after the relatively happy shenanigans of the last three films.
  
• The Dursleys don't make an appearance this time around, I guess they're one of the many neccessary casualties of a large novel getting adapted into a two and a half hour film.
• An alternative title for this film could be Harry Potter and the Moody Teenage Years Part 1. The characters start to notice the opposite sex for the first time, which brings certain complications.
• The film opens with the World Quidditch Cup, which throws the wizarding world wide open in terms of giving the viewer an impression of something that's a lot bigger than just Hogwarts.
• This development also brings in the Death Eaters (Voldemort's evil followers). They're a combination of elements that call to mind the KKK, soccer hooligans, and terrorists all rolled into one.
• The sets are a little bit different again, reflecting the input of another new director. The only real factor of consistency between all eight films are the actors and their characters, something that the fans should be grateful for. The success of the overall franchise owes a lot to the commitment of these actors.
• There seems to have been a creative decision to have all the younger characters sport longer, rock 'n' roll type hair. Ron looks like a reject from the band Jet, and the twins look less dorky here than they do in later films.
• One of my favourite comedy moments in the whole series is the bit where one of Ron's brothers asks a girl to the dance just by making a few hand gestures towards her, and then he turns to the date-less Ron and winks at him. It's perfectly played and it cracks me up every time.
• As mentioned before, this film is all action from start to finish. It barely lets up, and makes the next couple of Harry Potter films feel slow in comparison.
• The special effects aren't as good as they were in Prisoner of Azkaban, but they're still fairly good in comparison to the first two cartoony films.
• It sucks that Mad-Eye Moody is so cool. I felt this as a massive betrayal when I read the books, the fact that they set this character up to be so awesome and inexplicably likeable and then J. K. Rowling takes that away from the reader at the end with a twist that negates the entire character's existence. It doesn't make sense! Having said that, Brendan Gleeson is great in the role. Gleeson is great in everything he does - seriously underrated actor.
• Michael Gambon is just a bit too sprightly as Dumbledore, but he's a bit more acceptable in the role now that I'm more used to him. He's still a very poor second to Richard Harris.
• For many fans the 'breakthrough' performance will be a pre-Twilight Rob Pattinson in the pivotal role of Cedric Diggory. Personal, I think he's adequate in what amounts to just a bit part, but I guess he has the easygoing assertiveness that lends itself to the character.
  
• Voldemort finally makes an appearance after four films of buildup. I think it's hard for films like this to do something new with evil super villains, but Ralph Fiennes actually defies the odds and works with the character's design and description to create something that's nearly iconic (I guess time will tell). He's quite unnerving in the role, and doesn't fall into any big cliches... I especially like his interpretation of Voldemort's high-pitched voice, and his big introductory scene at the end of this movie is worth the wait.
  

Despite the fast pace, Mike Newell's direction in Goblet of Fire is quite lush and almost stately. He revels in details, pumping this up as the moment where Harry's battle truly begins, and a lot of the smaller characters start coming forward to involve themselves in the plot more. From here on in the franchise feels a lot more like one big story. After Prisoner of Azkaban, I think this is my second favourite film of the franchise. It has more energy than any of the other films and there's never a dull moment.

DIRECTOR: Mike Newell
WRITER/SOURCE: Script by Steve Kloves, based on the novel by J. K. Rowling
KEY ACTORS: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Timothy Spall, Michael Gambon, Warwick Davis, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, David Bradley, David Tenant, Roger Lloyd-Pack, Ralph Fiennes, Brendan Gleeson, Julie Walters, Tom Felton, Bonnie Wright, Matthew Lewis, Mark Williams, Robert Hardy, Robert Pattinson, Stanislav Ianevski, Gary Oldman, Miranda Richardson, Katie Leung, William Melling, Devon Murray, Clemence Posey, Frances de la Tour, Predrag Bjelac, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Shirley Henderson

RELATED TEXTS- The novel Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling
- The other films in this series are; Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
- Mike Newell has also directed the films Love in the Time of Cholera, Donnie Brasco, An Awfully Big Adventure, Four Weddings and a Funeral and Mona Lisa Smile.

AWARDS
Academy Awards - nominated for Best Art Direction.
BAFTAs - won Best Production Design. Nominated for Best Special Effects and Best Make-Up.