It’s year 4 at Hogwarts, and for me this was the best Potter of the first five films. Hogwarts plays host to the prestigious Triwizard Tournament, and that means putting up students from two other wizard schools. Here we get an inkling of just how large the Potter universe truly is. Up until now our experience has only taken us through the world of Hogwarts and its peripheral environs. With the arrival of these students, we get the idea that Hogwarts is just one school in an otherworldly school district, of sorts. The tournament is a special affair. Those interested in entering must place their names into the Goblet Of Fire. The goblet will in turn decide the contestants, much like the hat that placed the students in their appropriate houses. Because of the danger the competition entails, there is an age limit of 17 years old to qualify. Dumbledore places a barrier around the cup that is impenetrable by anyone under the required age. The twins make an amusing attempt, but the barrier holds. Come the fateful day when the contestants will be chosen. As is traditional, one contestant emerges from each of the three schools. Just as the ceremonies are about to conclude, the goblet spits out an unprecedented fourth contestant; you guessed it, Harry Potter. Potter being not yet 17 falls under suspicion of treachery; all the while he pleads that he never placed his name in the cup. Rules are rules, and Dumbledore is forced to allow Potter to participate, citing the infallibility of The Goblet Of Fire. Ron is enraged at Harry, and we get the first major falling out of our trio of friends.

There is so much going on here that one must really credit first time Potter director Mike Newell with keeping it all going with as much continuity as was provided. The film immediately sets itself apart from the others by denying us, thankfully, an opening fiasco at Harry’s Aunt and Uncle’s home. These scenes were getting rather tedious, and when you consider how much of these lengthy books needs to be omitted for the films, these scenes hardly seem worth the screen time. While the film opens with the Quidditch World Cup, there is almost none of the silly game to be found in the film. Another plus in my book. The film is also markedly darker than the previous, beginning with a haunting dream Harry has that might fill in a lot of the blanks about his family’s past with Lord Voldemort. The three challenges are visually incredible sequences. From dragons to underwater phantoms, the trials are marvelous theme park rides from beginning to end. You will get more answers than questions for the first time. This is where the entire series seems to come together for the first time. The children continue to mature and provide the most comfortable portrayals to date. The conflict between Harry and Ron provides a far more grounded relationship. The only true flaw of the film is the wasted minutes on the Yule Ball. The party is a chance for everyone to play dress up and likely provide the beginnings of some future romances in the story. Having read none of the books, I can only speculate on that point. Still, Harry gets a girlfriend in the person of Cho Chang, played well by newcomer Katie Leung. Heck, even Hagrid gets a love interest in Madame Maxine, played by Frances de la Tour. Enough already.

Other changes include a new face in the revolving door position of Professor of Defense Of The Dark Arts. Brendan Gleason puts in an eccentric performance as Professor Moody. He’s there for more than teaching is all I’ll say on the subject. Gary Oldman is so underused as Sirius Black. All of the other regulars put in fine performances as well. Michael Gambon is settling into the role of Dumbledore, and while we will never forget Richard Harris, he gives us cause to momentarily ignore it. One of the more annoying new characters is journalist Rita Skeeter, played nauseatingly by Miranda Richardson, looking not at all like herself. I suppose the character is intended to grate on your nerves, but perhaps she’s nailed the part all too well. Finally we get a good amount of face time with Lord Voldemort, played with evil relish by Ralph Fiennes. You won’t recognize him, however, with all of that wicked prosthetic work.

Video

The Goblet Of Fire is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.40:1. The VC-1 encoded image is quite sharp and full of detail. The dark tone of the film requires an extremely solid black level, which is delivered here. Colors are intentionally soft, but what they lack in brilliance they more than make up for in richness. Dark reds in particular jump out at you with their realistic tone and definition. Details are magnificent, allowing the viewer to see the subtle set dressings and designs in a format truly worthy of the craftsmanship that created them. The trials offer some of the best integration of CG and live action I’ve seen to date. The underwater scenes are creepy and murky, yet quite vivid and clean in the transfer.

Audio

The PCM lossless 5.1 track is nothing short of brilliant. Patrick Doyle takes over for John Williams but retains many of the same themes in his score. Ambient sounds abound and are integrated nearly perfectly into a solid mix that allows you to truly experience the film rather than be an uninterested witness to it all. Dialog is quite impressive when you consider how low many of the voices are throughout the film. There are not as many standout audio segments in this film. There are many clever uses of surrounds, particularly when dealing with the two timelines.

Special Features

Additional Scenes: There are about 10 minutes of extra scenes, this time all put together, unlike the previous three films.

Harry vs. The Horntail – The First Task: Here there be dragons, and what visually stunning dragons they be. Get a good look at the marvelous creatures and how they came to exist here.

In Too Deep – The Second Task: This is perhaps one of the most stunning scenes I’ve ever seen. All of the elements brought together for this marvelous scene are explored here.

The Maze – The Third Task: While this one might not be the most visually impressive, it is quite complex in its own right and worth a peek at how they did it here.

He Who Must Not Be Named: Okay, so we name him. This 11 minute feature looks at our superwizard villain Lord Voldemort. Ralph Fiennes was so lost beneath that makeup that you really can’t tell. This is a superb makeup effect and worth the time to check it out.

Preparing For The Yule Ball: I already mentioned I didn’t care for this distraction, but if you want to see even more, be my guest.

Conversations With The Cast: This half hour piece is loaded with interviews with the members of the film’s cast. Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint sit down with Richard Curtis and speak quite candidly about their experiences in the Potter universe.

<> <>Reflections On The Fourth Film: This is another 15 minutes, but talking with various members of the cast.

<><>
<>Final Thoughts  <>

As much as I have liked all of the Potter films, this film made me wonder why they couldn’t all be more like this. You can’t easily dismiss that these people have been working together for nearly a decade by this time. It’s no wonder that the effort would begin to show the great progress that kind of continuity provides. So what was film # 5’s excuse? Even though it is a more recent film, I believe I have watched this film more times than the others. I’ll tell you right now, “These contents are not for the fainthearted.”