"Harry Potter & The Goblet Of Fire"

As with all global phenomenons, the Harry Potter movies were always going to be met with both scorn and praise in equal measures. Personally, I think they're great fun and people should be encouraged to see them.

The fourth instalment in the saga is, however, vastly superior to the preceeding three movies. Philosopher's Stone was hampered by the somewhat cringeworthy acting of the three main protagonists (except Ron, played by Rupert Grint, who I think nailed his character from the start) - Hermione (Emma Watson) was too melodramatic, and Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) was wooden, making me fear that they'd got a child version of Keanu Reeves to play the boy-wizard. Chamber Of Secrets upped the ante with slightly better acting, and better visuals. Prisoner Of Azkaban was when the series came into its own, really stepping out from the "children can't act properly" box, and the actors started getting things right. Hermione is still a little over-dramatic and prone to twitching when she should be emoting.

Goblet Of Fire cements the series as great. Acting from all has over-come most of the mannerisms that annoyed, and they all seem more comfortable in their roles. The adult actors (all of whom are of such high calibre, that it is impossible to find any fault in them) continue to amuse and enthrall, as they too have become more comfortable in their roles. Most noticeably, Alan Rickman is the perfect Professor Snape, one of the few global actors able to act an elipsis... He does have a surprisingly small role in this movie, though.

The story sticks predominantly to the Tri-Wizard championship - understandable, given the length contraints created by the goldfish-like concentrations of today's youth - cutting out a lot of the school work and general life at Hogwatrs. This time, however, a little more attention is paid to the hormonal inclinations of the characters - all of them get a love interest, though poor Ron is left to grumble as Hermione gets hitched to Bulgarian quidditch star, Victor Krum.

Again, the visuals are superb in every respect. The CGI is less cartoony, and Hogwarts Castle continues to change into an ever-grander form.

The story, considerably pared down from the novel, focusses primarily on the Tri-Wizard Tournament, and the tasks faced by Harry and his fellow competitors. Some great moments from the book are sadly missing - including Snape's zapping of the rose bushes to flush out cavorting pupils at the Yule Ball. But, despite this, the movie moves at a great pace, not seeming like 3 hours.