Entertainment

10:32 AM CST on Tuesday, March 7, 2006

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

A-

Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane and Ralph Fiennes. Directed by Mike Newell. PG-13 (violence). 157 min. plus extras. $28.98, single-disc DVD, $30.98, 2-disc DVD.

DARKNESS FALLS: Bad things happened in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. But that's nothing compared to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, in which Harry's worst nightmares are realized and the outcome in the battle between good and evil seems more than a little in doubt.

VILE VOLDY: This is not just a kiddie flick (first PG-13 installment in the series) for director Mike Newell. Even moments of whimsy at the Yule Ball are redolent with adolescent angst and jealousy. And he takes the mood to a new level of mystery and menace when he unleashes the formidable Ralph Fiennes to do his sinister thing as the Dark Lord. It's a chillingly fit set-up for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

WHERE'S DOBBY? Some will be awed by how screenwriter Steven Kloves was able to condense a 734-page book into a 2 ½-hour movie. Others will be dismayed by what isn't there: in particular, house elves Dobby and Winky.

BEST EXTRA: Two hours and 35 minutes weren't enough? Check out the deleted scenes on the Hogwarts Castle extra on the second disc to catch a significant argument between Snape and Karkaroff and more suspicious behavior from Alastor Moody.

BOTTOM LINE: The movies, like the books, just keep getting better.

Nancy Churnin