Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) - Newell's overlong, on-brand 4th Potter adventure

♥♥♥

 

+ Most Profitable Hit of the Year: 208.68 mil. $ range

 

Stern-looking adolescents in desaturated, dark tones people this poster for Mike Newell's Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

The new year at Hogwarts centers on a Triwizard Tournament, where French nymphs and Russian iron-heads guest the school to duel the English youths in spells and magic. SPOILER Although he is three years too young, Harry becomes the 4th contestant (what a shock), - and wins.

 

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is written by Steve Kloves (Racing with the Moon (1984)), adapting the same-titled 2000 novel by J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997)), and directed by great English filmmaker Mike Newell (Comedy Workshop: Love and Maud Carver (1964)). 

This handsome but needlessly long 4th Potter entry introduces some romance in the guise of a Chinese girl student, but it doesn't really result in anything. Instead Harry and Ron bicker, while Robert Pattinson (Little Ashes (2008)) arrives as the snobbish Cedric Diggory, SPOILER who dies and gets a hypocritical hero's burial by Dumbledore.

Thus in more ways than one false virtues are borne forward in a grounded film with its high point being the introduction of Brendan Gleeson's (Troy (2004)) Alastar 'MadEye' Moody gaga teacher character. 

 

Related posts:

The Harry Potter franchise: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010) - Harry's abysmally dour and long penultimate chapter

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) or, The Anemic British Teen Wizards Fly Again! 

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) - Yates enters the Potter-verse with series' best entry 

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) - Dangers lurk in Cuarón's overrated Potter chapter 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) - Potter and Co. return for handsome if overlong first sequel

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone/Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) - Columbus lands new family franchise successfully

Mike Newell: 2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010) - Newell straddles too much in fair action-adventure 

2007 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

Love in the Time of Cholera (2007) - Newell's Márquez adaptation is a disaster

2005 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

Mona Lisa Smile (2003) - Supporting performances and production elevate gender inequality drama 

Donnie Brasco (1997) - Newell's fantastic, authentic gangster tale

Top 10: Best UK movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 

Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) - Newell, Curtis and a stellar cast's romcom triumph

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 150 mil. $

Box office: 896.7 mil. $

= Huge hit (returned 5.97 times its cost)

[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire premiered 6 November (London) and runs 157 minutes. Adapting the 636 page book required many sacrifices, as the studio did not want to accept a two-part movie solution. Newell was paid 1 mil. $ for directing the film. Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)) salary increased considerably to 11 mil. $ for the film. Shooting took place from May 2004 - March 2005 in England and Scotland. It opened #1 to a 102.6 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it remained #1 for another 2 weekends and then spent another 2 weekends (#3-#4), grossing 290 mil. $ (32.3 % of the total gross.) It was the year's 3rd highest-grossing film in North America and the highest-grossing of the year worldwide. The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Japan with 91.4 mil. $ (10.2 %) and the UK with 85.8 mil. $ (9.6 %). The film was nominated for the Best Art Direction Oscar, lost to Memoirs of a Geisha. It also won 1/3 BAFTA nominations, an AFI award, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 3.5/4 review, translating to 2 notches higher than this one. The film also made in excess of 228.5 mil. $ on the North-American home video market alone. Newell returned with Love in the Time of Cholera (2007). Radcliffe returned in The Children's Party at the Palace (2006, TV special), Extras (2006, TV-series); Rupert Grint (Thunderpants (2002)) in Driving Lessons (2006); and Emma Watson (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)) in The Children's Party at the Palace, - before they all returned in the next Potter entry, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007). Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is certified fresh at 88 % with a 7.40/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire? 

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) - Dangers lurk in Cuarón's overrated Potter chapter

♥♥♥

 

Crooked and eerie elements surround our three juvenile friends on this poster for Alfonso Cuarón's Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry turns his fat aunt into a balloon (quite funny) and escapes punishment to Hogwarts, where security is heightened due to the runaway prisoner Sirius Black, SPOILER who turns out not to be a murderer but a kind godfather to Harry.

