DanRadcliffe.com's Roundtable Review of
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

November 18th, 2005.

After nearly eighteen months of waiting and much anticipation, the fourth Harry Potter film opens in the US, UK and other major markets today.   To mark the occasion, DR.com staffers have put together their thoughts and opinions on what is without question the most spectacular film in the series.  Around the table, we have Jenna and Allo (who represented the site at the New York premiere), Stef and Lauren (London premiere), and staffers Kim and Sabine, who caught advance screenings earlier this week.  Let the games begin!

****    WARNING - HEAVY SPOILER ALERT!!!  This review may contain spoilers about certain scenes in the film.  ****

P.S.  Don't forget to read DanRadcliffe.com's official review of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by staffer Coralie. 

What was your favorite scene/moment/highlight of the film?

Stef: The dragon-fight was really exciting...and I also liked the scene where Moody explains the three Unforgivable Curses.

Allo: I would have to go with the first task too. It's my favorite scene in the book and it certainly didn't disappoint on film. That dragon was an evil brute!! It was a little gratuitous to have it claw its way across the rooftops during its pursuit of Harry but it did add to the suspense.

Jenna: I didn’t get why the dragon was walking on the building after Harry when he can fly... I'm thinking "is this dragon retarded?" Not that I wanted Harry to die or anything...

Sabine: That one as really very exciting! I literally sat there holding my breath and hoped Harry wouldn´t fall down the roof, although I knew he would!

Allo: Once Harry gets back on the broom and heads back to the arena, it's a pretty wild ride and Hogwarts gets totally trashed in the process!

Jenna: Yes the chase bit was the best.

Kim: So did the dragon die? I cant believe it would actually fall to its death.

Allo: Nawww.... no actual dragons were harmed during the making of this movie. :-)

Kim: LOL! There were so many good scenes But my favorite two both had to do with water. The second task was brilliant. The bodies of the 4 hostages were quite scary - anyone who didn’t know the story would have thought they were dead. The merpeople were cool but it wasn’t until Harry was stuck in the water after setting Ron and Fleur's sister free that it got really intense. To back up a bit I loved the part when he realizes he has gills and webbed hands and feet. What a smile.

Sabine: The second task: very very well done. I could sympathize with Harry so well, when he finally realized that he could "breathe" under water and made this jump of joy out of the water. :-) This entire scene was an outstanding achievement!

Kim: And while he’s doing that of course, you’ve got Neville going “Oh my God, I’ve killed Harry Potter!” Too funny! And, oh! The bath scene! How funny was that?!

Sabine: Yes, the bathroom scene. I didn´t expect it to be so funny! Shy Harry putting all these bubbles around him to cover himself while Moaning Myrtle tries to flirt with him. Certainly a highlight too!

Jenna: I liked the bit where Snape grabbed Ron and Harry by the head in class... when he rolled up his sleeves first, that was great.

Allo: Oh yeah, when he twitches his cuffs in anticipation, it's just delicious.

Kim: Also, the moment where Draco is turned to a ferret is classic! And a white ferret at that to match his hair! Brilliant!

Sabine: And there were loads of very small but very well played scenes that made me laugh and made the whole situation "real", like the one when Dumbledore shouts Harry´s name at the selection of the champions and he tries to pretend to be not here, or when Hermione sends Harry and Ron to bed after the Yule Ball, or Snape smacking their heads during study time, or the little scene in the library when Harry almost falls asleep on the book, or his reaction to Hagrid & Madame Maxime!

Lauren: The celebrations after the World Cup - Harry, Ginny and the twins teasing Ron about Krum - it was so naturally done, such a lovely family scene, and it was lovely to see Harry “Weasleying”; and Harry and Ron making up after the First Task - Ron's completely mental logic made me very happy - when I'd been a bit annoyed by the trailer saying Ron had known about the dragons and not told him; and the Ron/Hermione row after the Yule Ball - could she want him more? Could he be more jealous? Or clueless? Perfect. Stonkingly perfect!

