- Argument
The Goblet of Fire was the perfect balance of light and dark
Considered by many to be the strongest book, The Goblet of Fire has the strongest story of any of the movies. It showed the angst that comes with being a teenager, and this realism pays off. It also ups the darkness with the return of Voldemort.
The argument
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was the strongest book, and the movie did not disappoint. This film introduced us to the much broader wizarding world outside of Hogwarts, and in doing so it changed the scale of the series: what had been the story of one school became the story of a world with other schools, other governments and other customs in it. It showed the characters being teenagers, but it was also the first film in the series to receive a PG-13 rating for its darker, more brutal elements. Holding both of those registers at once is the achievement, and it is why this is the best film in the series. The Goblet of Fire showed teen spirit as different wizarding schools competed in the Triwizard Tournament, which is the perfect backdrop for the characters to have some lighthearted adventure. Around the tournament sit budding romances, middle school drama, and a school dance — the ordinary business of adolescence, played out by children who are also being asked to face down dragons. The comedy works precisely because the stakes elsewhere are real, and the stakes land harder because we have just watched these characters worry about who will go to the ball with them. The film also upped the darkness. Voldemort returns more sinister than we could have imagined, and his snake-like appearance and brutal killing of Cedric Diggory cemented him as the terrifying villain he had been built up to be across three previous films. Cedric's death is the first in the series to fall on someone the audience has watched being decent and ordinary, and it is delivered without ceremony. The appearance of the Death Eaters and the truth about Mad-Eye Moody only further cement the darker tone that continues for the rest of the series. A film that can hold a school dance and that graveyard in the same story is the one that best captures what the series is, which makes Goblet of Fire the best Harry Potter movie.
Premises
Counter-arguments
This film left out too much from the books such as the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare (S.P.E.W.) which was formed by Hermione to fight for the rights of house-elves. It also is lacking in transitions with the film abruptly moving from one scene to another. The film is overly plot focused.
Rejecting the premises
[Rejecting P1 and P5] This film left out too much from the books.