Favorite Franchises: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson
Directed by: Mike Newell


Plot Summary: At the Quidditch World Cup, Harry Potter witnesses an attack on the fairgrounds by a group of Death Eaters, leaving the eerie Dark Mark in the sky, indicating that Lord Voldemort will return soon. With tensions high, Harry prepares to return to school for his fourth year. When he arrives at Hogwarts, he and the rest of the students learn that the school will host the Triwizard Tournament, a legendary event where a representative from each of the three schools compete in three grueling tasks. To enter the tournament, students must put their name in the Goblet of Fire and be selected to become champion of their school. At the ceremony, the three champions are chosen: Viktor Krum from Durmstrang, Fleur Delacour from Beauxbatons, and Cedric Diggory from Hogwarts. When the Goblet selects Harry as the fourth champion, the faculty discusses removing him from the tournament, since no student under the age of 17 was allowed to enter. Professor Dumbledore decides to let him complete so they can let the events of who put his name in the Goblet of Fire unfold. Harry must prepare for tasks that will challenge him both physically and mentally. Harry and his friends must also face the challenges of the Yule Ball and trying to get a date for the event, as well as be on the lookout for anything else that could signal the return of Voldemort.


Of the films, there has not been one that I can recall being so hyped for as I was for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The adaptation of my favorite Harry Potter book, I was really looking forward to seeing my favorite moments of the Triwizard Tournament brought to life on the big screen, as well as the introduction of some large fan-favorite characters. I feel like this one is usually split among the Harry Potter fans. There are a lot that have regarded this as their favorite of the films, including myself heading into this recent viewing. Yet, there are also many who were left disappointed by this installment and usually regard Prisoner of Azkaban as the best constructed film of the series. Call it a bias, call it nostalgia, I really don't care. I love this movie. I'm now halfway through re-watching all of these Harry Potter films, and this was still the most enjoyable one to sit through. I have some difficulty believing that feeling will go away anytime soon, but we've still got 4 more to go after this one, so there is a chance of a new favorite emerging. But for now, let's look at what has been my favorite Harry Potter film for 10 years now.

This year offers a new challenge for Harry Potter, played by Daniel Radcliffe. For the first time, Harry is involved in a bunch of challenges that his friends will not be able to help him out in. He gets help or tips from the occasional mentor or friend, but this is really one of the first chances audiences have seen Harry think on his own to survive. Goblet of Fire is a really important film for Harry, as it demonstrates his resourcefulness and cleverness in order to survive dragons, mermaids, and a dangerous maze. The Triwizard Tournament offers a very unique challenge for Harry as well, being the first time where Harry's life is on the line against a number of tasks, rather than facing your main antagonist. Of course, there is room for an antagonist to leave his mark on the film and Harry's journey. More on that in a bit, but let's first wrap up my thoughts on Harry by saying that this film further helps mature the character into a young man that audiences could actually believe to be a credible hero. We also get some very humorous scenes where we finally see something that Harry has difficult doing: asking a girl on a date. It's actually really entertaining to see our main protagonist be nervous about getting a date for the Yule Ball, and it definitely offers another form of character growth and evolution into early adulthood for Harry.

For once, Ron Weasley, played by Rupert Grint, actually has something new to do with his character. Having said that, it really doesn't seem to fit or feel natural to the story. Ron is jealous that Harry is in the Triwizard Tournament and that really clouds any form of judgment or logic for him. Even when Harry says that he didn't do it, Ron, his BEST FRIEND, doesn't believe him. Ron finally comes to his senses midway through the movie, and then it's his usual type of humor for the rest of the running time. I will say his humor is pretty good when it comes to the scenes about the Yule Ball. Hermione Granger, played by Emma Watson, actually takes a backseat in this film. She's not able to be in the games with Harry, and she's actually unable to help him for once. The main character bits for Hermione in Goblet of Fire involve furthering her teased feelings for Ron. Kind of feels like a step backwards from how she evolved in Prisoner of Azkaban. Oh well, at least she gets that big moment at the Yule Ball when all eyes get to see just how pretty she can look. Which has always baffled me because she was never bad looking in either of the previous films, nor did she do anything out of the ordinary for the Yule Ball except wear a dress.

I guess now would be a good time as any to talk about Rubeus Hagrid, played by Robbie Coltrane. For the last couple of films, Hagrid has been a loyal friend for Harry and his friends, as well as Professor Dumbledore. His specialty has been the unique magical creatures that keep popping up around Hogwarts, evident in this movie as he shows Harry a sneak peek of an upcoming challenge in the Triwizard Tournament involving dragons. But Hagrid's big storyline in the film is the teased romance he has with Beauxbatons Headmistress Madame Maxine, played by Frances de la Tour. I really wish it wasn't teased though. He's given a handful of cute scenes with her and then it just stops by the time they get to the Yule Ball. They dance and then nothing afterwards. There's a bit more to it in the books, so I wish we could have had a scene or throwaway line that at least brings closure to the subplot. While it could've been explored more, Hagrid still exudes the same positive traits he has for the last three films and that's all fans can really ask for.

In this film, we are FINALLY introduced to the full formed version of the evil Lord Voldemort, played by Ralph Fiennes. Really think about this. We've now endured three previous films of teasing and buildup for how evil this guy is supposed to be, so this really had to be done correctly and live up to the hype. So when you see him, you're absolutely blown away from his look. His bald head, flat, noseless face, silky, black cloak, and mannerisms exhibiting as much elegance as malice. Needless to say, they got the look down perfectly and Fiennes feels right at home playing this embodiment of pure evil. The debut of Voldemort proves that when it comes to film characters, first impressions are always key. The fact that this film is mainly about the Triwizard Tournament, then becomes a film about Voldemort's return in the final act also serves as a fantastic metaphor of the amount of power and fear he can instill on the plot, the characters, and even the viewers.

One important aspect of movie magic to discuss when looking at the Harry Potter series is the use of sound and music. This series has had great composers attached, from John Williams (Sorcerer's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, and Prisoner of Azkaban), to Nicholas Hooper (Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince), to Alexandre Desplat (Both Deathly Hallows films). Even though he was used for only one film, Patrick Doyle brought a unique flare unseen in the previous films to the music he scored for Goblet of Fire, with highlights including the music used for the Yule Ball and a personal favorite of mine in the theme used for Durmstrang and Viktor Krum. And of course, it would be foolish to talk about music without discussing the most well-known piece of music that surrounds all 8 films. That song (which I know you're already humming) was composed by the great John Williams and is actually a theme song for Harry's owl Hedwig, and has been tweaked by other composers for the later films, but the iconic sound is always present and a key marketing piece for the films. The blending of sounds is also important to bring this magical world to life, so give credit to the sound mixers for actually having to create distinct sounds for objects and actions that are not possible and have not been seen in film. From wands waving in a wizard's duel, to the familiar motions in a game of Quidditch, to our favorite characters performing apparition to journey to a new location, these sounds are expertly crafted and stay in your mind after hearing them. Combine that with the music, and each scene is a sensation for the eyes and the ears.


Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

With the inclusion of Lord Voldemort, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ends on just the right amount of dread and hope to carry some serious weight heading into the second half of the series. While flawed, the film is still full of entertaining and crucial scenes in the Harry Potter folklore and is a delight to experience.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and movie images are copyrighted by Warner Bros.