Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is easily my favorite book in the series. It is not my favorite movie in the series. It is also a very long and complicated book, one that was nearly split up into two films. That director Mike Newell decided to stick to one long movie is I suppose commendable. But as a result, the fourth Harry Potter film is the only entry that truly feels like a Cliff Notes version of the original text. It hits most of the major plot points, but feels understandably rushed and somewhat compromised. Taken outside of its worth as an adaptation, it still remains one of the better films in the series. It is easily the most action packed film in the franchise (until the finale, I presume), and there is plenty of solid character interaction between our young heroes. The adults again get the shaft, although Michael Gambon finally comes into his own as Dumbledore (I love the moment where he basically attacks Harry while asking him if he indeed sneaked his name into the Tri-Wizards tournament cup). It is, objectively, an exciting and entertaining fantasy action picture, but one that feels curiously remote considering the emotional stakes and epic narrative. As the first entry actually directed by a Brit (Mike Newell), it perhaps maintains too much of that stiff upper lip.
