Anticipation for new Potter film runs high
“The Goblet of Fire constitutes a binding magical contract,” proclaims a merchant in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. To moviegoers everywhere, this promise means aisles are going to be packed this weekend with fans who are bound to see this film debut.
The fourth installment of the Harry Potter series arrives in theatres today. Already breaking records at the box office for advance sales, this movie has been long anticipated by fans. The movie clocks in at 2 hours and 37 minutes — relatively short for a Harry Potter film — but it leaves out much of the 700-something-page novel.
To give a better understanding of this cropped story to those who have not seen previous films or have forgotten — or never knew — some of the plot, here are some of the details most important to understanding The Goblet of Fire.
The wizarding world is composed of good and bad wizards. The particularly evil are led by Lord Voldemort, aka the Dark Lord, aka He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named (he’s just that frightening). Voldemort killed Harry Potter’s parents when he was a baby, but his attempt on Harry’s life backfired and defeated Voldemort instead. Voldemort survived as a weakened shell of his former self, but the possibility of his return still looms in the minds of watchful wizards and witches.
Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger are Harry’s two best friends at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a boarding school centered on teaching and developing magical abilities. The school has four houses: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Harry and his friends are all members of Gryffindor and their nemesis, Draco Malfoy, is in Slytherin. The Malfoy family has a slave-like pet, the house-elf Dobby, who becomes a loyal friend to Harry after Harry tricks the Malfoys into setting Dobby free.
Albus Dumbledore, the kindly headmaster of Hogwarts, is said to be the most powerful wizard of all time and the only man Voldemort fears. Dumbledore becomes a mentor to Harry as he makes his way through Hogwarts.
Teachers include the vile Professor Snape, who hates and bullies Harry and his friends, strict but fair Professor McGonagell, and Hagrid, the half-giant and manager of magical livestock at Hogwarts and close friend to Harry, Ron and Hermione.
Sirius Black is Harry’s godfather but remains on the lam from the law. He escaped from Azkaban, the highest-security prison the wizarding community has, after being falsely accused of murdering a street-full of people and betraying Harry’s parents to Voldemort. The real perpetrator, Peter Pettigrew, went into hiding as a rat before returning to serve the Dark Lord.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire continues to track the rise of Voldemort, who has regained strength and casts a shadow over the lives of good wizards everywhere. In this fourth Harry Potter film, Voldemort is finally cast as a real and really creepy person: Red Dragon’s Ralph Fiennes. As he threatens to terrorize the countryside, the crew at Hogwarts has bigger fish to fry: the school has been chosen to host the legendary Triwizard Tournament, a dangerous competition between the top three wizarding schools in the world. Tasks include fending off dragons, an underwater race and an ominous maze.
The tournament sets up an exciting background for the movie, as it brings in a host of new and different characters, creatures and special effects — not to mention the blossoming of young inter-school romance. New faces in the fourth film include Mad-Eye Moody and the recasting of Dumbledore due to the original actor’s death.
Also, aiming at the maturing Harry Potter audience, director Mike Newell brought in indie rock favorites guitarist Jonny Greenwood and drummer Phil Selway of Radiohead, as well as Pulp vocalist Jarvis Cocker, to form a live band at the Hogwarts Yule Ball.
All in all, the film is cast, written and set to be a great crowd pleaser. Only one question remains on opening night, and Harry himself said it best: “I was wondering if maybe you’d like to go to the Yule Ball with me,” he asks nervously. Why, Harry, I would love to, but can’t we just see your film instead?
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