Kim: The Yule Ball - so true in the nervous teenager's life. I thought it was great with the punk band and the somewhat moshpit. Very funny. So sad that the Patil twins got the raw end of the deal!

Allo: Hermione looked radiant – you could really see her brimming over with joy at the beginning, she was so excited. It’s such a contrast to the end of the scene where she’s utterly distraught.

Jenna: I thought the best interaction in the movie occured between Ron and Hermione at the Yule Ball. It was the most poetic. In the beginning Hermione walks down the stairs into the ball radiant and graceful, and then in the end she is so desperate for Ron to know how she feels - and that she knows he cares for her - she just slumps down clumsily onto the stairs and weeps. I think this was by far the best expression of emotion Emma has portrayed in all the films in the series and I was quite impressed by it.

Sabine: The most unforgettable scene however is of course the graveyard scene. WOW! This one is absolutely brilliant! Everyone, but especially Dan did an amazing job. This was an extremely difficult scene to play for an actor of such a young age and he did it perfectly well. I always thought Malfoy senior was evil, but Voldemort played him into the ground easily. He was absolutely terrifying.

Jenna: The graveyard scene was cool, but I think the bit after Harry returns crying over Cedric's body stuck more in my mind. Dan really nailed the defeated, painful wimper. It wasn't a "girly" cry - thank goodness - it was just genuine despair. The graveyard scene, to me, wasn't "that" scary. I thought the dementors in POA were a lot more frightening than anything in that scene.

What was the weakest scene/part/aspect of the film for you?

Lauren: It's a shame that Harry was dragged down by Grindylows at the end of the Second Task, because I wanted to see him surface with Ron and have Ron wake up and realise Harry had played the hero and stuff - also, without Dobby, it wasn't clear that His Wheezey was the Thing He'd Miss Most - is it just me, or did anyone else wonder how Harry knew which was his hostage? He wasn't told beforehand, and he got down there to find his two best friends and his crush tied up. But I was looking forward to the Second Task more than anything, and it still made me squee hugely, so I won't complain!

Kim: The weakest for me was the dialogue. The “fight” scenes between Ron and Harry really could have used some more realism instead of being thrown in. The talk between Dumbledore and Harry lacked the intensity resulted from Harry’s experience in the graveyard. The ending is what really threw me off. It seemed to be too sugar-coated. Hermione “Everything’s going to change, isn’t it?” and Harry’s response, “yup”. Yup? It was as if nothing had happened in the graveyard. Um, Voldie’s back!

Allo: There did seem to be a few missed opportunities with the dialogue, particularly in the personal relationships within the trio. It’ll be interesting to see what a change of screenwriter does for the fifth film.

Jenna: Yea, definitely.

Lauren: I didn't really think the maze was very interesting. I know watching Harry solve riddles about spiders would have been even more boring, but spooky just doesn't do it for me.

Sabine: Hmmm - this is very difficult, because I really liked the entire film, but maybe it was the dancing scenes of the students of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. I didn´t get it why they had to dance when they entered the Great Hall. And I wondered why the Quidditch scene was that short. At first they built up the scene so carefully with all those little details like tents, stickers and mascots, grandstands and all, but we never saw the teams really play the game. That was a bit too short in my opinion.

Allo: I thought the whole Priori Incantatem sequence in the graveyard was… lacking. Because they never went into detail early on in the film and they never had a discussion about Harry’s and Voldemort’s wand cores, it was completely not obvious what was going on when the wands connected and I wasn’t satisfied with Dumbledore having to explain it at the end. Actually he didn't even explain it, just named the effect. If you haven’t read the book, you’d be wondering where all the ghosts came from and why.

Jenna: I really liked the maze bit, but I think it would have been nice to have a few of those obstacles thrown in - even if it was just one or two from the book. The wand connection bit in the end and the dancing schools, etc didn't really bother me. I think my biggest qualms had to do with the aforementioned dialogue between the trio, and the fact that we never really knew how Harry knew Ron was his "most missed" in the 2nd task.