 

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is written by Steve Kloves (Racing with the Moon (1984)), adapting the same-titled 1999 novel by J.K. Rowling (Lethal White (2018)), and directed by great Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón (Sólo Con Tu Pareja (1991)). It is the 3rd film in the Potter franchise.

The central child characters are still irritating and/or irritatingly acted here; although Rupert Grint's (CBGB (2013)) Ron Weasley to a lesser degree than before now. The film features a great-looking hippogriff (a kind of horse/eagle combination), a werewolf and other effects delights. Despite the high production qualities, however, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a long and dull film, which takes itself so very seriously, and is fundamentally about just about nothing.

 

Related posts:

The Harry Potter franchise: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010) - Harry's abysmally dour and long penultimate chapter

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) or, The Anemic British Teen Wizards Fly Again! 

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) - Yates enters the Potter-verse with series' best entry 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) - Potter and Co. return for handsome if overlong first sequel

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone/Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) - Columbus lands new family franchise successfully

Alfonso Cuarón: The day after the day after ... the 2019 Oscars 

The day after ... The Oscars 2014

Gravity (2013) or, Survival in Space: The Ride

Top 10: Best drama-thrillers reviewed by Film Excess to date 

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

Top 10: Best future-set movies

Top 10: The best big flop movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 

Children of Men (2006) - Cuarón's multi-faceted, great sci-fi offering 

1998 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess  

Great Expectations (1998) - Cuarón lacerates Dickens with redundant turkey 

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 130 mil. $

Box office: 797.4 mil. $

= Huge hit (returned 6.13 times its cost)

[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban premiered 23 May (New York) and runs 142 minutes. The film marks the new 18 month cycle between Potter movies, after the first two were created with just one year in between; it is also the first without the then passed away Richard Harris as Professor Dumbledore, with Michael Gambon taking over the part. Grint and Emma Watson (Beauty and the Beast (2017)) were each paid 125k $ for their performances. Shooting took place from February - November 2003 in England, including in London, and in Scotland. The film opened #1 to a 93.6 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it remained #1 for a 2nd weekend and then stayed another weekend in the top 5 (#3), grossing 249.5 mil. $ (31.1 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Japan with 121.6 mil. $ (15.2 %) and the UK with 84.1 mil. $ (10.5 %). Although the film set opening weekend records in the UK, and was the 2nd highest-grossing film of the year globally, it is the lowest-grossing in the Potter franchise. It was nominated for 2 Oscars, winning none: It lost Best Score (John Williams (Heidi (1968, TV movie))) to Jan A.P. Kaczmarek for Finding Neverland, and Visual Effects to Spider-Man 2. The film won 2/6 BAFTA nominations, an AFI award and was nominated for a Grammy, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 3.5/4 star review, translating to 2 notches over this one. Cuarón returned with Paris, Je t'Aime (2006, segment) and theatrically with Children of Men (2006). Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)), Watson and Grint returned in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005); Grint had a voicing stint in between in Happy Birthday, Peter Pan (2005, TV documentary). Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is certified fresh at 90 % with a 7.90/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban?

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) - Potter and Co. return for handsome if overlong first sequel

♥♥♥

 

+ Biggest Moneymaker of the Year: 251.84 mil. $ profit range 

 

The three wizard kids have a new sickly-looking friend on this gold-exuding poster for Chris Columbus' Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter escapes his Muggle home and Dobby the house elf to go back to Hogwarts, where mystical blood trails appear, and a student goes missing. It turns out to be a Slytherin heir, who is causing chaos.

 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is written by Steve Kloves (Wonder Boys (2000)), adapting the same-titled 1998 novel by J.K. Rowling (The Casual Vacancy (2012)), and directed by great Pennsylvanian filmmaker Chris Columbus (Adventures in Babysitting (1987)). It is the 2nd film in the Harry Potter franchise.

Mostly Chamber of Secrets is at least as good as the first film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone/Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001). There are good characters, handsome effects, - with especially the snake dragon monster impressing, - and Kenneth Branagh's (Peter's Friends (1992)) Gilderoy Lockhart character is introduced.

