‘Potter’ grows into darker story

In “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” our titular young wizard is hit full force by the fury of adolescence. The themes are darker, the stakes are higher and the adventure at a fever pitch.

But on its most basic level, this latest film from the J.K. Rowling franchise is about the universal experiences that mark the end of childhood for all of us: our first crush, our first fight with our best friend, our first time running from a dragon, our first encounter with the man who murdered our parents.

Harry Potter can sense these changes coming. His sleep has been troubled lately, haunted by recurring dreams in which his arch-enemy Voldemort kills people.

But he scarcely has time to contemplate their meaning after his name is mysteriously entered into the Triwizard Tournament, a set of three deadly tasks that contestants must survive in order to be named the winner. On top of figuring out how to stay alive, Harry must undertake the even more frightening task of finding a date to his first dance.

Director Alfonso Cuaron reinvented the franchise in the “The Prisoner of Azkaban,” moving it away from the saccharine and Christmas-y vision of Chris Columbus and down a darker and more grown-up path. Now director Mike Newell, famous for his works “Donnie Brasco” and “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” has expanded on what Cuaron started. His movie is an electrified, angst-filled thriller about the loss of childhood innocence.

The film blitzes by with constant action and an unshakable sense of dread. That is pretty impressive considering the movie clocks in at just over two and a half hours. Newell achieves this by hacking away much of the extraneous plot of Rowling’s book and sticking to the core elements. Then screenwriter Steven Kloves does an excellent job of tightly winding the many characters and scenes together.

Newell makes another good move in keeping the art and set design Cuaron brought in for the last film. With its dark colors and medieval architecture, the film captures the sense that this is all happening in Britain, thus bringing a sense of authenticity to the proceedings.

That sense is also helped along by the veritable “Who’s Who” of British stage actors that populate the film. Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith and Alan Rickman return along with the rest of the cast of the previous films.

But the real scene stealers are the newcomers, Brendon Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes. Gleeson, whose impressive list of films include “28 Days Later” and “Braveheart,” portrays “Mad-Eye” Moody with great energy and zeal. Fiennes, in a matter of a few minutes, manages to make the role of Lord Voldemort his own. He instills the character with an air of regality that is just barely holding back a boiling inhuman malice.

The actors playing Harry, Ron and Hermione have really grown into their roles. They don’t possess the acting prowess of their adult co-stars, but they still work very well. Daniel Radcliffe as Harry is obviously the weakest, but the rest of the film is strong enough to carry him through.

For the soundtrack, British film composer Patrick Doyle takes over the reigns from John Williams. His music, much darker than the playful swells of Williams, works well here, blending seamlessly into the action. Yet while his themes are strong, they just aren’t as memorable as in the previous films.

In order to keep the move under three hours, Newell also doesn’t bother to explain some of the minor details of the plot. This is actually a good thing for two reasons. First, fans of the book already understand the nuances of the story and don’t need them repeated. Second, without constant explanations, the film keeps its masterful pacing and maintains a sense of realism.

“The Goblet of Fire” is easily the best Harry Potter movie to date. A stellar cast, great story and constant action make it a real treat for fans and general moviegoers alike. While we may not fly on brooms, everyone can relate to the feeling of waking up to find out you’re not a kid anymore.

Grade: B+