As before, superb acting on the part of the grown-up supporting players keeps the story invigorated - the kids (Harry, Ron, and Hermione) may falter here and there, but they have the likes of Maggie Smith, Miranda Richardson and a brilliant Brendan Gleeson pulling them along. However, even with the best acting, an overzealous director who’s too heavy-handed with special effects can result in a film that’s all spectacle and no heart. Thankfully, that’s not the case here. Newell interweaves considerable computer-generated delights with more tactical flights of fancy, so that, while visually dazzled, we never experience a Lord of the Rings moment where we think, “What a lovely job the production team did creating that CGI monster.”
Still, moms and dads who are worried that The Goblet of Fire may be too much for their youngsters to absorb have good reason for concern. The Triwizard showdown is no quidditch match, and the tasks the teens are asked to perform routinely put them, as well as some of their classmates, in mortal danger.
What’s more, when Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) reemerges from the shadows, he arrives in a writhing, snakey - yet oddly compelling - manner that reminded me of nothing more than Mel Gibson’s Satan in Passion of the Christ. The character is so intimidating that it wouldn’t have surprised me in the least if he had started speaking Aramaic. I’m sure the correlation isn’t intentional, but it demonstrates exactly how grown-up the Potter films are becoming and that parents should carefully consider this one’s PG-13 rating.
Nevertheless, while the film ventures into darker, more dazzling waters, it also increases its humor factor, constantly taking the audience from nail-biting to laughing and back again. For kids mature enough to separate fact from fantasy, The Goblet of Fire offers them an inspired voyage of extravagant delights in addition to a few good lessons along the way.