Harry Potter is more than everyone's favorite boy wizard -- he's a cultural phenomenon of unmatched proportions. The original book series by J. K. Rowling has sold over 325 million copies worldwide, spawning the film series, at least five video games and over 400 other Harry Potter-branded products. The film franchise itself ranks as highest grossing book-to-film series of all time, having (as of this writing) earned $3.5 billion worldwide, beating even The Lord of the Rings film trilogy (which has grossed $2.9 billion). If that's not magic, I don't know what is.
This fourth film in the series finds Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) inadvertently selected to be a competitor in the Tri-Wizard tournament, a dangerous competition usually reserved for older students. Challengers arrive from other academies across the globe, while budding love seems to spring up at every turn, with Harry, Hermione (Emma Watson), and Ron (Rupert Grint) all stumbling through the awkwardness of adolescence to sweet and sympathy-inducing results. But pulsing in the background is the ever-felt presence of evil on the rise. Conspirators have finally manipulated events to re-open the world to Voldemort -- a staple, unseen villain in the series, responsible for the deaths of Harry's parents and the scar across his forehead.
As always, the most engaging aspect of this latest film in the series is the absolute pitch-perfect casting of each character. The actors all bring their own personalities to the table and deliver performances that capture the nuances and mild complexity of well developed children's book characters. The three teenage leads ground themselves in realistic emotions, despite all of the underlying magical shenanigans. Each one rings true as a teen lost in a world where they're unable to express their feelings for fear of rejection. The supporting cast is also top notch, although most of the players appear to hit one note in the plot before being whisked off into the background. For people who haven't seen the other films, the barrage of literally hundreds of characters may be daunting, as the pace of the film doesn't leave much room for introductions or recaps.
Thematically, the kids at Hogwarts have certainly grown up. There's a cynicism and foreboding doom hovering over every head which really helps to build pressure in the plot. Voldemort is such an impending black hole in every character's life that his eventual appearance is seeped with an impressive sense of doom. Of course, the excellent Ralph Fiennes has a big hand in this, managing to craft a fierce and palpable hatred behind his bulging eyes.
Overall, I enjoyed the darker tone of this film -- it certainly makes the series a bit more accessible for adult audiences. But for me, it just didn't mesh with the film's more kiddie-fare elements. For every tense moment where Harry fights a dragon or a swarm of underwater creatures, there's a counter-moment with comical glimpses of image-shifting badges, colorful smoke trails, and slapstick consequences to the misuse of magic. I understand these are key components of this fictional universe and fan favorite tonal scenes from the books, but the film seems conflicted about its identity. It retains the things that made the earlier installments soft and whimsical, but adds in so much darkness that there seem to be two completely different tones fighting for dominance. I know that Harry Potter fans appreciate the film series' faithfulness to the characters and tone of the books, but while novels tend to be more adept at handling this kind of variety, as a film this installment seems to struggle finding its center.
Having said that, I loved the Tri-Wizard tournament scenes (the horntail, the demonic mermaids, the hedge maze), quieter developments with Harry's awkward pursuit of love, and the sudden encounter with Voldemort. I was enthralled when Harry was put through the paces, and I found myself leaning forward whenever the film drifted away from dances, popularity contests, and high school antics. There's a kinetic energy to the emotionally and physically harsh moments, and happily for me, these are more prevalent in 'Goblet of Fire' than ever before.
In short, 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' is my favorite installment in the series so far -- there are some amazing scenes here that truly thrilled me. And while I found the film's inconsistent themes and lack of focus distracting, fans of the series will likely vibrate in their seats at every turn as they enjoy its particular blend of darkness and whimsy. Make no mistake: Harry Potter is back, and he's better than ever.
Presented in 1080p utilizing the VC-1 codec, overall the video on this HD DVD is very impressive, although there are some slight inconsistencies.
Black levels are solid, colors are vibrant, texture detail is astounding, and the naturalistic CG creations are gorgeous. One look at a scene like Dumbledore's opening speech will leave you marveling at the tiny candles, the intricate weaving of the costumes, and elemental detailing with the rain, stars, and rocks. Another high point comes during the scene where the Tri-Wizard competitors gather around a mystical, blue torch. The screen is bathed in lively light despite the shadows and it brings the scene to life. Then there's the battle with the horntail dragon, where leathery wings, crumbling stone, wood and rock at the base of the stadium are all on vibrant display -- I could go on and on for pages just talking about the technical treats in this scene alone. Even better, there are a multitude of scenes beyond these three that are sure to stop even the most hardened of videophiles in their tracks.
The source is pristine -- there's no artifacting, noise, or problematic crush and there's only a slight bit of grain that gives the picture dimension and depth. Some of the film's colorful CG looks a bit more artificial in high-def more than it does in standard definition (one of my usual criticisms), but I was surprised to find that other CG effects actually looked more believable. The horntail, the tiny dragons contestants choose from a bag, the underwater squid creatures, and the exterior shots of Hogwarts have a big impact and a welcome earthiness. The school (especially the long tracking shot leading to the Owlery tower) looks phenomenal -- you could count every brick on every building, if you so desired. The CG environments rival the practical sets built on 'The Lord of the Rings' films, and are nothing short of breathtaking.
Unfortunately, most of the scenes that are lit using candle or torch lose their luster in high-def. These scenes make up a whopping twenty-five minutes of screen time and really began to distract me from the overall quality that I've been bragging up for the last few paragraphs. While colors and skintones are still impressive in these moments, detail becomes murky, shadow delineation is very poor, fire effects seem flat, and contrast dips. Just a few examples of these muddy moments include the opening forest hike, the first class taught by Mad-Eye Moody, and Ron's panic in his dressing room before the dance. While some may argue this is effect is intentional, it's not evident in the aforementioned Dumbledore speech, dark scenes at the end of the film with Voldemort, or any of the Tri-Wizard moments that use similar lighting.