Which special effects worked really well/badly?

Kim: The Yule Ball was absolutely beautiful. And again I have to mention the underwater scene at the lake. The special effects were amazing.

Stef: The dragon-fight and the Quidditch World Cup were really impressive but to me, the under-water scene was a bit boring.

Kim: Bad special effects? They have always done such a fantastic job with CGI, although the one thing that seemed “unreal” was the dragon. Why would he be climbing the castle when he has wings?

Jenna: That's what I was saying about the dragon!

Lauren: Myrtle counts as a special effect? Then prefects' bathroom! The dragon was excellent, even if everyone sitting quietly in the stadium waiting for Harry and the dragon to return was a little bit silly.

Sabine: All special affects were brilliant in my opinion, especially the dragons and Voldemort. And although I really hate spiders, I sort of felt sorry for the one Moody used for his Unforgivables.

Allo: The Avada Kedavra effect was excellent – they captured the rush of green light perfectly. The Dark Mark was very well done too. Very creepy. Also, I liked the way that the Death Eaters apparated into the graveyard.

Jenna: Yea. The apparation was very cool. Yea, definitely.

What did you think of the new characters? Or the old characters? Who were the stand-outs?

Stef: The twins were the highlight of the film, and also Rupert's acting was better than before...I also liked the performance of Moody and Rita Skeeter.

Sabine: The new characters fit very well into the main team. Rita Skeeter was very convincing!

Jenna: Rita Skeeter was terrifying!

Kim: Karkaroff was so intense. Of course, he is a death eater.

Allo: And his line "Barty Crouch... Junior!" was so deliciously delivered!

Kim: Fleur, there was barely any any dialogue or character development with her; except “You saved my sister”. Krum - great casting. He fit the image I had from the book. It would have been fun to hear him try to say Hermi-nin-nee!

Lauren: Cedric was perfect; Fleur was good; there wasn't enough Viktor to judge. Neville, Ginny and the twins were adorable - especially Neville - it made a big difference that it wasn't just the Trio who had good stuff to do. For me, the films are all about Ron, and he stole the show again - with Neville a close second.

Jenna: I loved Ron’s little "fangirl" reaction to Krum when he first came to the school. I also think Ron was great at being angry/pouty but his dialogue wasn't what it should have been - I don't know of anyone who contemplates SECONDS before they casually say "P*ss off." Pacing! Harry and Ron should have been going at it fiercely - they are best friends. No one can fight better than two people who know each other very well.

Kim: Neville! Oh how I loved this "witless wonder". Any HP reader would know why he got so upset over the Cruciatus Curse in DADA class. It’s a great scene with his reaction to the spider, especially knowing what happened to his parents.

Allo: Neville's performance is a real standout. I'm so glad they gave him a bigger role in this one. His ballroom dancing is so touching and the "Oh my God, I've killed Harry Potter!" line is just hilarious! Now that was a great addition!

Jenna: Yea, definitely!

Kim: Cho was very sweet although I would have liked to see more of a reaction from her when she sees that Cedric is dead.

Allo: I thought the twins were terrific in this one. They have developed such a wicked sense of comic timing. And let's hear it for my man Madeye!! He was deliciously mischievous, vicious and malicious, not to mention absolutely barking mad!

Kim: I loved Mad-Eye Moody! Brendan Gleeson was perfectly cast. Even in the book he was the stand-out character. He was funny, in a strange off beat way. And that eye. I expected it to be a bit more pronounced. It still was pretty freaky to look at.

Kim: And the true follower, Barty Crouch Jr. There were a couple of short but significant scenes with this deliciously dark wizard. Definitely had the charisma even if he was on screen for a moment especially with that sickening snake-like tongue. Yikes!

Allo: Is anyone going to mention Ralph Fiennes?? What an over-the-top theatrical villain! I guess there really was only one man for that job.

