I recently saw the movie Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. My overall impression: Thumbs-up.

This one is probably the best Harry Potter movie so far. Even though I think that book 3 (Prisoner of Azkaban) was a better book, the movie for Azkaban wasn't as good as this one.

I think I like this movie because it's a bit more visceral, it doesn't follow the same Harry Potter formula (abused by the Dursleys, accuses Malfoy of wrongdoing at Hogwarts, Dumbledore explains the mystery) as the prior stories, and some intentional effort is made to deviate from it. But what else is good about this movie?

One of the early scenes at the Quidditch World Cup, when Krum flies around the stadium is one of those moments in movies where you actually have to be in the theater to appreciate it. With the huge backdrop of the arena, the size of the screen really does matter.

When Mr. Weasley comes in to warn the kids about the explosions outside the tent at the World Cup, the sense that something is "wrong" is palpable. It's one of my favorite scenes.

However.

The movie does suffer from some muddy points. For example, immediately after the scene in the text, Harry inexplicably gets kicked in the head. This is a minor issue, really. I mean, I uderstood what happened when I first saw it, but upon a second viewing, I really think it could have used something more; some further visual explanation of how he got separated from Hermione to begin with.

Worse is the hedge maze scene. I didn't understand it when I read it in the book, and the movie really isn't any better. I understand the general concept, but I didn't follow the action. What happened to Krum? What's with the weeds sucking everyone into the ground? Was that part of the maze or was that someone hexing things?

I'm generally disappointed in Harry through these books. He really doesn't have many redeeming qualities. He's been quick to point fingers without evidence, although we didn't see that in this movie, but he just looked dumbfounded in the end when events were revealed. I'm not sure I've ever met such a dim protagonist. Can Harry even use magic of his own will? Sometimes I wonder.

What happened with the newspaper writer? Did Harry's stunt with the dragon finalize that interaction? The movie goes to lengths to put her in, then never resolves the issue. There is the scene where she first interviews the champions and she takes Harry into the broom closet. And then there's the scene where she catches Hermione in the champion's tent before the first challenge. But after that, nothing but that brief scene with the dragon.

Knowing how things turn out in later books, I'm surprised that Ginny didn't factor into more scenes. I think they tried to shove her in there when they could, but I think that these movies are a great way to fill in some hindsight and include a nod to people who have read ahead and know what's going to happen. Such a missed opportunity.

But the great thing about this movie/story is that it wraps up without Dumbledore telegraphing the story to you. There is not weird explanation for why things happened, Scooby Doo-mystery style. That bugged me about the first three stories, and it's not present in this fourth one.

I'm very much looking forward to seeing a movie's take on Order of the Phoenix, more of which takes place outside of Hogwarts and in the wizarding world. It should provide some view of the wizarding world that I feel was unfortunately avoided in the Sorcerer's Stone.

I predict that the Half-Blood Prince is going to be very difficult to translate to the screen. With the overabundance of flashbacks and the inevitable ending, I doubt anyone will be satisfied with this movie. If someone can pull it off, though, it should be a very interesting film indeed.

In any case, I very much recommend Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. If you've got the whim to see a movie this holiday weekend, check it out.