Strangely, it seems as if the first act of the film has the most visual instability. After fifty minutes, everything about the video quality becomes more consistent and showcases better primary pop and sheen. Make no mistake -- for the most part, the picture on this disc is lovely, but it makes the small handful of scenes that falter that much more apparent.
Even better than the video is the audio. Fans have their choice between a rich Dolby TrueHD track or a default Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 mix. While those just being introduced to the wonders of high-def audio may be confused by the drop in volume when initially selecting TrueHD, a careful listen will reveal deeper bass, crisper dialogue, and a more immersive soundscape brimming with well prioritized effects and music. More importantly, the dynamic range reveals nicer extremes and channel movement is more satisfying. If you can, don't miss out on the better mix.
Between the lush score, the constant barrage of magic effects and shouts from nearly every character, both soundtracks border on crowding the soundfield. However, the sound designers meld everything together as it should be and I never lost a line of dialogue -- even when characters were barely whispering. For a movie boasting such fantastical heights, the sound package helps to ground the effects so things are never reminiscent of a video game.
Of course, with so much going on in any given action scene, the sound mix isn't perfect. In scenes like the battle with the horntail, crashing rocks, flapping wings, and the roar of the dragon all ring at the same volume, blaring sound from every channel for impact at the loss of their authenticity. This all-encompassing peak level isn't a technical fault -- I have no desire to hear things at their actual volume in comparison to dialogue -- but it does seem somewhat unimaginative on the part of the sound designers. In other fantasy films like 'Lord of the Rings' and the 'Star Wars' prequels, the designers push their impact moments heavily onto the sub woofer so vibration provides as much impact as multi-channel volume. This is a nitpick to be sure, but one I noticed regardless.
Retaining most of the meatier supplements from the standard-def DVD, this disc has almost two hours of making-of material, ten minutes of Deleted Scenes, and a theatrical trailer.
The making-of material is divided into eight well-crafted sections that avoid repetition and cover everything a fan could want to know. First up is a trio of shorter peices that take a look at the Tri-Wizard challenges. "Harry vs. the Horntail" (6 minutes) covers the design and implementation of the CG dragon as well as the scene in which Potter battles it for a golden egg. This standard creature featurette is an easy watch, but is burdened by the familiarity of its information. "In Too Deep" (9 minutes) is much more interesting and details CG environment creation as it pertained to the aquatic challenge. It examines the combination of practical water-tank shots and a CG underwater world without ever getting numbingly technical. "The Maze" (7 minutes) is largely focused on practical effects and their ability to bring out more convincing reactions in the cast members. I was impressed to see that the living hedges were built to scale and controlled by hand, but this presentation again suffered from seeming a bit too familiar. For the most part, this three peices won't reveal anything fans of special effects flicks haven't seen before.
"Meet the Champions" (13 minutes) is a solid actor and character featurette that's both funny and candid. It follows a typical morning for a supporting actor from the time they wake up to the time they hit the set in full costume. Off-the-cuff interviews and non-glossy behind-the-scenes footage make this one amusing to watch. "He Who Must Not Be Named" (11 minutes) tracks Ralph Fiennes from the make-up chair to the set as he crafts his focused portrayal of Voldemort. His comments and the design work for the character's look are engaging and push this featurette into a higher league. "Conversations with the Cast" (31 minutes) is a lengthier fireside conversation with Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint hosted by Richard Curtis, the writer of 'Notting Hill' and 'Four Weddings and a Funeral.' While the last ten minutes is simple wish fulfillment as contest-winning fans join the interview and ask the leads a few questions, the first twenty minutes is a strong discussion with each of the young actors. Watson speaks the most, Radcliffe seems shy but the most professional of the trio, and Grint largely sits on the sideline and agrees. I was amused by how much the actors resembled their characters in this regard, but the questions are top notch and the responses are thoughtful. It's also the only included material presented in high-def and anamorphic widescreen. "Reflections on the Fourth Film" (13 minutes) looks back through the series and lightens the mood with plenty of footage of the actors when they were soft-faced children working on the first movie. This featurette packs quite a lot under the hood and allows the teens to look back at where they've come from. As a fitting companion piece to Curtis's interview, it pulls the camera back into a wider view of the series as a whole. All together, these four peices are the best of the larger whole, well worth the time, and really add a lot of value for fans.
Just to be thorough, I should mention an annoying featurette called "Preparing for the Yule Ball" (9 minutes) that's mostly a throw-away addition showcasing the family atmosphere and fun of the shoot. It never feels as if it has too much of a point and only serves as a glimpse at how much the teenage cast enjoyed their time on the film.
Finally, a collection of eight, low-def Deleted Scenes is a minor disappointment full of repetitive plot clarification, disjointed romantic interludes, and a horrid amount of eye-rolling songs. The worst of the bunch is also the longest -- a scene in which an aging and awkward rock band plays at the Hogwarts dance. Straight out of a different film, it's both painful and hilarious at the same time. Needless to say, if this scene was left in the film it would've brought everything to a screeching halt.
Boasting a four-star video transfer, an even stronger TrueHD audio track, two hours worth of supplements and even an HD exclusive "In Movie Experience" track, this British import of 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' is certain to please Harry Potter-starved high-def fans worldwide. Sure, it'll cost you a few extra bucks to order it -- Amazon UK is selling it for £17.98 (or roughly $35.40 US) -- but if you can't wait for Harry to hit high-def stateside, here's your chance.
(Thanks to Karl C. for loaning us this disc for review!)
Portions of this review also appear in our coverage of Dunkirk on Blu-ray. This post features unique Vital Disc Stats, Video, and Final Thoughts sections.
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