Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire **** (2005, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Ralph Fiennes, Robert Pattinson, Jason Isaacs, Tom Felton, Robbie Coltrane) – Classic Movie Review 1,129

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) is one of the best in the series. The fourth Harry Potter film follows the young wizard’s fourth year at Hogwarts School as he is chosen by the Goblet of Fire to compete in the Tri-wizard Tournament. 

The fourth Harry Potter film, directed by Mike Newell, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David Heyman, follows the young wizard’s fourth year at Hogwarts School as he is chosen by the Goblet of Fire to compete in the Tri-wizard Tournament. As ever, Daniel Radcliffe is Harry Potter and Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) is one of the best in the series, beautifully crafted by Newell, with a satisfyingly darker and more complicated story, a finely honed screenplay and noticeably superior and mature performances by the three young stars. Ralph Fiennes gives a great, commanding portrait of villainy as evil nemesis Lord Voldemort. Future star Robert Pattinson, aged 19, makes a splash in his second cinema film as Cedric Diggory; Jason Isaacs and Tom Felton impress as Lucius and Draco Malfoy.

The second Potter film to be released in IMAX, it earned a stonking just under $900 million worldwide, as the highest-grossing film of 2005 and the eighth-highest-grossing film of all time at that time. It won the BAFTA Award for Best Production Design, the first Harry Potter film to win at the BAFTAs. It was Oscar nominated for Best Achievement in Art Direction (Stuart Craig as art director and Stephenie McMillan as set decorator) but Oscars continued to evade any Harry Potter film, so the makers just had to be content with the money they made.

The world premiere of the film was celebrated in London on 6 November 2005, featuring the 40-foot-long  animatronic, fire-breathing Hungarian Horntail dragon used in the scene where Rubeus Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) leads Harry into the forest. It was designed and built by the film’s special effects supervisor John Richardson and creature effects and makeup supervisor Nick Dudman.

On its first day of release on DVD in North America, more than five million copies were sold.

Michael Gambon plays headmaster Professor Albus Dumbledore for the second time in the Harry Potter film series after 2004’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, replacing Richard Harris, who died in 2002.

In her last film, the 92-year-old Margery Mason plays the Hogwarts Express Food Trolley Lady. She died on 26 January 2014 at the age of 100 years and 120 days. She was known for The Princess Bride (1987), Howards End (1992) and Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982). 

Robert Pattinson. (born 13 May 1986).

Robert Pattinson previously had supporting roles in 2004 in the German made-for-TV film Ring of the Nibelungs and in director Mira Nair’s costume drama cinema film Vanity Fair, although his scenes in the latter as Older Rawdy Crawley (uncredited) were deleted and appear only on the DVD version.

Pattinson had planned to go to university, but couldn’t because the shoot for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire went over schedule. He shared a flat in London’s Soho with actor and good friend Tom Sturridge, who also appears in Vanity Fair, as Young Georgy.

Pattinson got to do only one film as Cedric Diggory, but it launched his career and he had a resurrection as Edward Cullen in Twilight (2008), The Twilight Saga: New Moon, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2.

After starring in Remember Me (2010), Water for Elephants (2011),  Bel Ami (2012), Cosmopolis (2012), The Childhood of a Leader (2015), The Lost City of Z (2016), Good Time (2017), High Life (2018) and The Lighthouse (2019), he had another career resurrection in Christopher Nolan’s spy film Tenet (2020), and as Batman in The Batman (2022).

Robert Hardy, who died on 3 August 2017, aged 91, played Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge in 2002’s Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, 2004’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, 2005’s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and 2007’s Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. He was awarded a CBE for his services to acting in the Queen’s 1981 birthday honours. A statement from his children Emma, Justine and Paul read: ‘Gruff, elegant, twinkly, and always dignified, he is celebrated by all who knew him and loved him, and everyone who enjoyed his work.’

Michael Gambon plays headmaster Professor Albus Dumbledore for the second time.

Sir Michael Gambon (19 October 1940 – 28 September 2023) was one of the original members of Laurence Olivier’s Royal National Theatre. He won three Olivier Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and four BAFTA Awards, and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1998 for services to drama.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1,129 

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com/

Director Mike Newell described J K Rowling’s book as ‘big as a house brick’.