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Harry Potter
Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire (12A, 156mins)
10/11/2005
Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire (12A, 156mins) Family/Action. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Tom Felton, Climence Poisy, Stanislav Ianevski, Robert Pattinson, Katie Leung, Matthew Lewis, Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Rickman, Brendan Gleeson, Frances De La Tour, Roger Lloyd Pack, David Tennant, Timothy Spall, Shirley Henderson. Released: November 18 (UK & Ireland)
"DARK and difficult times lie ahead, Harry" warns Professor Dumbledore (Gambon), as his 14-year-old protege (Radcliffe) wrestles with the terrifying prospect of Voldemort's return.
"Soon we must all face the choice... between what is right... and what is easy."
Ominous black clouds are gathering over Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire, the fourth film based on J.K. Rowling's books.
Harry and his good friends Ron (Grint) and Hermione (Watson) are no longer naove, fresh-faced first years.
They have witnessed unspeakable horrors, come face to hood with soul-sucking Dementors, and now, Lord have mercy, their hormones are kicking in.
No wonder Professor Snape (Rickman) is sneering more than usual.
Mike Newell (Four Weddings And A Funeral, Mona Lisa Smile) becomes the third director to helm the blockbusting series and he conjures a similar air of foreboding to The Prisoner Of Azkaban.
Romantic
However, he also plays to his strengths during the various romantic entanglements, wringing out laughs as Hagrid (Coltrane) romances Madame Maxine (De La Tour), the giant headmistress of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, and Harry and Ron desperately search for dates for the Yule Ball.
Grint once again demonstrates impeccable comic timing, suffering the embarrassment of a ballroom dancing with Professor McGonagall (Smith) - "Mr Weasley, put your right hand on my waist," she demands; "Where?!" he stammers - and the humiliation of frilly secondhand dress robes.
Screenwriter Steve Kloves remains faithful to Rowling's vision, pruning where necessary: the Dursleys don't feature at all, and Hermione's crusade to free Dobby and the other house-elves from slavery has been cut entirely.
In fact, there isn't a single computer generated elf in sight, necessitating a few plot tweaks: loyal pal Neville Longbottom (Lewis) now tips off Harry to the magical properties of gillyweed.
Excursions to Hogsmeade have been cancelled for the term and vampish reporter Rita Skeeter (Richardson) remains on the periphery, wreaking mischief rather than full-blown havoc.
Kloves makes one small noticeable alteration, including Bart Crouch Jr (Tennant) in Harry's nightmare at the beginning of the film, to provide a clear visual link with the character throughout the two-and-a-half hours.
"This year Hogwarts will play host to a legendary event - the Triwizard Tournament," announces Dumbledore proudly, "during which time a single student gets to represent his or her school in a series of magical contests."
Soon after, students from the other prestigious wizarding schools - Beauxbatons Academy and Durmstrang Institute - arrive at Hogwarts in preparation for the selection of one champion from each noble institution.
The Goblet of Fire selects Fleur Delacour (Poesy) from Beauxbatons, Quidditch pin-up Victor Krum (Ianevski) from Durmstrang, and Hogwarts' golden boy Cedric Diggory (Pattinson).
Then in a curious turn of events, the Goblet also expels Harry's name, making the young wizard the first under-age entrant in the Triwizard Tournament.
Jealous
Harry pleads his innocence to a clearly jealous Ron: "I didn't put my name in that cup," he argues. "I don't want eternal glory."
Unfortunately, Harry is obliged to compete. "The Goblet of Fire constitutes a binding magical contract," confirms Ministry of Magic official Barty Crouch (Lloyd Pack).
Taking his place alongside his rivals in a series of increasingly tricky and perilous challenges - snatching a golden egg away from a dragon, rescuing a treasure from the Merpeople, navigating a giant maze - Harry finally meets the rejuvenated Voldemort (Fiennes) and his pernicious followers.
Flying in the face of cinema's unspoken law of diminishing returns (sequels are never as good as the original), Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire is the arguably the most entertaining and thrilling adventure of the series.
The film strikes a pleasing balance between menace and giggles, and even strays into the realms of the risqui with a bubble bath sequence that sees Harry desperate trying to conceal his 'wand' from lusty Moaning Myrtle (Henderson).
Radcliffe continues to mature as actor but it's Watson and Grint who impress most, despite their limited screen time. Sparks of sexual chemistry are clear for all to see.
By contrast, Harry's pursuit of the object of his affections, Cho Chang (Leung), is a bit wet.
Gleeson roars through the film like a comic whirlwind as Mad-Eye Moody, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, who loves to break the rules.
Special effects are impressive and polished, not least in the climactic encounter between Harry and Voldemort in the graveyard, which was too scary for some of the youngsters in my screening.
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27/11/2005 at 17:48
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