First and foremostly, I'm going to be brutal. Not with the film-makers, but with the fans. Anyone who goes in to see a HP movie for the first time WITHOUT first researching the cuts, is doing themselves a GREAT disservice. You need to know, before you go, what is there and what isn't. Otherwise, you'll spend the whole film gasping for all the wrong reasons. I have no sympathy with fans who go without knowing there's no Dursleys, no SPEW, very little QWC etc ... The internet exists, so use it. Harsh, I know, but all that has been common knowledge in the fandom for MONTHS and by not finding out about it, you're only disappointing yourself. And you've got no-one to blame but yourselves. Realistically, we all know there will be cuts. You can gripe about it until the sun comes home but that won't change a thing. Get over and get on with it.

With that said and done, I loved 'Goblet of Fire'.

9.5/10

[I would've given it a 10, except there were a few things awry. Voldemort and the underwater hostages, didn't look as good as I expected them too. For one brief moment I could see Ralph Fiennes under all that make-up and CGI. I know they removed the red eyes because it was 'too scary' but IMO, they should've been left there. However, his performance more than made up for it. But more on that later ... now for the REAL review ... ]

The beginning -- I heart Patrick Doyle. I love how he creepified Hedwig's Theme. Dark from the word go, gets a thumbs up from me. Everything about that 'dream' sequence matched the images in my head with the added gorgeousness that is David Tennant as Barty. Evil is always good looking, in Harry Potter.

Admittedly, the first few scenes were very quick and in an 'if-you-blink-you'll-miss-it' fashion BUT I like this style. It goes to show the film is RELIANT on audiences having read the book, ergo it is a film primarily MADE FOR THE FANS *cheers* No more patronising Columbus. Whoops, did I say that aloud?

Hermione waking Harry & Ron up was great. Especially Ron. It's the little things that make GoF great. Like the 'knowing' look between Hermione and Ginny at the sight of Cedric. The portkey location was a bit overly dramatic, as was the whole sequence really, but the rest of the film made up for it, so I can let that slide. One thing that annoyed me was the way the camera ALWAYS panned to Ginny at certain intervals. It was like, yes, we get the idea, she's there but HELLO she doesn't do much in GoF! You get the idea they're setting her up for HBP, which is fair enough, but it's a bit of an overkill really. It goes from nothing to all, in one film. It could've been done in a far more subtle way, but again, I'm being picky.

The campsite was really breath-taking. Not exactly true to canon, with the open use of magic, but again, I'm willing to let that slide. Harry's cheesey line isn't really all that bad. It's actually quite true.

The stadium was brilliant and the appearance of Lucius and Draco was just enough to make sure the scene wasn't too happy. A lot of people have moaned about the lack of Quidditch. I welcome it. Jo said it's a pain to write and, from the sounds of things, it's not exactly the most comfortable thing to film either. Quidditch has never interested me and so I was glad we wouldn't have to sit through the match. No Quidditch = happy me. I don't care if that makes me unpopular If anything, I'd have preffered the whole thing to be cut. The teams arrivals and the cheering for Krum was totally anti-climatic.

The post-match scenes. LOL. The interaction between the kids was really funny, as was Mr. Weasley, "No, it isn't the Irish." LMAO. This is one of the great things about GoF; the films ability to go from light to dark in the snap of a finger. Seconds later we see the camp being lit up and destroyed by the death eaters. We don't see them close-up, though their masks are recognisable. This is good, because it's not their appearance that's meant to frighten; it's what they are capable of a DOING that's meant to scare you. And, it does. Again, David Tennant does his stuff superbly and the Mark is very cool indeed.

The disappearance of Barty and the arrival of the Ministry was all very well done. Mr. Weasley doesn't get enough credit, he is really good in these scenes.

Next thing you know, we're on the train. I loved the whole set up. Firstly, Hermione actually has a book in her hands, outside of a classroom! I don't think we saw this AT ALL in PoA. But, thankfully, our beloved bookworm is back in GoF. Credit where credits due, Emma Watson is superb as Hermione. Some of her lines are overdone (DADA class, bridge scene) but mostly she's very good. You can actually see they've made her hair frizzier again in readiness for the ball later. Which is actually kind of funny from a fans perspective; it hasn't been this frizzy/bushy/untidy since PS!

