Different sects of the Harry Potter fanbase hold up different films in the soon-to-be concluded canon of motion pictures as the pinnacle of adaptation from the page to the screen. Some treasure Chris Columbus’s first two films with their child-like wonder. Others think Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban has yet to be matched. Still others believe Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire to be the lowest point in the series but that each of the films that followed has successively been the best. No matter where you stand, if you’re a fan and have been waiting to buy the Harry Potter films in the best possible release (with the most extras imaginable), then the Ultimate Edition collection really can’t be beat. Even if you’re one who finds faults with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, there’s so much to be found in the extras of this set that you can pretty easily overlook the film’s quality. With this fantastic release of The Goblet of Fire, the Harry Potter Ultimate Editions continue to uphold their reputation as stellar consumer purchases.
It’s Harry’s fourth year at Hogwarts and this year’s big hoopla is the Triwizard Tournament, a competition that grants three wizards the opportunity to test their skills and win worldwide renknown should they be the winner. At first, it seems like it might be a very non-Harry-centric story until somehow Harry’s name gets submitted as an entry despite the strict age limits, turning the Triwizard Tournament (with wizards played by Robert Pattinson, Stanislav Ianevski, Clemence Poesy) into a Tetrowizard Tournament. So, Harry squares off against dragons, lake people, and a murderous labyrinth whose final secret reveals an evil so great that people are afraid to speak its name. Spoiler? Probably not. Through it all, the relationship of Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) continues to evolve, and the phenomenal supporting cast of every actor ever (David Tennant, Alan Rickman, Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, Warwick Davis, Robbie Coltrane, Brendan Gleeson, Gary Oldman, Ralph Fiennes) makes the film phenomenally well acted, even if the pacing suffers severely from an attempt to cram way too much into two and a half hours.
Visually the film looks as beautiful as anyone dare hope with the Blu-ray transfer making the viewing experience a memorable one. Couple the hi-def presentation with a good many of the series’ best action moments (like the dragon/broom chase), and there’s no faulting the release for what your eyes take in. The same can be send for the visual presentation. Technically speaking, the film is fantastic, but that doesn’t make up for some of the weakest direction and poorest plotting of the films in the Harry Potter series.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
Let’s be honest: most likely, you aren’t going to buy this particular Ultimate Edition for the film itself, but for the collection of featurettes packed into its very high-quality box. To start, there are non-video based extras like the next installment of the full-color booklets, this one devoted to the sound and music of the Harry Potter films with directors and composers from all films lending their opinion on what they got right. Rounding out the physical extras is the next two character cards, specifically numbers 7 & 8 featuring Ronald Weasley and Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody.
Moving on to the video-based extras, you’ll find a slip of paper telling you how to redeem your digital copy to play on your computer. After finishing the film, and maybe watching it with the in-film video commentary featuring the stars dishing on each other and the film, move on to the second disc where the real meat of the set awaits. Therein, you’ll find the fourth part of the “Creating the World of Harry Potter” which, like the full-color booklet, covers the sounds and music found in the films. From the smallest sound effects to the largest sweeping scores that imbue the film with its magic, the featurette talks with all the professional sound technicians, composers, and various audio crew members who added the dynamic sound and music to the films. If you ever wondered about the steps involved in recording sound effects or planning a film’s soundtrack, this is an excellent in-depth special. After that, the second disc also features five specials previously aired on television (“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”, “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Behind the Magic”, “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Dark Matters, New Masters”, “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Some Animal Magic”, and “Inside Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”. It also features trailers.
The third disc, which is in DVD format, features the original extras found in previous DVD releases of the film like retrospective featurettes, behind the scenes pieces, and then featurettes devoted to the filming of each of the three Triwizard Tournament tasks.
The set is unquestionably complete, and apart from the less than stellar entry in the Harry Potter series, it’s a real keeper. This one’s worth buying for any Harry Potter fan.
"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Ultimate Edition" is on sale October 19, 2010 and is rated PG13. Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy. Directed by Mike Newell. Written by J.K. Rowling (novel), Steve Cloves (screenplay). Starring Emma Watson, Gary Oldman, Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Ralph Fiennes, Rupert Grint.
