Here, finally, is a Harry Potter movie that approaches the timelessness of J.K. Rowling’s novels.

The books - ironically but by necessity - have held the movies back from cinematic greatness. Their phenomenal publishing success has limited the filmmakers’ freedom.

The first two Harry Potter movies, directed by Chris Columbus, were the most expensive pop-up books ever made. The third, directed by Alfonso Cuaron, introduced badly needed humor and emotion, but still was lashed too firmly to Rowling’s plot – particularly her complicated ending – to succeed purely as cinema.

With “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” director Mike Newell puts more distance between the cinematic Harry and his literary twin. He has done this – again, ironically but by necessity – because he is working from Rowling’s longest book, one that the producers seriously contemplated splitting into two movies.

Newell has greater liberty to pare Rowling’s plot, and he and screenwriter Steve Kloves liberate the film from great chunks of the book. Hermione’s crusade to liberate house elves? Gone. Corruption and gambling in the Ministry of Magic? Gone. The usual visit with Harry’s insufferable Muggle relatives, the Dursleys? Gone.

Also gone is most of the subplot involving Rita Skeeter (Miranda Richardson), the Daily Prophet reporter whose false stories turn much of the wizarding world against Harry.

These omissions don’t hurt the story a bit; it is too bad Rowling didn’t consult with Kloves while writing the book.

Before returning to Hogwarts for his fourth year, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) attends the World Quidditch Cup Finals along with his faithful pals, Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson). Harry gets his first look at the world’s greatest Quidditch keeper, Bulgarian superstar Viktor Krum (Stanislav Ianevski).

Back at Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) announces the school will host the yearlong Tri-Wizard Tournament, which will pit one Hogwarts student against the champions of two other magic schools, the all-female Beauxbatons and the all-male Durmstrang.

At a ceremony involving the Goblet of Fire, the champions are announced: Viktor Krum for Durmstrang, Fleur Delacour (Clémence Poésy) for Beauxbatons and Cedric Diggory (Robert Pattinson) for Hogwarts. Harry is relieved that a school year will pass with someone else in the spotlight, but then the goblet spits out his name too.

The whole school, including Ron, believes Harry cheated by putting his name in the goblet. Harry insists he didn’t. Dumbledore believes him, but something underhanded is happening at Hogwarts that the headmaster cannot prevent.

For the first time, we see a Dumbledore unable to protect Harry, and this frightens us almost as much as it does Dumbledore.

All this accounts for roughly the first third of the book, and Newell barrels through it as if the Hogwarts Express has become a bullet train. Just as it seems “Goblet of Fire” will be an express tour of the novel’s highlights, Newell slows the pace in time for Harry and company, now 14 years old, to slam into the ordinary pains of puberty.

The occasion is Hogwarts’ first formal dance, the Yule Ball, and Harry and Ron are flummoxed that they are supposed to find dates. Without warning, girls have become a mysterious species. “Why do they always travel in packs?” Harry asks. “It’s impossible to talk to one of them alone.”

Harry has his eye on Cho Chang (Katie Leung), but he may already have lost her to Cedric. Ron doesn’t have his eye on anyone, which steams Hermione. It steams her even more that he doesn’t understand why.

Harry Potter’s adventures may take place in a world of magic, but the events surrounding are real, and are by turns hilarious and touching. Boys refuse to set foot on the dance floor. Girls bawl on the stairwell after their dreams of a magic evening have evaporated.

Once again, the Harry Potter series sparkles thanks to its great company of British players: Gambon as Dumbledore, Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall, Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid and Alan Rickman as Snape. They get a boost from Brendan Gleeson as Mad-Eye Moody, this year’s Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor and the most fearsome so far. Moody gets his nickname from an enchanted mechanical eye, strapped to his head like Long John Silver’s eye patch, that roves of its own accord.

The cast’s other newcomer has much less screen time, but he uses it with frightening economy. Ralph Fiennes, his features altered with snake-like makeup, rises from a caldron as Harry’s nemesis, the dark wizard Lord Voldemort.

Voldemort has lurked behind the scenes of the previous stories, and his long-awaited appearance exceeds expectations. Fiennes gets only one scene to sear the screen with villainy, and he delivers during a sequence packed with enough terror, intensity and anguish to surprise even those who have read the book several times.

This anguish demands much of Radcliffe’s acting ability, and the 16-year-old star is up to it. Good thing, too, because the next film will rely more on his performance than the previous films as the going gets tougher for Harry and happy endings grow more elusive.

And if you think “Goblet of Fire” ends grimly, just wait until the sixth movie.