No Longer Wild about Harry

It took all the patience I could muster to sit through Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire. Out of loyalty to Harry and J.K. Rowling, I endured the entire two and a half hours (maybe more), but it took nodding off a few times, continually crossing and uncrossing my legs, looking at my watch and daydreaming about how great the previous Harry Potter movies were.

In this fourth outing, gone are the sense of wonder, the comradarie of the three main characters, and time taken to let people who have not read the book in on what is happening. Even worse, the movie is dull both in its cinematic presentation and story. The videogame-like plot follows Harry as he competes in a wizard contest with three other students. Each participant must steal an egg from a dragon, engage in an underwater challenge and navigate a treacherous maze.

When not taking part in the three phases of the competition, Harry suffers the angst of most teenagers who start worrying about dating. He and his pals Hermione and Ron have to attend a Yule Ball, which is something similar to a high school prom, and the movie spends a lot of time on this event instead of the magical situations we expect from Potter films.

I realize Harry has to grow up, but does that movies about him need to lose their fascinating appeal? If I had a magic wand, I would make sure the next Harry Potter movie adventures returned to a more entertaining format.