My Spoiler-Free Goblet of Fire Review

I finally went to see the movie yesterday with my parents. This was pretty fun, although possibly not for those around us. You see, my mother and father have taught junior high kids, and they have not read the books! So there were numerous events in the movie which they thought either true to life (the dance, the spats, etc.) or amusing (Rita Skeeter, Snape whapping students upside the head). As a result, I heard a lot of whispers!

(My mother's insistence that Snape was acting like a nun was a bit disturbing.... Especially since I could almost see Snape's sister, Sr. Mary Severus of the Holy Whapping.)

I also found the movie unexpectedly true to life. For once, the moviemakers were less busy smirking or screaming, "Look how cool this stuff is!" than just telling the story. It's possible that this focus told the story better than the book did, creating the rare spectacle of a movie adaptation better than the original book. Certainly the message of cooperation between wizards, houses, and countries came across better. The relationship between the Crouch family problems and Harry's eternal search for a father figure also worked. The music was also great and serious.

More to the point, though, I thought the movie edited down the story to a manageable length. If only JK Rowling had done the same!

On the whole, it's hard to say whether I liked this movie or the last movie better. I think this one, by a nose. But I like both of them a lot better than the previous two.