Movie Review: Harry Potter

Admission #1: I've never read a Harry Potter book (although we did listen to Azkaban on the drive down to Florida once.) Admission #2: I'm a grumpy old git who kind of wants the movies to suck so I can enjoy some schadenfreude at the expense of all those silly Potter fans, including my wife. Evil, I know. I am sad to report, then, that The Goblet of Fire is quite good. The proof is in the fact that a normally bum-numbing 2 1/2 hours simply flies by. Do I ever wish George Lucas had made the Star Wars prequels like this: an effects-laden fantasy with characters you actually care about. Oh, and a decent script ("The Sith are evil." "No. The Jedi are evil." Arrghhh!). Emma Watson as Hermione is brilliant, and the heroes' stumbling into adolescence is both believable and quite sweet. 8/10. But don't take little kids. Too dark, especially when Voldy arrives.