J.K. Rowlings spends much time building up cute, little bits and reiterating all that has gone before in the Harry Potter series. One supposes this is to help out young readers who might have forgotten or to invite new readers into the world. In the fourth book, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," is about the Harry entering an adult world and the wizard world heading toward war. The fourth movie sometimes adds more action at the expense of character development and tends to be choppy.
The movie almost depends upon fans knowing the books and yet has some surprises in store. Director Mike Newell who directed the 1997 Donnie Brasco and the 1992 Enchanted April and the 1994 Four Weddings and a Funeral is able enough. The screenwriter, Steve Kloves, who wrote the other three installments, again adapts J.K. Rowling's novel with a Hollywood shorthand. Layered performances aren't really required, particularly in this installment.
In both the novel and the movie, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) sees Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) in a nightmare. He wakes up with his lightning shaped scar hurting. Ron (Rupert Grint), Hermione (Emma Watson) and Harry join most of Ron's family to see the Quidditch World Cup. There, Ron and Harry are impressed by a player named Viktor Krum (Stanislav Ianevski) whose team loses despite his spectacular play to catch the snitch. Afterward, former followers of Lord Voldemort, the Death Eaters, begin to create havoc and his sign is seen in the sky. The threesome return to Hogwarts. The new Dark Arts teacher is Mad-Eyed Moody (Brendan Gleeson), a former hunter of dark wizards.
Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) announces that instead of having a quidditch match, the school will be hosting a TriWizard Tournament. Three schools will be competing: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. The competitor from each school will be chosen by the eponymous goblet of fire. There should only be three (Durmstrang's Viktor Krum, Beauxbaton's Fleur Delacour (Clemence Poesy) and Hogwart's Cedric Diggery (Robert Pattinson)), but there is four--Harry Potter being the fourth. The challenges are: passing a dragon to get a golden egg, saving a hostage guarded by the merpeople and getting past the obstacles in a hedge maze to the trophy.
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