Unfortunately Harry's sidekick, Rupert Grint's (Thunderpants (2002)) Ron Weasley, is a colorless, talentless 'character', - though he seems more like a ceaseless parade of grimaces than an actual flesh-and-blood character. And the film carries some of the same weight about it with especially the third act being overlong beyond the acceptable. - More than 2½ hours running time is just too much for a Potter entry.

 

Related posts:

 

The Harry Potter franchise: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone/Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) - Columbus lands new family franchise successfully (also by Columbus)
Chris Columbus: 2002 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

Top 10: Best family movies reviewed by Film Excess to date

Top 10: Best dramedies reviewed by Film Excess to date 
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) - Columbus and Robin Williams score with a truly great family jewel

The Goonies (1985) - Sweet child performances drive Donner's beloved, uneven adventure (writer)
Gremlins (1984) - Dante's 1980s puppetry classic (writer)

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 100 mil. $

Box office: 879.6 mil. $

= Mega-hit (returned 8.79 times its cost)

[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets premiered 3 November (London) and runs 161 minutes. Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)) was paid 3 mil. $ for his performance as Harry, while Grint and Emma Watson (Beauty and the Beast (2017)) each received 125k $ as sidekicks Ron and Hermione. Production began 3 days after the release of the first film. Shooting took place from November 2001 - July 2002 in England, including London, and in Scotland. The 'Chamber of Secrets' set was the biggest created for the Potter saga, measuring 76x36.5 meters. The film opened #1 to an 88.3 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 5 weekends in the top 5, one of them again in #1, grossing 261.9 mil. $ (29.8 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd markets were Japan with 142.7 mil. $ (16.2 %) and the UK with 88.1 mil. $ (10 %). The film was the year's 2nd highest-grossing worldwide, behind The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers, and the 4th highest-grossing of the year in North America. It was nominated for 5 BAFTA's, winning one; and it also won an AFI award and was nominated for a Grammy, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 4/4 star review, translating to 3 notches over this one. The film made more than 27.3 mil. $ on the North-American video market. Columbus returned with Rent (2005). Radcliffe, Grint and Watson all returned first in the next Potter entry, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004). Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is certified fresh at 82 % with a 7.20/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets? 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010) - Harry's abysmally dour and long penultimate chapter

♥♥

One of the very dark posters for David Yates' Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1

The Hogwarts school days are over, Dumbledore is dead, and the forces of evil still wish Harry Potter dead. SPOILER His friends also become fewer, and Dobby now also dies.

Deathly Hallows - Part 1 is very long. Harry's loyal friend Ron (Rupert Grint (Wild Target (2010))) seems jealous and angry for most of the film, and despite the cast having reached adulthood by now, there are still only the weakest of approaches towards romance and sex that otherwise might have enlivened things. - Plus their absence seems absurd for anyone who has ever met youths in this age in real life. The film is insufferably dark, kept in uncompromising tones of greys and browns, which makes it outright depressing to look at. The light moments are few and very far between, - it is nearly completely devoid of any color and fun, - and the CGI effects are no longer impressive. The highlight of the film for me was a story inside the story, a fairytale of death, possibly done with stop-motion.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 is a really long, ugly and boring whopper of a sequel. It is written by Steve Kloves (The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)), based on J. K. Rowling's (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997)) concluding 2007 novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and directed by David Yates (The Legend of Tarzan (2016)).

Related post:

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 125 mil. $ (Part 1 and Part 2 had a joint budget of 250 mil. $)
Box office: 960.2 mil. $
= Huge hit
[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 premiered November 11 (London's Odeon Leicester Square) and runs 146 minutes. An attempt to convert the film to 3D was scrapped, and it was instead rolled out in 2D and IMAX formats. The film opened #1 to a 125 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it stayed atop for another week and grossed 295.9 mil. $ (30.8 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 86 mil. $ (9 %) and Japan with 82 mil. $ (8.5 %). It was the highest grossing film of the year in many countries separately, and the third highest globally, behind Toy Story 3 and Alice in Wonderland. In excess of 7.2 mil. DVD and Blu-ray units have also been sold, accruing an additional 86.9 mil. $. The film was nominated for two Oscars, for art direction (lost to Alice in Wonderland) and visual effects (lost to Inception.) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 is certified fresh at 78 % with a 7.1 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1?