dragonfire88's Full Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
I became hooked on the Harry Potter books after I received the first book for my birthday in 2001. Since then, I have read all the books and seen all the movies. I just saw Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth movie.
In discussing Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, I will be mentioning things that would be spoilers for people who haven't seen the first five movies yet. All the movies, like the books they are based on, have built on what has happened previously. Because of that, people really shouldn't start with this movie.
**Minor Plot Discussion** I am only going to briefly discuss the plot of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I am only mentioning things that were shown in the trailers and I intend to be vague about certain things throughout the review. People who prefer to see the movie without knowing anything about the plot should skip the next paragraph.
Things are dark in the magical world since it has finally been accepted that Lord Voldemort is back and even the muggle world is impacted. Professor Dumbledore and Harry work together to try to discover something connected to Voldemort. Professor Slughorn, the new teacher at Hogwarts, may know something helpful. Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione also have to deal with love while Draco seems to be up to something.
**End of Minor Plot Discussion**
I stayed through the credits, and there are no additional scenes during or after them.
I think that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is rather dark overall, though it is rated PG instead of PG-13 like the last two movies have been. There isn't as much violence in the movie, but there is still some. One scene especially could be scary for younger children, though it could have been more intense than it was. The movie has a darker look overall, even in the more lighthearted scenes. The colors are dark and subdued with no bright colors anywhere. Things look overcast all the time. The more subdued, overcast look of the movie does help to establish that the wizarding world is facing darker times. The colors are so subdued in a few scenes that they look more like black and white scenes. There is a bit of action added to some scenes, like the few that involve quidditch. This is the first movie since the third one to show an actual match.
Even though Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is fairly dark overall, there are still many humorous moments added throughout the movie. Some of the things added for humor are a bit silly, but I think the humor works for the most part. Ron continues to say and do things that make me laugh. He also ends up in a few very amusing situations. Even Snape, who tends to be a more serious character, made me laugh, mainly from his reaction to something going on. Professor Slughorn makes a rather interesting and amusing entrance during his first scene. Hermione is a bit violent a few times in ways that end up being funny. The humor does help to lighten the mood a bit without making the movie silly overall. There are still a few sad and upsetting moments, though something is changed a bit and ends up not being as sad as I had expected. The event in question does not have the same impact it did in the book
There is an attempt to add some mystery to what is happening in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, but I don't think it was handled as well as it could have been. Harry, Ron, and Hermione discover that Draco is up to something. Draco is shown doing something at different times throughout the movie. The way those scenes are shown makes it fairly easy to figure out what he is up to, which eliminates much of the potential suspense. I think if those scenes had been handled more like they had been in the book, there would have been more mystery and suspense to his actions. What Harry and Professor Dumbledore are doing also adds a bit of mystery, mostly for people who haven't read the book.
Magic has been very important throughout both the books and movies, and that continues in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Various witches and wizards, including Professor Dumbledore, are shown doing different spells. Basically all of the characters are witches or wizards, with several of them having some kind of connection to Hogwarts either as a student or a teacher. The villains are wizards who use dark magic, and some of the destruction they do with magic is shown. I enjoyed the magical things that were shown and actually would have enjoyed it if more magical things were included. People that don't like movies that deal with magic should pick a different movie.
Getting a magical education is important to the students and has been included to some degree in the previous movies. That happens again in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, though very little of actual class time is shown. I understand why that is limited, but those things could have been mentioned. At one point, a few students cast spells without saying the incantations without it ever being introduced that they were learning to do that. It would have been nice if there had been just a bit more related to what they were learning shared. Hermione doesn't even get the chance to fret about homework or exams, something that is a big part of her character.