And the cute 'moment' with Cho. Her character really has been overpublicised for this film, I expect we'll see more of her in OotP. In GoF, she's little more than a cameo, however the scenes she does have, are brilliant (she's a very natural actress), and her Scottish accent is to die for. It's easy to see why Harry falls for her and the cute glazed look on his face, after seeing her, is just so adorable. Dan really nailed the "I've got it bad" look. So much so, that you just want to reach through the screen and hug him. The purist in me wanted to kick Harry for writing Sirius' name on the envelope (SNUFFLES) but meh, what can you do?

Filch. He hobbles into the Great Hall, for some insane, inexplicable reason. But nevertheless, it was really laugh-out-loud funny. There are lots of moments like this in the film. Some people have said it's 'too funny'; I disagree. I think the light and dark parts are fairly well-balanced. Also I feel GoF was the funniest book and the comedic bits were needed to prevent the film from becoming bogged down by the drama of it all. The Gryffindors looking at the backsides of the Beauxatons girls. Blatant, but funny. Crass, but very true.

Another GREAT GoF moment, one of the things that takes mere seconds to occur but which makes you want to hug Mike Newell. Snape and Karkaroff exchange a 'look' which clearly shows they're not friends. Cute moment between Hagrid and Maxime, made funnier by Hagrid being so distracted that he stabs poor Flitwick with a fork. Moody enters, somewhat ominously, but not too obviously.

Crouch and Dumbledore introduce the goblet and the tournament. Some other reviews have said Roger Lloyd Pack is bad as Crouch, again I beg to differ. Crouch is a stiff character, there's not much you can do with him. But still he comes across well. We see Karkaroff alone with the goblet, not sure why. I suppose if you haven't read the book, he could be seen as the potential 'baddie' but because I've read GoF a zillion times, the thought never occured to me.

THE DADA class. Wow. Brendan Gleeson is THE MAN. He has Moody truly down. Awesome. I love the way that the scene starts out, all light and fun with Seamus being told off for disposing of his gum wrongly. Even the spiders thing is laughable ... until Moody suggests making it throw itself out the window. You could've heard a pin drop in the cinema. Another great GoF film thing; the sudden change of mood is so dramatic, yet so convincing. We easily get the message that these curses are NO joke. But poor Neville. Looking into his eyes, you can see him picturing his parents in place of the spider. My heart bled for him. Matthew Lewis has really grown into the role, he is perfect. Moody comes across as more cruel than forward, in some ways, and murdering the spider right in front of Hermione's face, when she was already obviously upset, was a bit too much. Couldn't help feeling Ron loved the class a bit too much, that made him seem like a bit of a jerk. We see Neville on the staircase and once again, you just want to reach out and hug the guy.

The rain. Very effective, typical British weather. And let's face it girls, we're not about to complain about a wet Cedric The dropping of the names is all very well done and again we see Hermione (with a book!!). She's smug with the twins, which is very in-character, it's almost as if she's literally jumped from the pages of a HP novel. The twins are cute but nothing to write home about. In fact, I found their appearances more irksome than anything else. If they were funny, I might not have minded as much, but some of the stuff they did was mindless. Which yes okay maybe fits Fred and George but when you think of everything that was cut, you can't help but feel cheated, when you see some of the stuff that's left in.

The announcing of the names is done very well. Credit to Gambon, his Dumbledore is growing on me. His reactions are very realistic, albeit a little heavy-handed. I loved the way Hermione was pushing Harry forward. Don't know why really, it was just funny, I guess.

Again, I disagree with popular opinion; Snape is not set up to be 'evil'. By the end of the film, he actually comes off smelling of roses, in comparison to Barty! His insistance on Harry taking part almost seems like common sense, even if he does put it across sardonically. And Dumbledore agrees with him, so he's not all bad if the wise one thinks he's right.

The tension between Ron and Harry could cut through ice. It's played out well by both Dan and Rupert and you end up feeling sorry for both, equally. I love the way we see the start of this tension in the hall, right when Harry's name is first called. Sirius' letter is done effectively. Rita is poisonously charming, though you can't help feeling she should've been cut. Her role is virtually pointless, as this H/Hr/K triangle isn't even dwelled upon much. And her beetle thing is omitted. So yeah, I would've cut her completely along with the QWC, cruel, I know. This makes me think perhaps they used her so people knew who she was for OotP. But again, the point of that would be lost, because she's not really that bothersome in the film and she doesn't cause much trouble. There's a rather funny moment where Harry's eyes are level with her ... chest. Don't know if that was deliberate, but it was funny.