Jenna: I think the twins did a fantastic job in this installment. Katie was great, but I too would have liked to see more emotion there in the end when Harry returned with Ceric's body. And Ralph Fiennes - who can say anything about Mr. Fiennes that isn't great?!

What did you think of Dan’s performance? Any stand-out moments?

Kim: Fantastic. He keeps getting better and better. Harry’s life is becoming more and more complex, not to mention the hormones kicking in, and Dan is right there to portray it with such a natural, down to earth, adorable way. For me, the stand-out moments were Harry asking Cho to the ball - he spoke so fast! When she turned him down it was so sad, he looked as if he wanted to bury his head in the sand – and Harry dancing the Waltz with Parvati. So sweet and clumsy!

Allo: i was very happy to see how his performance has improved yet again. With each passing film, you see more subtleties in the performance - little expressions, creative use of time, etc. For example, when Harry and Hermione are on the bridge and she's talking about how Krum's more of a physical type, Harry's giving her knowing looks and smirking like a... well... schoolboy! And the lovesick puppy-dog expressions will make you melt!

Lauren: Absolutely spot on. Cannot fault it. In the other films there is always one moment where I cringe, but the romantic stuff was really sweet and awkward, the row with Ron was heart wrenching, the friendship with Hermione was sweet, the action hero stuff was believable, the graveyard stuff was really moving - the returning with Cedric's body just killed me. No weak bits at all - very pleased. Stand-outs - making up with Ron and bringing Cedric's body back.

Kim: The graveyard scene when Voldemort placed his hand on Harry’s scar. Oh I could feel the pain!

Allo: I think he does a good job with terror in this one. You see some genuine fear when Harry first encounters the dragons, then when he's waiting for the first task, then when he's in the graveyard. And pain too. I must admit, I had reservations about the torture scene was going to play out but he nailed it. When Voldie sticks his finger on Harry's forehead, that's a genuinely shocked and agonized cry. And then at the end when he brings back Cedric’s body, there’s some very convincing actual sobbing going on there.

Sabine: Dan´s performance was brilliant! OK - I know I am biased, but at least I tried to be objective. He has learned so much again within this past year of filming! He was able to portray Harry´s feelings (the pleasant and the painful, the funny and the belligerent ones) perfectly well. I enjoyed the dialogues of the Trio very much. They were more realistic this time. Stand-out moments: again the graveyard scene, the dialogue with Cedric in the maze, the arguments with Ron, the final fight with Moody - and as always: Dan´s excellent way of "underplaying" a scene. He never exaggerates, which I admire very much.

Allo: I want it to go down on record somewhere just how much we should appreciate what Dan did in the way of stunts for this film. We've heard about the falling stunt for the first task and that looked pretty painful on film but what really brought it home was the second task. Having done some diving myself in the past, I remember what it's like to do things like share air underwater. It’s bloody hard work – there’s a point where you have to work out how to breathe in without inhaling a mouthful of water and drowning yourself! - and it used to scare the stuffing out of me! Either they did a little digital editing or he did a fantastic job of not leaving a bubble trail. That's also tough, resisting the urge to breathe out as you're swimming.

Kim: I think he does an amazing job reacting to imaginary scenes. In POA, we had Buckbeak and in COS we had Dobby and now in this one we have Moaning Myrtle flirting outrageously with Harry in the bathtub. She obviously wasn’t there. Not obvious in the film but we know she wasn’t. He does that very well...!

Jenna: Hmm... there seems to be nothing else to say! For me, in this production, there were no "cringe" moments as Lauren put it. He was flawless really. It is definitely obvious he has become more comfortable with the character, he understands the character on a much more profound level now, and he has really mastered his craft enormously since the last production of POA.

Which bits of the book that were left out did you really miss?