Like the pervious movies, most of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince takes place at Hogwarts, the school that Harry and his friends attend. The school looks mostly the same, though a few scenes involve a balcony on a tower that I don't remember seeing in the previous movies. The potions classroom looks a bit different from how I remember it. The moving staircases are never shown and the portraits really aren't shown much either. Only a few of them are shown, and none of them move. I've always enjoyed catching glimpses of the moving portraits, so that is disappointing. A few moving pictures are visible in The Daily Prophet, though they aren't used as much as they were in the last movie. No ghosts were shown floating around the school either, something else that I miss. The Burrow turns up a bit more, and I did enjoy seeing more of the inside of the house. I also loved seeing Fred and George's joke shop, though not enough of it was shown.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince includes a lot of special effects. I think the effects were done well overall. Effects had to be used to show the results of the various spells that different characters use. A few memories are shared, and effects are used for those scenes as well. A very interesting effect was used when Harry experienced apparition for the first time. While is it clear that certain things couldn't be done without effects, the effects did seem more subtle, like they were there to enhance what is happening instead of being the main focus.
Harry and his friends are getting older and having to deal with young love in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The bits of romance that are included in the movie work fine without detracting from the overall plot. Harry, Ron, and Hermione faced a first date in the fourth movie and Harry had a small romance, including his first kiss, in the fifth movie. Ron really hasn't been interested in girls, though he did have some issues with Hermione dating. From early in the movie, it is clear that Lavender Brown had a crush on Ron before she finally made her move. Ron seems very happy in his relationship while Hermione is crushed and resorts to trying to make him jealous with an idiot who has been chasing her for a while. The situation is not fully resolved by the end of the movie, though I didn't expect it to be. Ginny is dating Dean Thomas while Harry is slowly realizing that he has feelings for her. That situation isn't fully resolved either. Harry also has to deal with the fact that some of his female classmates want to use a love potion on him. The romance is very mild and rather sweet.
When a movie is based on a book, it can be tricky to adapt the story. When too many things are left out or changed in some way, fans of the book are upset. Other fans of the book will be upset if the movie remains too true to the book. I know that some things have to be omitted, changed, or condescend when books are turned into movies, but I generally don't like it when too much is changed or left out. For the most part, the adaptations of the Harry Potter books have been fine, though I've felt that some of them could have been better. Every movie since the third movie, some important information has been left out. Unfortunately, that trend continues in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which is why me am at least somewhat disappointed in the movie. People who have only seen the movies will probably end up liking the movie more because of the changes and omissions. I think this is a decent adaptation, but it could have been better and I am bothered by some of the choices made.
**Possible Spoilers** I want to discuss some of the changes that I have an issue with. I'm going to be more specific because I feel I need to in order to fully express the problems I have with the changes. These things will be spoilers for anyone who hasn't read the book yet. These things could also be spoilers for people who have read the book but haven't yet seen the movie. Anyone who doesn't want to know any more about the plot before seeing the movie should skip the next few paragraphs.
After the way an important memory was poorly handled in the fifth movie, I have been very concerned about how the memories would be shared in this movie, especially once I learned that David Yates was directing again. Memories connected to Voldemort are very important in the sixth book and they include a lot of important information. Only two of the memories are in the movie. The memories included are done very well and are a definite improvement over the handling of the memory in the previous movie. In the book, the memories are all connected to Voldemort's past and show things that are important to fully understanding him and his motivations. I've read that originally all the memories were in the script but that Yates vetoed that, wanting to just focus on Voldemort's rise to power. Yates doesn't get that Voldemort's time as Riddle is vitally important to his becoming Lord Voldemort. Riddle is already becoming Voldemort during some of the memories that were left out. I really wonder if Yates has bothered to read the books. The way Yates has handled this material, as well as the previous movie, makes me feel that he is an idiot. I am glad that the final book is being turned into two movies, but I still have concerns since Yates is directing them as well.