Sirius in the fire. Brilliant effects and the scene is played out well. Again, we see the bitterness between Harry and Ron. The whole Parvati-told-Seamus-to-tell-Ron-that-Hagrid-is-looking-for-you was really funny and the realisation that it was Ron all along, trying to get a message to Harry, was unbelievably sweet. Even when he's angry, he still loves Harry. This film really shows them as best friends. Again the Hagrid/Maxime stuff is cute, if a little sappy. The dragons genuinely look scary though, sorry Hagrid, I don't see how they're 'misunderstood'.

The Potter stinks badges are cool but if you blink, you'll miss them. Cedric is really endearing and Harry gets mad at Ron for not telling him about the dragons, when it turns out Ron did in fact tell Harry about the dragons, albeit inadvertently. Then we get the whole ferret scene. Moody is once again amazing, as is McGonagall.

The whole hug scene is done well and it does come off as being a worried thing, not an OMG I LOVE YOU thing. Hermione is visibly anxious, to the point where she looks like she might wet herself. This whole scene pans out really well and Krum tells Rita to back off. Similarly, there's a cute scene with him where he's 'excerising' and loads of girls are following him, but he only has eyes for Hermione, who is studying!! (again, a book!!).

The dragons are selected and Filch sets off a canon. It's amazing how much he, and other teachers, like Snape, are seen in the film even though they do very little. They're always looming in the background of most shots, which is good because it reminds you of their continuing prescence. The first task was my least favourite, probably because it involved flying and I dislike Quidditch. The beginning was quite funny, when it looked like Harry was just going to walk and fetch the egg. The twins had some not-so-funny lines and Hermione nagged a bit. The chase was ok, but like I said, I don't really like brooms so it was all a bit blase for me.

The common room -- again, unfunny lines from the twins. Ron and Harry making up is incredibly sweet, you just want to grab the both of them into a giant bear hug. The next few scenes pass quickly, my only quibble being that Ginny saying 'ghastly' just doesn't sound right knowing what a madam she turns into in the next book. Far too eloquent. The dance class was funny, but again, silly additions from the twins, who didn't seem to be taking part for some odd reason. Neville is once again, a sweetheart.

The Ball looms and the boys are without dates. The Snape-hitting-them-across-the-back-of-the-head scene was funny still after having seen it multiple times online and Rupert really shines as Ron, even if he is being a huge jerk. You get a real sense of boys-will-be-boys banter between Harry and Ron that really makes their friendship appear more obvious than in the other films. Emma is also really good at Hermione, giving Ron what for when it's due. The Harry/Cho scene is sweet, Katie really is amazing as Cho, and Harry looks so heartbroken as he gazes into the fire afterward. The Ron/Fleur thing is comedic and Hermione's reaction is brilliant when she thinks Fleur said yes. You can so tell that Ron going with Fleur, would shatter her world.

Hermione's appearance is anti-climatic for a number of reasons. Emma Watson is beautiful, we've already seen her at premieres looking this way. Plus the hair doesn't really change, whereas in the book it becomes straight. And, I'm sorry, but the dress is horrific, and I don't just mean the colour (which, by the way, clashes horribly with Krum's red!). Chiffon or not, the frills are awful. I've seen the kiddies versions in M&S and it's now obvious they made it this way so they could sell off cheap replicas to little kids. Always thinking of the profits, eh? LOL.

The dancing is done well and I liked the mix of formal and informal. You really feel sorry for the Patil girls, who both deserve so much better. The argument at the end of the Ball is played really well by both Rupert and Emma. Unfotunately, the night ends in tears and you really feel for Hermione as she sits on the stairs, balling her eyes out. Another moment where you want to reach out and hug a character. Just goes to show, this film does that really well, you really care about the characters and what's happening to them.

Hermione does more nagging and Cedric helps out Harry. The prefect bathroom scene is done really well. Myrtle is very keen on Harry and actually gets in the bath with him! She makes jokes about Cedric's bubbles nearly all fading away and Harry visibly tries to cling onto the little privacy he has. The mersong is beautiful, even a little creepy. Once again we see more sweet Neville scenes.

