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 Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson return for a fourth adventure in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which is out today on DVD. |
Puberty has been kind to Harry Potter. With each instalment in the insanely popular film franchise, based on the bestsellers by J.K. Rowling, the series grows darker, deeper and more rewarding.
For the record, I felt the first Potter flick was a bloated bore; the second, Chamber of Secrets, a stirring if shallow entertainment; and the third The Prisoner of Azkaban -- in which Alfonso Cuaron took the reins from Hollywood hack Chris Columbus -- a richer experience that nonetheless felt unfinished thanks to too many dangling plot threads. But at least it held the promise of better things to come.
They do. Picking up where Cuaron left off, British director Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral) retains the mature themes and lush motifs of Azkaban while also crafting a tighter, more satisfying narrative.
Goblet of Fire still suffers from some of its predecessors' flaws -- namely overlength, a byproduct of the producers' fidelity to Rowling's increasingly unwieldy volumes -- but the escalating quality is enough reason to hope the next Potter films will follow suit.
In Goblet, the titular teen wizard finds himself inexplicably selected to participate in the Triwizard Tournament, a mystical competition that pits him against older students from Hogwarts and rival schools of wizardry. Predictably, this leads to yet another confrontation with the dark lord Voldemort, who manifests himself in Goblet as Ralph Fiennes, oozing creepy reptilian menace.
But for all the grand visuals and rolicking action, what elevates Goblet of Fire above standard blockbuster fare is its attention to simple truths all young people, sorcerers or not, can identify with. Voldemort, scholdemort -- Harry's greatest challenge isn't foiling his demonic foe, but finding a date for the Hogwarts Yule Ball dance.
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EXTRAS: The two-disc special edition includes 10 minutes of additional scenes, animated contests and games, as well as a treasure trove of making-of documentaries with commentary from the cast and Newell.
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE
STARS: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Ralph Fiennes
DIRECTED BY: Mike Newell
IN BRIEF: Another adventure at Hogwarts.
RATING: 3 out of 5