Kim: I would have loved to have seen more of Sirius Black. I really love his character and was sad that the only screen time was his head in fire. Also, the Sphinx in the maze. I was really looking forward to see how they were going to pull that off. And in the book, when Harry wins the tournament, he wins something like a thousand Galleons. It wasn’t mentioned as part of the prize in the beginning so of course in the end it doesn’t mention Harry giving it to the twins. Wouldn’t you think that should have made it in the movie? Unless that is another story part that seems insignificant. Huh. I figured it would since the twins have a bigger part in OoTP.

Lauren: The money - with the tournament just being about Eternal Glory, there was no prize-money to give the twins, no prize-money for Ron to crave at the beginning and start the jealous feud.

Kim: How can I forget! Dumbledore didn’t tell Harry the reason of his wand and Voldemort’s was because they both had the feather of the same phoenix. Isn’t that right? That was another thing they didn’t include that I wish they had. To explain it a bit more, even though we already knew by reading the book….

Allo: Rita's Animagus talent. OK, I know it’s not an essential plot device but it would have been interesting to see that in action. And like I said above, it really needed more explanation of the Priori Incantatem effect. And it was a shame that we couldn’t actually see the Quidditch World Cup Final after all the buildup but it wouldn’t have done anything to advance the plot.

Lauren: Setting the Bouncing Ferret during the Harry/Ron row meant that Ron missed it, which was a shame.

Sabine: I missed the scene in the Dursley´s living room and Mrs Weasley. (You see, there is not much I missed, in fact.)

Jenna: It is important to understand the monumental task it is to adapt a book into a film. Some things had to go - but that is the case with any adaptation. I have taken a class on this where we were required to adapt a book into a script - it's darn hard!!! The hardest part is making the decision of what stays, what goes and what should be added or changed that will work on camera. It is much more difficult to adapt a book into a script than it is to write a script from scratch - so for me, I think Kloves did as well as he could considering the absolute dynamics and enormity of the book itself (except for the trio dialogue - he could have done better with that). But that's just my 2 cents. It would have been nice to see the Sphinx in the maze or had the money in there to setup the plot for upcoming installments - I agree, but in the end they were not detrimental to the flow of the plot and that is key when doing an adaptation - keeping close to the central plot... and this screenplay did achieve that.

Thoughts on the soundtrack?

Kim: I was a bit apprehensive of Patrick Doyle taking the place of John Williams but I think he did a marvelous job. I am glad he kept the original Hedwig’s theme. (He had to!) Doyle had a softer yet sinister approach to some of the tracks. He was able to tell a story within the music with each having its own personality. He orchestrates the apprehension of danger to the elation of triumph. “Neville’s Waltz” is so sweet and uplifting. The beginning of “Death of Cedric” almost brought me to tears. I especially liked to hear the songs added by members of the bands Pulp and Radiohead. Seems that music is right up Dan’s alley. If it were “Dan” in the movie I can picture him right in the middle of the pit at the Yule Ball! One thing about listening to this soundtrack and any of the other HP soundtracks for that matter is that it always brings me to smile.

Lauren: I never notice soundtracks - but I did swoon that 'Magic Works', which I have been playing non-stop for weeks, really was the Ron/Hermione love song!!

Sabine: I am always extremely fixated on music in general and so I missed the special HP atmosphere, this music causes usually. This time it stayed a bit in the background and didn´t cause the goosebumps I was used to getting at Hedwig´s Theme or the flight with Buckbeak or the theme of the Phoenix. OK - it was more adult maybe, but I missed John Williams’ sure instinct.

Allo: I thought the new take was refreshing, although I must admit that when it started, I thought it was going to launch into a Tim Burton film. But then Hedwig’s Theme rings out (albeit in a spooky minor key) and we’re back on familiar ground. Actually there were other times when I thought “Hey, this sounds like Lord of the Rings!” The Weird Sisters’ songs were great – an interesting gear shift for an HP soundtrack.

Stef: Yeah, I loved the rock music at the partaaay!!

Jenna: I really thought the soundtrack was a refreshing change. Not the same 'ol same 'ol. The Weird Sisters' songs did a nice job of breaking up the tunes on the soundtrack. I am not really into listening to soundtracks, unless they have "real" songs on them from proper bands.

