"Goblet" sees Harry's beloved Hogwarts School open up to visitors from France's Beauxbatons Academy and Eastern Europe's Durmstrang Institute, as host of the legendary Triwizard Tournament. One student from each of the three wizarding schools is selected by the Goblet of Fire to compete in brutal tasks designed to test their wit, skill and courage. Although the contest's rules require that participants be 17 years of age or older, 14-year-old Harry finds himself a reluctant fourth champion when the Goblet unexpectedly coughs up his name. The circumstances are extremely suspicious, but Headmaster Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) sees no choice but to allow Harry to proceed under the vigilant enchanted eye of new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody (Brendan Gleeson).
Rowling has insisted in interviews that she does not think of the series as children's stuff; "Goblet" may be the first time we have reason to believe her. So far, the movies have all been fairly straightforward tales of heroism. Harry finds himself in grave danger each time, but in the past there's never much doubt that goodness would prevail. This time, although he survives-that's not a spoiler, by the way, since books five and six wouldn't exist if he didn't-it's not pretty. The best of intentions go awry, innocents are caught in the crossfire and the final victory comes at tragic cost.
As the franchise's third director, Newell manages to make the film his own without sacrificing the continuity established in the first three movies. Deftly striking a balance between the personal and the epic, Newell allows shy flirtations, petty squabbles and even some (mildly) sexual gags to intersect with the larger, more dramatic tale of the tournament. Sweeping camera shots show off dazzling special effects-a fantastically large Quidditch stadium filled to energetic capacity, a ferocious dragon twisting and turning atop one of the Hogwarts towers-but what stays with us are the more intimate sequences, which are handled with precision and sympathy.
Screenwriter Steve Kloves also does a commendable job of adapting the 730-page tome into a workable two-and-a-half hour film in a way that should please longtime followers of the books as well as newcomers-a task as daunting as any that Harry faces here. The pacing is brisk but not rushed, and in some cases it's even an improvement on Rowling's source material, which definitely dragged at times. Devoted readers may be disappointed to find that their favorite subplots have been unceremoniously axed, but for the most part Kloves retains what's really important.
It goes almost without saying that the renowned adult actors-Dame Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman and Michael Gambon among them-are strong as always, if regrettably underused, but it is a pleasure perhaps unique to this series that we can actually watch the young actors grow with the characters. With the possible exception of Watson, whose facial expressions work overtime to compensate for her lack of inspiration, each has improved. Radcliffe and Grint have a firm handle on their characters by now, and turn in solid performances. Even some of the minor characters turn out to be unexpected scene-stealers, namely Matthew Lewis with his endearing portrayal of the awkward but much-beloved Neville and Oliver and James Phelps as Ron's irrepressibly mischievous, irresistibly charming twin brothers.
"Goblet" also introduces a host of new characters and with them, new actors. Most of the latest student roles are little more than cameos, but the adults fare somewhat better. Gleeson and Miranda Richardson, the latter as manipulative journalist Rita Skeeter, crank up the kookiness and have fun with their parts. The big question, however, is whether Ralph Fiennes does justice to the much-hyped role of Voldemort, and the answer is yes. Neither human nor completely inhuman, Fiennes' Voldemort is a truly chilling figure.
I won't give away the conclusion, except to say that while the finish isn't exactly unhappy, it doesn't have the "happily ever after" feel of the other movies' endings either. It's more honest than that: In the end, the characters actually seem older and sadder, but wiser too, for the trials and tribulations they've undergone. That-well, that along with a first-time PG-13 rating-is what establishes "Goblet" as the first really mature chapter in the Potter saga. Both grander in scope and more profound in feeling than any of the previous episodes, "Goblet" best illustrates the reason that Potter's appeal has never been limited to children. Here's hoping that Harry-and his franchise-continue to age as gracefully into the end of the series.