Metascore

Universal acclaim - based on 38 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 603 Ratings

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 35 out of 38
  2. Negative: 0 out of 38
  1. 80
    Whenever it hits its stride, it's a well-acted, vividly executed, full-speed-ahead special-effects extravaganza that puts as much bang as possible into every remaining scene.
  2. 80
    The film's quick pace and near-constant action carries you along quite nicely, and by the time Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) makes his climactic appearance, one can't help but look forward to the remaining films.
  3. Reviewed by: Angie Errigo
    60
    Terrific effects and considerable charm, but, once again, you can't help wishing the filmmakers had been bolder with the adaptation.

See all 38 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Negative: 32 out of 290
  1. 9
    A near perfect adaptation of the book, and one of my top three Harry Potter movies so far. This movie really set a high point for the franchise back in 2005. And this will probably be the only time Robert Patterson is in a movie that wasn't terrible. Expand
  2. This is an incredibly entertaining movie. It has intense action sequences, solid performances all around and maybe the most interesting new characters in the whole series, such as Professor Moody. Expand
  3. Though the book was tantamount for the series, this is most definitely the weakest of the Harry Potter movies. The biggest travesty is that the movie completely loses steam halfway through and ruins arguably the best climax of all seven books because of it. It's also frustrating to watch the movie straddle between being a "grown-up" vs. a "kiddie" movie, as if the producers struggled to plaster the movie with a PG rating while it was destined to be PG-13. Expand
  4. Rob
    4
    I was really looking forward to this movie as I was home for Thanksgiving break from college. When I did see it, I thought it was great due to the action and the special effects. But then, about a week later, I thought to myself that it was exactly the same way I had thought about Revenge of the Sith. The bottom line is that there are many flaws in the movie. Supporters of HP movies say that naturally, the movie will add things in and leave some things out, as it never will follow the book perfectly. That is exactly true! Except in TGOF's case, the things that were left out (little as they seemed) had a tremendous negative impact on the portrayal of the story. There seemed to be almost no continuity to the film. [***SPOILERS***] Rather than have a central theme like #1 and #2 have, and that #3 sort of has, this movie didn't have any! Rather, it seemed like a showcase of Harry Potter scenes rather than a movie that is supposed to tell a story. The obvious problem with the movie was the rushed sequences. It seemed as if we saw the first 200 pages of the book displayed in less than 15 minutes! Some of this is okay, but it is sad for other parts because we miss some very important things and we don't understand some of it at all. The most obvious example was when they showed the Quiditch World Cup, but no game. I was like, "Are these story writers serious?" Then, they rush straight to the dark mark scene with the death eaters parading through the camp grounds. The scene just appears out of no where, and for the person who hasn't read the book, they wouldn't have a clue what goes on!!! All things seem to focus around the triwizard tournament, which is an okay thing to focus the majority of the movie on, but it dominated the movie and forced special effects to be the only redeeming quality of the movie. Not to mention that the dragon scene took about 5 to 10 minutes too long and that time could have easily been used to fill in the missing gaps in the story. One thing that made me mad was the portrayal of Mad-Eye Moody. The acting was great, but it made the audience, even the people who hadn't read to book, to suspect him of mischief the entire time. No where in the book does it make him seem like a paranoid freak of nature who drinks from his hip flask every minute of the day. Just as an example of a missing thing, why the heck would Neville be so terrified of Moody's Cruciatus curse and nobody else? The writers don't let us know anything about Neville's parents being subjected to this when he was a child. Another example is the random part when Snape get pissed at Harry for thinking he's been stealing his polyjuice potion. That scene was so out of context and just confused us more! One thing that was just WRONG was including Barty Crouch Jr. at the Riddle home scene with Voldemort and Wormtail. We were never supposed to even see Barty Crouch Jr. until Harry Potter sees him in Dumbledore's pensieve. That got me skeptical from the very beginning. All I've done is talk about what should have been done, but offer no solutions as to how the movie could have been like TSS, TCS, & TPOA. Well, I could name a hundred little scenes that could have been switched around, added in, or done better. The most important thing that was left out was the second plot of the story other than the triwizard tournament--Voldemort's phantom but understood presence throughout the entire story. The only time we see or think about him is at the very beginning and in the graveyard. I had to explain a dozen things to my little brother who hadn't read the book because of this. For example, what happened to Bertha Jorkins? What happened to the plot that was talked about in the Riddle House? What is the significance of the Dark Mark? What is Ludo Bagman's (who is never even mentioned) role in the book? What is the reasoning behind Barty Crouch, Jr.'s trial? Why is Barty Crouch, Sr. never mentioned to be murdered by his son? Why didn't the writers put in the confession by of Barty Crouch, Jr. into the story at the end? This last question was the most important because it would have explained everything that the book told us about Voldemort. The movie makes it seem as if everyone accepts the fact that Voldemort is back, when Fudge (who is never even seen) should be denying it. In fact, this and the story of Barty Crouch, Jr. set up the most important part of The Order of the Phoenix because it makes everyone doubt Harry, and in the case of the ministry, cause people to make sure they believe otherwise. Another interesting the book has that the movie didn't touch on, which would have made the teen hormonal urges get more intense, was the rivalry that Harry and Cedric had. This would have made Harry much angrier when learning that Cho is going with Cedric to the Yule Ball. Overall, the movie seemed to do a showcase of the events in the book, rather than trying to be the book itself, hence the title The Goblet of Fire. In addition to the plot being confusing and entirely unfinished, the acting of Michael Gambon playing Dumbledore was atrocious to say the best. Richard Harris definitely was the best actor on the face of the earth for Dumbledore, but since he passed away, the writers should have found a worthy actor to follow in Harris's footsteps. Gambon was the second biggest turnoff in the movie for me. He did not match Dumbledore's character at all. Instead of being a loving, confident sage, he was an angry, uncaring, and confused man. His should-be consoling scene with Harry at the end is completely unnecessary, and does nothing to strengthen their relationship is the book does. Also, he frequent yelling completely takes away from the Richard Harris-esq Dumbledore we all love. With all of that said, I still give the movie a 4 rather than a 2 or 3 because most of actors did a good job. Ralph Fiennes (although he could have had red eyes and had a slightly more intimidating presence) was a great Voldemort. While Mad-eye did not act that way in the book, the acting was great. The 3 main characters, particularly Emma Watson as Hermione, are really beginning to progress. Hagrid was always great as usual! All in all, if this is how the 4th book was portrayed, and because of the way the writers didn't include the information that was crucially needed to lead in The Order of the Phoenix, I'm afraid for when the next three movies come out, if they want to keep making them. Expand

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