Springboard UK

It’s inevitable that Harry, Hermione and Ron have to grow up and face the monsters of adolescence and evil. As a matter of fact, I was looking forward to witnessing the embarrassing pains of the young wizards-in-training as they confront love, jealousy and danger. But in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” these complex and potentially entertaining scenarios are mostly pushed aside for a sports tournament that’s repetitive and tiring and not at all riveting.

Obviously screenwriter Steve Kloves had his job cut out for him having to trim J.K. Rowling’s 734-page opus down to a feature-length film, but doing away with the protagonists’ emotional quandaries in favour of some spectacular and very grim action scenes was perhaps not the best decision.

The kids are older and more mature now, and we can see that in the aloof manner in which the trio addresses one another. But we’re not allowed to see the nuances of these growing pains, as director Mike Newell thrusts us immediately into the drama, thus distracting us from adolescent anxieties.

Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and Hermione (Emma Watson) join Ron (Rupert Grint) and his family in attending the Quidditch World Cup, but almost immediately the event is stopped when the Death Eaters destroy the tents, preempting the rise again of Lord Voldemort whom, as we know, wants Harry’s neck.

We’re then back to Hogwarts where the news of the day is the Interschool Triwizard Tournament where three different wizards schools come together to compete for a prize that will immortalize the winner; but only students over the age of 17 can compete. In comes the lovely Beauxbatons whose representative is the haughty Fleur Delacour (Clemence Poesy); and the Eastern European macho Durmstrang, whose choice, Viktor Krum (Stanislav Ianevski) catches Hermione’s eye. Hogwarts’ choice is Cedric Diggory (Robert Pattinson), but magically Harry’s name is also submitted, which causes Ron to feel betrayed, why I don’t know.

So most of “Goblet of Fire” is the tournament, which takes the kids through marvelous mazes, underwater adventures and fire-spouting dragons. We even meet the newly risen Lord Voldemort (an unrecognizable Ralph Fiennes) and his evil cohorts.

Interspersed is a school dance where Harry and Ron end up with the wrong dates, while Watson absolutely shines as Hermione. I would’ve liked to have seen more of these “human” elements that would’ve endeared me more to these exceptional kids who must confront astounding odds while battling hair-raising teenage hood.

We’ve been used to seeing new faces in every Potter film, but considering most of the action here is limited to the tournament, we get brief glimpses of Timothy Spall as Wormtail and Miranda Richardson as journalist Rita Skeeter, with Brendan Gleason blessed with the only substantial role as “Mad-Eye” Moody. Ah, yes. Gary Oldman is back as Sirius Black, but only as a CGI image.

Obviously not for the very young, “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” will satisfy the older fans who have read the book and don’t feel the need to be filled in on the details of Harry, Hermione and Ron’s growing pains.

Personally, I was left disappointed and bored.