Director: Mike Newell
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint
‘Spellbinding Entertainment’
“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” is directed by Mike Newell. Its screenplay is written by Steve Kloves and based off a novel by J.K. Rowling. This film stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon, and Ralph Fiennes. Its plot follows Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) who is selected an underage competitor in a dangerous wizardry school competition.
When books are adapted into movies, the director always has to be faithful towards the novel. J.K. Rowling’s spectacular book runs over 600 pages long. Adapting this book into a great film seems like a hard task. Mike Newell and crew have created a passable adaptation of an amazing novel. This is by no means a great movie, its only satisfactory. There are some flaws that deteriorate it, yet it does work in many ways. Newell directs this film using magnificent cinematography and stunning visual effects. Roger Pratt’s cinematography is visually astounding, giving this movie a dark and grim look. Along with impressive visual effects, it enhances this movie to another level. Patrick Doyle’s score is top-notch, capturing intense action sequences with ease.
The whole acting department is top-notch. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint have improved as actors ever since the first film in this series. They are terrific in every aspect, revealing strong character traits in this movie. Michael Gambon is excellent in the role of Albus Dumbledore. Gambon has strong screen presence and an undeniable understanding of his character. Ralph Fiennes brilliantly portrays Lord Voldemort. He doesn’t have much screen time, yet he makes the most out of his character. The rest of the cast including Brendan Gleeson and Robert Pattinson is at the top of their game.
Despite having an outstanding cast and an amazing special effects crew, this film is still flawed. Steve Kloves’ screenplay is badly written, because its only partially faithful towards the novel. Many major incidents that occur in the book are not present in this movie. New characters that are introduced in the novel are not in this film. Therefore, “The Goblet of Fire” can’t quite capture the magical spirit of a book that readers admire.
As precious as the goblet of fire, it’s a spellbinding reminder of a timeless book series with the abilities to inspire children through its portrayal of wonderful wizards wearing magical attire building a legacy I will forever admire.
4/5 stars
The Film Buff 
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