#2 Best of Family Films for 2005.
2It’s Harry Potter’s fourth year. He’s grown into those teenage years that are marked with growing pains, experiencing your first "puppy love", losing old-time friendships, and longing to be accepted by the older teenagers. But those are just the standard fare of issues and feelings every teen experiences. Harry Potter faces these challenges as well as having to compete in the dangerous Tri Wizard Tournament and fight a duel with the Death Eater’s and Voldermort himself. Indeed, Harry’s life at Hogwarts in this fast-paced (and awesome) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire becomes his most complicated, harsh, and dangerous one yet.
Though these films tend to fly through one action scene after another, this Goblet of Fire has many lovely and memorable moments in between, thanks to the care of a very capable director, Mike Newell (Mona Lisa Smile, Donnie Brasco, and the beloved Four Weddings and a Funeral). Consider this as an example:
After the Winter Ball, the biggest dance that takes place at the school hosting the Tri Wizard Event, the camera zooms in on Hermione Granger, who is sitting on the granite stairs outside of the dance. It’s been a terribly confusing, emotional night for her. Though she attended the dance with the biggest star of international Quidditch, Victor Krum, she had wanted to be asked by one of her best friends, Ron Weasley. But Ron had taken too long to ask her, so Hermione accepted Victor's invitation, feeling that Ron didn’t care enough for her. And when Ron finally got the nerve to ask, Victor had already asked, which made Ron furious because he felt she was a traitor for going to the dance with the "enemy." And to top it off, Victor became a bit too "handsy" with Hermione near the end of the dance. The weight of all these events were visible in Hermione’s expressions and body language, played convincingly by Emma Watson. The touch of real-life, that human element, is reminiscent of Newell’s touch. And I sense that here: the capstone is seeing Hermione barefoot, with the high heels she had been dancing around in for hours dangling in her hands.
Like the third installment of the series, the Goblet of Fire exhibited spectacular sets, costumes, and utterly believable visual effects, especially the opening Quidditch World Cup match.
Yes, Mike Newell’s Harry Potter and Goblet of Fire, though darker than its predecessors, is splendid fun.
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