Harry Potter and the Goblet of FireThere comes a time in a teenager's life when the sweetness of innocence begins to fade in the emergence of life's trials, and the introduction to the harder lessons of adulthood. The world is a dangerous place, and very real threats lurk within it, things which we shield children from because it will set that wilting of childhood in motion. Things ranging from the more innocuous experiences like rock and roll, the thrill of competition and fame through the glory of sporting events, and the inevitable curiosity which comes with budding sexuality..to real evils like terrorism, and other unforgivable crimes like murder. Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and his friends must turn a corner in their lives, and they can never come back.
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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a story about the beginning of the end of innocence for the young wizards of Hogwarts, as Harry finds himself unwittingly recruited to participate as a contestant in the triathlon of magic and danger called the Triwizard Tournament, a dangerous excursion which tests the candidates in a serious of dire challenges. Although the event has been limited to those over the age of seventeen (due to the complexity and danger), somehow--much to everyone's chagrin at Hogwarts and Harry's--the young wizard of fourteen is also chosen by the magical Goblet of Fire to induct Harry Potter as a contestant. His inclusion in the event raises cries from his classmates--and even Headmaster Dumbledore (Michael Gambon)--that Harry must have cheated to seek the glory which comes with the event, something Harry refutes vehemently. Even Harry's best friend, Ron (Rupert Grint), is convinced that Harry is lying to him, which leads to a falling out between them, and as Harry now finds himself in competition with another member of Hogwarts, the popular Cedric Diggory (Robert Pattinson), Harry's own popularity wanes, leaving him as something of a social pariah. Although Hermione (Emma Watson) remains steadfast and concerned for the very real threats facing Harry, even her brilliance and determination is not enough to prepare Harry for his test to follow. Harry is engaged by the newest in a series of revolving-door professors of the Defense Against the Dark Arts, the off-putting but "practical" Alastor Moody (Brendan Gleeson). While he carries a brusque demeanor and a peculiar habit (or two, or three), he is committed to providing Harry Potter what he needs to ensure his safety and victory--not just in the Triwizard Tournament, but with familiarity in the dark arts via some surprisingly direct (and shocking) demonstrations for him and his colleagues. While Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is not lacking in moments which are a sharp awakening for Harry and his allies--it marks the first PG-13 rated entry in the series--it is Moody's demonstration of the three "unforgivable curses" which seems to be the moment where the children are actively exposed to the perils of evil and the dire repercussions within the apparent safety of their scholastic institution. In a way, the scene reminds me of the awkward inclusion of sex education in school--administered at the same point in time as Harry's age--which usually amounts to several graphic pictures, leaving children more confused and shocked than educated about the context of the situation.
Unlike the previous entries in the series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is primarily concerned with the Olympics-styled tournament more than encompassing the entire year at Hogwarts, which summons to Hogwarts two other schools--the Francophile-inspired, all-girls "charm school" of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and the Durmstrang Institute, a military-styled cabal of rigid Eastern Bloc arcanists, complete with a submarine as a method of transport. The purpose of the Triwizard Tournament is to not only make for an exciting chance to claim glory, but for the three schools to interact, so that they may learn from one another, from each other's cultures and way of life. Just as the Olympics prides itself on diversity, so too does this competition, through proximity with one another as well as the Yule Ball to follow. Naturally, the boys are apprehensive at the idea of asking out girls to the dance to be their date, but as the event creeps up, most of the boys have found someone to escort...although both Harry and Ron are too slow on the draw to ask the girls they really want to take, their shyness having proved an enemy they could not cope with. Harry's eye catches a young witch named Cho (Katie Leung), and the two exchange glances here and there. An exploitative newshound from The Daily Prophet, Rita Skeeter (Miranda Richardson), promotes a story following a snapshot of a hug which Hermione gives Harry prior to his facing his dragon (not a metaphor), insinuating that Miss Granger is involved with Harry, and has her eyes on yet another competing wizard as well, Viktor Krum (Stanislav Ianevski). And the romance which was teased in the preceding film between Ron and Hermione is explored from another angle in this entry, when Ron's jealousy results in his dismissal of Hermione's best efforts to impress her friends with a beautiful debut to the Yule Ball, since she did end up accompanying Krum at his invitation. Ron's implication that Krum is interested in "one thing" only serves to lend credence to the saying that girls mature faster than boys, but also illuminates that it is a thought which has been present in the minds of students their age, even if it has remained silent up until now. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire unleashes an avalanche of revelations and turns in the grand scheme of the story, namely with the inclusion of the mysterious cult of Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), the "Death Eaters", who unleash a terrorist assault at the Quidditch World Cup, and stalk through the dreams of Harry Potter, with scenes repeated of a conspiracy between the "dark lord" and, Peter Pettigrew (Timothy Spall), called "Wormtail", and a new, mysterious figure who remains a mystery to Harry for much of the film, played by David Tennant. This entry is itself a twisted curl in the story thus far; while much of our--and Harry's--attention is consumed by the tournament, a series of clues illuminate a great conspiracy being unfurled throughout the plot. Hermione rightly observes to Harry as the year closes, "everything's going to change now, isn't it?"; Harry's appropriate reply: "Yes". Once you begin down the path where you must abandon your childhood, you can never go back.
