Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Composite Score: 82.89
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Timothy Spall, David Tennant, Mark Williams, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Bonnie Wright, Robert Pattinson, Tom Felton, Stanislav Yanevski, Katie Leung, Matthew Lewis, Robbie Coltrane, Michael Gambon, Clémence Poésy, Frances de la Tour, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Brendan Gleeson, and Ralph Fiennes
Director: Mike Newell
Writer: Steve Kloves
Genres: Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Mystery
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sequences of fantasy violence and frightening images
Box Office: $896.82 million worldwide
Why should you Watch This Film?
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the fourth installment of the Harry Potter franchise, based on the books by J.K. Rowling. This film features Harry in his fourth year as he is plagued by visions of his nemesis Voldemort and has to deal with the drama of being an entrant in the dangerous Triwizard Tournament between Hogwarts, Durmstrang, and Beauxbatons. As the follow-up to Alfonso Cuarón’s critically acclaimed Prisoner of Azkaban, the film makes the choice to remain in the darker and more mature vein of that film rather than the more lighthearted wonder-filled feel of the first two films. In addition to the film’s adherence to a more “grown-up” energy, Goblet of Fire is also the film in the franchise that feels the most like a true high school dramedy, featuring rivals, bullies, sporting events, school dances, and open discussion of who the main characters have crushes on for the first time. Combining those two elements, it has established itself as one of the best films in the franchise and of all time.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
Like any book to film adaptation, Goblet of Fire lacks some of the detail and finesse of its paper counterpart, keeping the main story beats, but cutting out characters and scenes here and there in order to keep the film from running for five hours (it is in fact two hours and thirty-seven minutes in length). For the most part, the edits work, and the story remains easy to follow, and any viewer with no knowledge of the books will have a thoroughly enjoyable time, not knowing about anything they might have missed. Novel purists, however, are sure to have gripes with Newell’s and Kloves’s adaptation, so be prepared if that’s you.
I also feel that I should point out the egregious hairstyles in this film. Harry and Ron and Ron’s twin brothers Fred and George are in drastic need of haircuts. Normally, I’m not going to do a whole lot of jabs at the hair and makeup of a film, but man do they totally take you out of it at some points because of how bad their hair looks. It’s not major, just a little something.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
From both a production and story perspective, the beats of the novel that make it into the film are its highlights. The Quidditch World Cup, while not quite as lengthy as its novelization, works wonderfully as an opening set piece, with solid visuals and interesting characters that get the story rolling. Each Triwizard competition feels unique and pressing with a solid combination of practical and digital production design. The Yule Ball looks and feels the part as a fantasy prom, complete with bad outfits, the nerdy girl suddenly being revealed as a beauty, and dates that don’t really work together. Topping all of these scenes off is the film’s climax, which has helped it to withstand the test of time. The first real showdown of the series between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort comes in a beautifully eerie graveyard, introducing the audience to the main villain for the rest of the series in chilling fashion, exhibiting all of his malice and menace in a way that leaves the audience in dread at the film’s end and ready for the conflicts to come.
Supplementing the brilliant set pieces are some of the better performances in the series. David Tennant’s Barty Crouch Jr. is sufficiently unnerving, really going for it with his obsession over the Dark Lord. Brendan Gleeson’s portrayal of the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor Mad-Eye Moody brings a deeper level of intrigue to the film with his unhinged antics and aggressively practical approach to helping Harry out. This film was the first to feature Ralph Fiennes as the villain Voldemort, and his performance shines, cementing himself immediately in the tiers of iconic film villains with his terrifying attack on Harry in the graveyard. Holding down the whole thing is Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, giving one of his best performances to date, showing true emotion and nuance without having to scream everything, exhibiting a maturation in his acting career that launched with the first Harry Potter film.
Stunning spectacles capped off with a perfect climax, enhanced by the skillful acting of new, key supporting characters and its lead, have made Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire one of the most lastingly revered films of its franchise, deserving of a spot among the Greatest Films of All Time. Though certain hairstyles might be an affront to nature and its adherence to every detail of the book is less than perfect, it shines as both a film about wizards and a film about high schoolers in a way that is sure to leave you with a concerned smile on your face by Hermione’s final declaration that “everything’s going to change now.” This film is currently available to stream on HBO Max and Peacock for those of you looking to give it a first time watch or a rewatch.
