Wow. Under the guidance of Mike Newell, the Harry Potter franchise continues its dark descent from children's fantasy to more adult-oriented entertainment. The act of compressing a 734-page novel into a two-and-a-half-hour film is no small feat, but the cast and crew of "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" have done an admirable job.
The film begins with the arrival of students back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, upon which time they are informed that Hogwarts is playing host to a "legendry event" known as the Triwizard Tournament. In addition to hosting the tournament, they are also accommodating students from two other European wizard schools. The tournament calls for a champion to be selected by an impartial juror, the Goblet of Fire, from each of the schools to compete for the grand prize. The goblet shockingly spits out Harry's name as a fourth champion, meaning something dark is afoot. From here, the movie rockets along toward its dramatic climax as Harry fights for life and limb against older, more experienced students.
Newell, the first British director to helm the series, entered into this production looking at the film as a taut suspense thriller. The result is the most superior "Harry Potter" film to date.
"I was very anxious to break the franchise out of this goody-two-shoes feel," Newell says. "It's my view that children are violent, dirty, corrupt anarchists; just adults-in-waiting, basically."
While the direction the film takes is hardly total anarchy, the classroom scenes have been cut and the film approaches an even darker tone than its predecessors. One of Newell's minor missteps in helming this film was to use the special effects crew from the first two films as opposed to those who worked on the last one. The result is that the effects have a less realistic and finished look to them, despite still being marvels of CGI.
One of the benefits this franchise has had is the continuity of the cast. The lead actors have matured along with the series and have benefited from being surrounded by some of Great Britain's best character actors and a sampling of great directors. The Trio, as they are affectionately called, has managed to make each performance better than the last.
However, in order to keep the film as short as it is, many chances for character development go by the wayside. Because the film was made in such a lean fashion, outside of the characters of Dumbledore and Mad-Eye Moody there is not much seen from the supporting players. The Dumbledore of this film is angrier than in previous incarnations and although it's humanizing, it takes away from his normally calm and even demeanor. Additionally, Mad-Eye Moody is portrayed as a bit more zany than grizzled, which works but does not present the same image as in the novels.
More scenes involving the amazingly talented Alan Rickman would have been nice, but he makes do with what he can as the greasy Professor Snape and adds volumes to the production in the process. Lastly, and most interesting, was the addition of Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort. Gone is the charming exterior many have come to expect, replaced by the slightly campy evil of a megalomaniacal villain. It shows that he had fun with this role, but his performance also has an edge that glints malevolently from his eyes whenever he is on screen.
Dark is the operative word in this latest "Harry Potter" installment. The way the film was shot, the new portrayal of familiar characters and the plot itself pull together for a sinuous and shadowy tale of suspense. This movie has everything going for it, with enough action, drama, magic and thrills to keep even the non-Harry Potter lovers in the house enthralled and waiting with baited breath for the next chapter of the story.
