I just got back from the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and am excited to share my impressions of the film although it is way past my bedtime. After accidentally showing up at the wrong theater, my husband and I made it to the right one just in time to squeeze into the last two available seats and catch the previews. Although I have seen the other three films on video (all within the past two months), this was my first experience with Harry in the theater and it was a blast.

Plot Information
The tagline of the film is “Difficult Times Lie Ahead, Harry.” Ooooo…scary! This fourth film in the Harry Potter series continues the adventures of wizard Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and his friends Hermoine (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint). Harry is selected as a competitor in the very prestigious and dangerous “tri-wizard tournament” participated in by multiple schools of wizardry around the world. This is a particularly big deal as Harry is only fourteen and the normal age limit for the contest is seventeen. Wizards from other schools travel to Hogwarth’s to spend the year there and cheer on the competition. As the young wizards grow older, romance also plays a role in this film.

What I Liked
As with all the Harry Potter films, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is visually very well done. I loved seeing it on the big screen and definitely feel like this is a movie worth seeing in the theater. I think the special effects get better and better with each film. The most impressive scene for me was the “Yule Ball” where the entire dining room is transformed and covered with ice. Adding additional groups of wizard students from other schools allowed for even bigger and more impressive student group scenes. This movie has a lot of action and it kept my attention the whole time, even though it was two o’clock in the morning.

I’ve read some criticism about the acting in this film, but I thought all three of the children gave their best performances yet. Daniel Radcliffe is Harry Potter and he portrays just the right amount of teenage angst without overdoing it (For example of overdoing it, see Hayden Christensen, AKA Anakin Skywalker). Emma Watson has toned her character down a lot from the previous films and I found her downright likeable in this one. I expected the teenage romance material to get on my nerves based on previews and interviews I’d seen about the film, but I actually thought it added quite a bit to the story and helped to show a new side of the characters. I laughed out loud several times at the kids’ goofy attempts to woo the opposite sex because they were so typical of real life kids of that age. The adult actors, as always, were great.

What I Didn’t Like
Although the plot of the film had some very creative elements, I didn’t feel like the ending was very satisfying. This film had much more of a middle of a series feel to me. Of course some degree of continuity is required but I think each film should be able to stand alone to some degree. More importantly, I think each film should take the viewer one step closer to the ultimate resolution and I felt like this film kind of went in a circle.

I also continue to have problems keeping all the bad guys straight even after viewing three other films. I’m glad the plot is complex but sometimes I think things aren’t explained as well as they could be. If you haven’t seen the first three films you will probably be very confused, so I recommend renting them before viewing this film.

Scary Stuff
There has been much talk about this film being the darkest of the series, and it really was. Within the first ten minutes some scary skeleton guys make an appearance and there is just a lot of intensity throughout. Some new and darker spells and curses make an appearance and death is a part of the story. There were no young kids at the showing I attended because of the late hour, but I would be very cautions about attending with young children at any time of the day. Seeing something on screen is a lot different and more intense than reading it in a book, and the film had several moments that really made me jump. On the bright side, adult fans like me will probably enjoy the more intense movie.

Overall…
If you are any type of a Harry Potter fan whatsoever, you will enjoy this movie. The audience during my showing laughed and cheered throughout the show and clapped vigorously at the end of the film. If you’ve not seen any of the films or read any of the books, however, I suggest renting the movies and ‘catching up’ before you jump into this fourth movie because you will really be lost. All in all, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire has a lot of action, some laughs, and great special effects. Too bad I have to wait so long to see the rest of the story!

*My favorite Harry film is still the first - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone!

Recommended: Yes