Movie Review by Kalobwe Chibwe
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane
Director: Mike Newell
It’s hard to escape from the enthralling story of Harry Potter. Considering the success of its predecessors, this movie has a lot to live up to. There is a shadow cast over Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) from the very beginning of the film with his nightmares of the sinister Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) and his minions who manage to spoil the excitement of the Quidittch World Cup. The atmosphere of the movie is lightened however by the shy, awkward, confusing time that is adolescence, which comes with all the comedy and angst of old and new relationships. For Harry and his close friends Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) this is complicated further by magic. Watch out for a particularly funny soap suds inspired bathroom scene involving young Mr Potter!
New elements are thrown into the cauldron with the chic girls from Beauxbatons Academy and macho boys of Durmstrang Institute all in time to compete for the Triwizard Tournament. The competition is so dangerous that only pupils above the age of seventeen are allowed to compete. Harry being only fourteen (or twelve as the illustrious journalist Rita Skeeter (Miranda Richardson) sees it) is not eligible to enter for it. Dark forces are once again at work as Harry’s name is inexplicably spat out from the Goblet of Fire. This causes a great uproar and earns Harry an odd protector, aptly called Alastor Moody (Brendan Gleeson), and he must now embark on a series of life threatening tasks.
Harry’s nightmares, a murder and other elements make for a much darker movie than the previous three with a feeling of foreboding grabbing one all the way through. This climaxes with the meeting of Harry and Lord Voldemort, who reminded me of a meaner, more sinister, upright Gollum and definitely sent a chill down my spine. This and other elements made me think it may just be too scary for the younger viewers, but nonetheless, they will surely turn out in droves to join Harry on his spellbinding journey.
The enchantment that is HARRY POTTER has enthralled and captured many an imagination. Like its predecessors, once again, THE GOBLET OF FIRE has lived up to vast expectations and unbelievably added more life to the great saga.
A truly unmissable adventure.
