Movie Review: "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"

Synopsis: Harry is being haunted by dreams that his sworn nemesis, the evil Lord Voldemort, is alive again.  After Harry arrives at Hogwarts, it is announced that his school will be host to the Triwizard Tournament, where students from other magical schools will compete in a big championship.  Harry isn't even old enough to enter, and doesn't want to anyway...but, after the three competitors from each school are drawn from the magical Goblet of Fire, a fourth name emerges: Harry Potter.  Everyone is shocked, especially Harry himself.  Who could have entered his name into the tournament? With three arduous tasks in front of him, Harry has no choice but to participate...but, the results could be deadly.
Based on the book by J.K. Rowling.

The Good: This is a darker turn for the series, as evidenced by the "PG-13" rating.  For younger viewers, the atmospheric darkness may be too much to handle; for older viewers like me, though, this is a treat.  The introduction of the lovely Fleur Delacour, as well as the convoluted plot and excellent production values, made this mostly enjoyable.

The Bad: Unfortunately, this entry is also a bit too oversexed.  Between Harry being in a bathtub while a female ghost talks to him--couldn't he have at least worn some trunks or something?--to a sexual remark here and there, to moments of immodest dress (Hermione's dress; Fleur's swimsuit, though it is a one-piece, thankfully), some may be bothered by such content.  The language also intensifies; Ron uses his signature profane phrase at least five or six times, and there's also a d-word and a p-word thrown in there as well.  So, while this is good, it also has some rougher elements.  Plus, as usual, there's way much more detail--and, in this specific case, less expletives--in the book.

Conclusion: The original novel was among the most beloved of the series; could the movie ever stack up? While it does it justice, I would still recommend checking out the book as well.  After this, I'm curious to see where the series goes.

Score: 4/5