Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

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Matthew D A relatable teen journey surrounded by darkness. Mike Newell’s coming of age dark fantasy feature Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) is a startling sober and bleak picture about Harry finally having to mature. Newell’s direction is neat with many creative visual choices for the dark action, but he also leans in too much into teen romance-comedy tropes too much during the ballroom dance sequence as well as the love triangles. Goblet of Fire feels a bit long, clocking in at 157 minutes, with steady pacing from editor Mick Audsley. All the teen romance drama bits slow down this picture a great deal as it all seems paltry compared to the looming threat of violence. Goblet of Fire is exciting and endearing, so I can forgive its faults. J. K. Rowling’s writing is excellent for how she weaves a wizard tournament around the impending arrival of Harry Potter’s main villain, played by a scene stealing Ralph Fiennes. He nails the creepy malice and sudden violent potential of Lord Voldemort. Roger Pratt’s cinematography is beautiful during the water segments, horror bits, as well as all the teen drama, but his wide shots during dragon fight is awkward and misses the action. I wish shaky camera shots would go away as they ruin some moments early on, but many wide shots are striking the first port key teleportation or the dance. Patrick Doyle composes a fine, but forgettable score that doesn’t compare to John Williams iconic Harry Potter music. Jany Temime and David Crossman’s costumes are beautiful and playful, especially for the French witches arriving at Hogwarts. Daniel Radcliffe is excellent as a torn Harry Potter between the girls he likes and winning a contest he never entered. Rupert Grint is obnoxious as Ron Weasley in Goblet of Fire as his jealousy of Harry feels vaguely out of character and only could be the result of Rowling wanting his character to age into an angsty teenager. Emma Watson is devastating as a hurt Hermione Granger with her sort of toxic crush on Ron. Her dramatic acting during the ball is excellent and it’s nice to see her so encouraging of Harry throughout this whole film. Michael Gambon plays Albus Dumbledore so strangely in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. His shouting at Harry once he realizes Harry’s name was put into the Goblet of Fire feels very out of character. He doesn’t feel as warm or kind as Richard Harris’ Dumbledore at all. I like many of his unique choices, but not so much this time around. Alan Rickman is funny and cool as Snape, but still gets little to do. Robbie Coltrane is very funny flirting with Frances de la Tour. Brendan Gleeson is outright amazing as Mad Eye Moody. He transforms his whole appearance, with help from Eithné Fennel and Belinda Hodson’s make-up, into a fearsome and fun character. His walking changes to limping as he puts a sneer on his face and is very expressive with what he’s given. Gary Oldman gets a cameo as Sirius Black and that’s about it. Robert Pattison is excellent as the kind and brave Cedric Diggory. Jeff Rawle delivers an amazing display of grief at the end of Goblet of Fire that you just have to see! Clémence Poésy is stunning as the graceful and poise Fleur Delacour. Stanislav Yanevski is forgettable as Victor Krum. Miranda Richardson is very funny and memorable as the annoying tabloid witch Rita Skeeter. Maggie Smith is really fun to watch as Minerva McGonagall as usual. Geraldine Sommerville is nice to see again as Lily Potter alongside Adrian Rawlins’ James Potter. Tom Felton gets next to nothing to do as Draco Malfoy this time, whereas Jason Isaacs is excellent again as the arrogant Lucius Malfoy. Timothy Spall is fantastic as Wormtail. David Tennant is excellent and memorable as Barty Crouch Junior. James and Oliver Phelps are hilarious as Fred and George Weasley. I loved seeing Bonnie Wright again as Ginny Weasley because she’s so cute and sweet. I wish she got more screen time with Daniel Radcliffe to build their relationship together as Ginny and Harry, but I digress. I like Katie Leung as Cho Chang, but I fail to see the point of having Cho be the love interest when they could have used Goblet of Fire as the first film to really develop Ginny and Harry’s relationship naturally. In all, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is an excellent coming of age movie for teenagers and a thrilling dark fantasy picture for entire families to enjoy. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/23/25 Full Review Catherine D. One of my favorites of the franchise! This is the movie you see Harry go from a little boy to a young man with all of the awkwardness and silliness and at the same time balancing all of the real menacing parts of this world! A true stand out. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/15/25 Full Review Christian M Welcome to one of the darkest and most somber years at Hogwarts. Mike Newell takes over from Alfonso Cuarón as director and, although he maintains the somber and gothic tone inherited from 'The Prisoner of Azkaban', he adapts it to his own visual language—grittier and more tangible. Together with screenwriter Steve Kloves, the director builds a story that abandons the innocent air of Harry’s early years at Hogwarts to delve into a more violent and emotionally mature stage. The film opts for a narrative focused on the present, where danger feels more immediate and the threat becomes corporeal. Although it doesn’t explore the past or the mythology of the universe as deeply as previous or later installments, 'The Goblet of Fire' manages to sustain interest through its characters and the constant tension surrounding them. It’s admirable how the saga can reiterate the same premise—the struggle between Harry and his eternal antagonist—without feeling repetitive, instead reinventing itself through new approaches and more intense scenarios. The treatment of magic also evolves: it ceases to be a charming element and becomes a power with real and fatal consequences. The tournament scenes stand out as a remarkable example of staging and technical achievement, both in visual effects and art direction. However, despite its spectacle, the plot can feel somewhat uneven, with certain passages heavier and less engaging than in previous films. On an acting level, the cast continues to grow with confidence. The increasing maturity of the main trio is evident, as is the organic integration of the supporting characters. Roger Pratt’s cinematography reinforces the dark aesthetic that Michael Seresin established in the previous film, definitively consolidating the visual style that would define the rest of the saga. The soundtrack, darker and more restrained, effectively supports the tone of the story and signals that the bright magic of the early years is long gone. Patrick Doyle adapts John Williams’ composition with skill, introducing a new sound without losing the essence of the original. Astonishing—his work has always struck me as spectacular. The plot, at times, becomes slower and heavier than in earlier installments, perhaps because it spends too much time developing the context of the tournament and its trials, which slows down the emotional progression of the story. It never becomes boring, but it does convey a slight sense of narrative fatigue, as if the script lingers too much on spectacle and loses some of the rhythm that characterized its predecessors. 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' doesn’t reach the depth or pace of the saga’s finest entries, yet it retains a strong identity. Its merit lies in maintaining a balance between visual spectacle and the story’s growing maturity, even when the whole feels somewhat tedious. Despite its imperfections, it remains a solid piece within the Harry Potter cinematic universe—and one of the boldest in terms of narrative and tonal transition. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/13/25 Full Review Jorge R. Wasn’t on par with Harry Potter becoming Dark and Serious. But the Goblet of Fire is one surprising turn of events! Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 11/12/25 Full Review Anne C I thought it was perfect film it so good 10 out of 10 Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/08/25 Full Review James E This is one of the more entertaining films in the franchise, especially If you enjoy the teen drama aspect. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/05/25 Full Review Read all reviews

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

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