Did the film deserve the PG-13 rating?

Stef: Yes - it was scary in some parts, especially in the graveyard scene where Wormtail chops off his hand.

Lauren: Very much so but I am still taking my 'tough 5-year-old and sensitive 10-year-old' as Dan spookily mentioned in interviews, because they wouldn't miss it for the world. Especially my 10-year-old, who is in love with Rupert.

Kim: Yes. There were definitely some scary moments, although it was not as scary as I was expecting (or hoping).

Sabine: Only for the graveyard scene and when Harry returns with Cedric´s body.

Jenna: With all the hype about how scary it was, it was not as scary as I thought it would be. In fact, I'd go further and say I was much more creeped out by the dementors in POA than ANYTHING in GOF. You don't actually see the graphics of Wormtail chopping off his hand, it is implied. The absolute most "intense" moments in the film for me occured during the maze. But again, it was nothing graphic, just the mood.

Allo: I didn't think it was as scary as it has been made out to be and you know me, I’m the one who dithered over taking my kids to “Revenge of the Sith”. Given the subject matter, I don’t think they could really have avoided the rating but the film is probably on the milder end of the rating - a lot of the scary detail just isn't that visible on film. You never see Bryce get killed, you just see the rush of green light. And the torture scenes are very brief and in the dark. And you don't get a good view of Wormtail stabbing Harry's arm because Harry’s sleeve kind of hides it. About the creepiest thing in it is Voldemort emerging from the cauldron. He looks kind of like the Alien.

Kim: I thought that was a cool effect.

Jenna: Yeah, not creepy, I thought it was cool.

Allo: This one definitely depends on the temperament of your kids. So I'll take my sassy 7-year-old but leave the 5-year-old at home.

Overall thoughts?

Stef: The best Harry Potter so far... this one is now third on my all-time favourites list.

Kim: I REALLY ENJOYED IT. I thought they were true to the book as much as they could. I AM glad they didn’t add any unnecessary scenes. I wasn’t happy with the ending as I talked about should not have been so sugar coated. Now that V-man is back I expected Harry to be more troubled. Then again he did seem troubled but then smiled. I guess because in a way, what else could he do but sulk? I don’t remember the very end of the book except him seeing Cho. I do wish they could have shown him and her one last time before we see them again in OoTP. It seemed much more subtle yet when needed was appropriate in the right places. I SO NEED TO SEE IT AGAIN! (and again and again and again…)

Lauren: I had really, really high expectations, and they Exceeded Expectations all the way through. Far too many promotional shots had been of Harry with Hermione, but there were just two or three really nice friendship moments; there hadn't been enough Harry/Ron or Ron/Hermione promotional stuff, but that just made it even better to see it on the big screen. Everything important was included, everything worked, everything looked beautiful, the Ron/Hermione was adorable, the Harry/Ron made me want to knock their heads together. Harry was vulnerable and strong and brave and adorable. Ron was stubborn and sad and lonely and jealous and adorable. Perfect. Luckily I am seeing it another twelve times this week!

Sabine: *sighs deeply* I can´t wait to watch it again and again either...!

Jenna: I think this film gave us a better insight to the realism and dynamics of the characters much more so than in previous films. The plot flows along quickly with a definite non-stop fluidity. It was tight and there were no fillers. That was great. You really don't feel the time sitting there watching the movie... until the end when you say "but... but... it can't be over..." I think this is by far the most well constructed of all the productions in the series and I am sure they will only get better with each installment throughout this Harry Potter phenomenon.

Allo: One of the issues I’ve had in the past with the films is the pacing – there’s always been one scene that dragged or made me cringe, like Lauren said above, but here, they’ve got the formula just right. I guess they had to, out of the necessity of adapting a 734-page book! But overall, I was very happy with the scenes that they chose to keep and delete and how they adapted the remainder. This film is very much an all-killer, no-filler holiday blockbuster. And yes, I want to see it again and again and again too!