Recommended for: Fans of Harry Potter, yes, and fans of an intense coming-of-age story for the teenage wizards, as they struggle to cope with not only the frustrations of feelings they do not understand--love, jealousy, and so on--but of the very real dangers of black magic and evil wizards. It is the moment where the kids who grew up on the earlier films should be a little older by this point, as well.
Unlike the previous entries in the series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is primarily concerned with the Olympics-styled tournament more than encompassing the entire year at Hogwarts, which summons to Hogwarts two other schools--the Francophile-inspired, all-girls "charm school" of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and the Durmstrang Institute, a military-styled cabal of rigid Eastern Bloc arcanists, complete with a submarine as a method of transport. The purpose of the Triwizard Tournament is to not only make for an exciting chance to claim glory, but for the three schools to interact, so that they may learn from one another, from each other's cultures and way of life. Just as the Olympics prides itself on diversity, so too does this competition, through proximity with one another as well as the Yule Ball to follow. Naturally, the boys are apprehensive at the idea of asking out girls to the dance to be their date, but as the event creeps up, most of the boys have found someone to escort...although both Harry and Ron are too slow on the draw to ask the girls they really want to take, their shyness having proved an enemy they could not cope with. Harry's eye catches a young witch named Cho (Katie Leung), and the two exchange glances here and there. An exploitative newshound from The Daily Prophet, Rita Skeeter (Miranda Richardson), promotes a story following a snapshot of a hug which Hermione gives Harry prior to his facing his dragon (not a metaphor), insinuating that Miss Granger is involved with Harry, and has her eyes on yet another competing wizard as well, Viktor Krum (Stanislav Ianevski). And the romance which was teased in the preceding film between Ron and Hermione is explored from another angle in this entry, when Ron's jealousy results in his dismissal of Hermione's best efforts to impress her friends with a beautiful debut to the Yule Ball, since she did end up accompanying Krum at his invitation. Ron's implication that Krum is interested in "one thing" only serves to lend credence to the saying that girls mature faster than boys, but also illuminates that it is a thought which has been present in the minds of students their age, even if it has remained silent up until now. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire unleashes an avalanche of revelations and turns in the grand scheme of the story, namely with the inclusion of the mysterious cult of Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), the "Death Eaters", who unleash a terrorist assault at the Quidditch World Cup, and stalk through the dreams of Harry Potter, with scenes repeated of a conspiracy between the "dark lord" and, Peter Pettigrew (Timothy Spall), called "Wormtail", and a new, mysterious figure who remains a mystery to Harry for much of the film, played by David Tennant. This entry is itself a twisted curl in the story thus far; while much of our--and Harry's--attention is consumed by the tournament, a series of clues illuminate a great conspiracy being unfurled throughout the plot. Hermione rightly observes to Harry as the year closes, "everything's going to change now, isn't it?"; Harry's appropriate reply: "Yes". Once you begin down the path where you must abandon your childhood, you can never go back.
Recommended for: Fans of Harry Potter, yes, and fans of an intense coming-of-age story for the teenage wizards, as they struggle to cope with not only the frustrations of feelings they do not understand--love, jealousy, and so on--but of the very real dangers of black magic and evil wizards. It is the moment where the kids who grew up on the earlier films should be a little older by this point, as well.