Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is not without its bumps, but the mix of action, magic, and character growth kept us fully engaged.
Rewatching Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was a blast, and we all agreed that this movie really marks a shift in the series. It’s the fourth installment, directed by Mike Newell, and you can feel things getting a lot darker and more intense (yes, each installment is a bit darker than its predecessor). Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) gets thrown into the Triwizard Tournament, which is full of dangerous challenges, and the whole time we were on edge trying to figure out who was behind the mystery. The action is exciting, but it’s also about Harry growing up, and that mix kept us hooked.
"Harry, did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire?”
- Dumbledore, asked calmly (in the books)
One of the coolest parts of the movie is how it expands the magical world. The introduction of schools like Beauxbatons and Durmstrang makes everything feel bigger and more global. It’s not just about Hogwarts anymore, and that was fun to see. The Quidditch World Cup at the start was a great way to show that broader world too, though we all kind of wished they’d spent a bit more time there before things got chaotic.
The darker tone of the movie really works for most of us. The threat of Voldemort returning adds this layer of tension that hangs over the entire story, especially by the time we get to that eerie graveyard scene. Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort is just chilling, and we all agreed that his arrival really raises the stakes. That said, some of the shifts between light-hearted moments like the Yule Ball and the more intense scenes felt a bit jarring. It wasn’t always the smoothest transition, but we get that Harry’s world is becoming more dangerous.
The performances were solid overall, but this is where we started to notice the main trio- Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint - were still finding their footing with the heavier material. They handled the emotional moments well, but you could see they were still growing into the more serious stuff. On the flip side, we all loved Brendan Gleeson as Mad-Eye Moody and Robert Pattinson as Cedric Diggory. They brought a lot of energy and really stood out.
TSHC Score: 7.5/10
The Goblet of Fire is a key turning point in the series, and there are plenty of memorable moments. It’s not perfect, with some pacing and tone issues, but it’s still an exciting and important chapter in Harry’s journey. We had a great time watching it!