The second task is my absolute favourite. The look of the whole sequence is so well done. Everything is eery, not just the creatures, but the atmosphere too. The dummies do look very fake from afar (the hands particularly) but close-up they are good. Otherwise the effects, especially for the 'transformations' of the champions, are brilliant. Fleur thanking Harry and Ron is classic, especially Ron's reaction 'merci'. hehe. And once again we see Hermione being motherly, though admittedly it would've been nice to see her react to Fleur.

Crouch talks to Harry about losing family. Again, I disagree with people, to me this is very fitting and only adds to the suspicion. The next part, Barty's dead body, is totally unexpected. Especially since the scene is happy. Another great contrasting GoF moment. We see Fudge and Dumbledore fight, an indication to the 'parting of the ways' which I hope will be more focused on in OotP. The pensieve scenes follow, which are acted out very well and conveniently give just enough information for the audience to be informed. A part of me expected Karkaroff to out Lucius Malfoy, but he didn't. Dumbledore vouches for Snape, which to me would seem to settle any doubts about him.

Snape accuses Harry of thieving items. I loved this scene, predictably, because it shows that though Snape may have changed, he's still not the type of guy you can cuddle up to or anything. The maze was cool, I felt myself ducking at times. I can understand the lack of creatures; it could have easily made the film CGI overkill. And I do not think the task was easy; I mean, the plants practically ate Fleur and tried to do the same to Cedric! Hardly easy! The Krum stuff was done well, especially the eyes, nice touch. Harry's hesistation to save Cedric shows the dangerous potential in Harry to do evil. Luckily, he makes the right choice, but still it's unnerving to realise what Harry is capable of doing.

From this point on, I didn't really get a clear vision of the film, because I was in tears, as Cedric's body hit the ground. I thought I might get a tad upset, but I was honestly overwhelmed. Oddly enough, it's not even because Cedric is set up well; because he isn't really. But nevertheless, it's heartbreaking. Seriously, these weren't just run-of-the-mill tears. I was sobbing, hence the blurry vision. Sobbed through the whole next series of scenes. Voldemort didn't look as scary as I'd imagined BUT he sure acted frightening so that sort of made up for it. Dan Radcliffe outdoes himself in these scenes. He really IS Harry. I couldn't help swearing when Voldemort cast crucio, you really really hate him for what he's doing. The ghosts were sad, although short-lived. The following scene is the saddest. Everyone's happy, but you're crying .. and then Fleur screams ... Amos cries .... Cho cries ... Harry gets into hysterics ... and all the while I'm sobbing my heart out, wanting to pull them ALL into a group hug. Everyone is thoroughly convincing.

Moody drags Harry away and starts talking, psychotically, and a part of you wonders why Harry's sat there listening to him. (RUN BOY!!!!) Obviously, he's still in shock after what's happened but it soon becomes clear Moody is deranged and isn't who he pretends to be. The teachers arrive, the transformation occurs and Moody is forced to tell the truth. Snape seems to wait for Dumbledore's nod before doing anything ... which could point to HBP in some way. The bit between him and Barty isn't suspect at all, contrary to what some people have said, and he forces the wand into Barty's cheek; the hatred is very obvious. You're left in no doubt that Snape, at this given time, is clearly only following orders from Dumbledore.

The speech from Dumbledore was moving. I love Gambon for his interpretation; he makes Dumbledore human, easier to connect and relate to rather than some godly being. And the way all the kids and even the staff, are placed together, showed solidarity. Bear in mind I was still sobbing at this point lol and couldn't really see much. The goodbyes don't seem happy really. Well not too happy any way. Put it this way, they don't contradict the mood of the previous bit and Hermione's ending line, "Everything's going to change now, isn't it?" sums it all up. Thankfully they edited out the more cheery half of this scene, which we saw in bts clips, which probably goes to show they realised how potentially problematic (LOL) showing too much cheeriness could be.

In terms of acting, the three leads all improved, though I do still think Rupert and Emma are slightly ahead of Dan. But, credit where credits due, they all had their shinning moments. All I can say is roll on the BAFTA 2006 nominations! Somehow, I see LOADS coming GoF's way!