Goblet of Fire

Okay, so I've been mumbling under my breath for about a year now that the Harry Potter movies are good. In fact they keep getting better with each new one. Say what you will nay-sayers, but until you actually watch the flicks your opinion means nothing to me.

These are good movies - period!

I've made a point not to read any of the books, just like I did with LOTR so that I can watch the movies pure. And damn if the Harry Potter flicks don't rule.

The latest one is perhaps the best. I wouldn't recommend seeing it without seeing the first three as they explain nothing and just jump right in. However having watched the first three, the movie is a great evolution of the characters and the maturity of the action. The Goblet of Fire is definitely the The Empire Strikes Back of the series. At least so far.

It actually leaves you depressed. I can't express how happy I am that they had the balls to make a depressing movie in this franchise. Potter faces real evil in this series and the new movie serves as an excellent "raising or the stakes" flick. Evil (like Darth Sidious machinations evil) comes onto the scene for the first time and as we all know Evil makes for damn fine entertainment.

My only complaint about the latest episode is that there are a few scenes in the beginning with bad lighting and that there are a few goofy jokes in a vain attempt to give something to the little kids. Fortunately those minor "laughs" take up about 2 seconds of screen time and then it's back to the killin'!

Now that they are on the fourth movie, I am really getting the sense that the Harry Potter movies are something major in cinema. This is a real honest to goodness movement right under our noses. The genius of having the actors actually grow up while telling a story of evolving maturity and risk is really taking shape here.

And that's why I'm finally writing about them. To recommend the movies (to everyone out there who like me was avoiding them). To all my movie geek friends - if you haven't seen these - please do. They are great.

Originally posted on November 22, 2005 on Myspace.