There is still no explanation for why Professor Dumbledore wants Harry to spend at least some of each summer with the Dursleys. That little bit of information ends up becoming very important by the last book. Kreacher and Doby, are both left out of the movie, which makes me wonder how certain things will be dealt with in the final movies. Some things were shown in a slightly different order than they were in the book. There is basically no effort made to find out who the half-blood prince is, which makes the revelation seem almost like an after thought. Horcruxes are only briefly mentioned in the movie, and Professor Dumbledore seems shocked when he learns about them. That doesn't makes sense since he has already dealt with one before the movie begins and has been searching for more. Professor Dumbledore doesn't suggest any items that could potentially be horcruxes, so while Harry knows he has to find them, he has no clue what to look for. The setup for the final movies has not been done as well as it should have been. Those things bothered me, but I consider them more minor issues for the most part.
Just from seeing the trailers, I knew that a few things were in the movie that did not happen in the book. It really irritates me when time is spent on extra stuff that is basically just filler while important information is left out. The first new sequence happens early in the movie and basically illustrates a few things the Death Eaters have done. That sequence didn't bother me. The one that makes no sense is an attack on the Burrow during the Christmas holiday. The fact that Death Eaters have been attacking some homes is mentioned once, and then right after, the Burrow is attacked. Most of the sequence involves Harry and Ginny running through a field of high grass. The house is shown burning, yet no one does anything to try to put the fire out. These are the same characters that went rushing into the Ministry of Magic to help Harry fight the Death Eaters in the fifth movie. The fire was started by magic, so it seems to me like it could have been put out with magic. After the scene is over, the attack is never mentioned and no other attacks are mentioned either. In the book, every so often, Harry, Ron, and Hermione would read about an attack, making it clear that the attacks are an on going problem. I read that the attack on the Burrow was added because it was felt it provided better pacing and worked better than having references to other attacks pop up throughout the movie. I don't agree with that thinking at all. The way it is shown in the movie makes it seem like the attacks are more sporadic than they were. I feel that sequence added nothing of value to the movie and just took up time that could have been used on the important information that ended up being left out.
**End of Possible Spoilers**
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has a large group of characters like the previous movies. Several of the characters are underused, which is disappointing. Some of them, including Professor Flitwick and Hagrid, are just seen in passing without having much to do. Professor Snape is finally given more to do, though he is still mostly just in short scenes. Alan Rickman is amazing as Snape, making me enjoy his performance even though his character is far from my favorite. Rickman is absolutely perfect as Snape, adding menace to even the simplest of lines with the clipped way he delivers his lines. Snape has been underused in most of the movie, so I'm glad that he finally got more screen time. Timothy Spall makes a very short appearance as Wormtail.
Professor McGonagall seems to turn up in a few more scenes, though her time is very limited. Professor Sprout and Madam Hooch are missing and not even mentioned. Filch is around in a few scenes without having much of anything to do. Professor Dumbledore is shown more than the teachers. He is trying to figure some things out with Harry's help. Professor Dumbledore has to deal with a few things and he does seem to show his age a few times. He does get the chance to do some impressive magic. I think Michael Gambon did well with the part. This is probably the best he's done with the part. Professor Horace Slughorn is the new teacher who had actually taught at Hogwarts before. Slughorn has a habit of collecting students he feels are important. Harry's mother Lily had actually been one of his favorite students. Jim Broadbent does very well with the part.
Harry is showing more maturity and doing better for the most part at controlling his anger and frustration. He has a lot to deal with and he has to accept some difficult things. Daniel Radcliffe does a very good job with the role. Hermione spends a lot of time being upset because of Ron's relationship with Lavender. Hermione isn't shown obsessing about homework or exams like she has done before, but it is still clear that she is intelligent and very talented magically. Emma Watson did a really good job with the part.
Ron doesn't seem to have matured as much, though he is fully prepared to do some difficult things. Ron is less prepared to face his feelings for Hermione. Rupert Grint is wonderful in the part. Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson have all matured very well into their roles and I'm so glad that they have stayed in the parts. Ron's parents turn up in a few scenes. Fred and George have much smaller parts, which I expected. Percy is not around or mentioned, and Ron's oldest brothers, Bill and Charlie, still haven't made an appearance in the movies. Ginny continues to be more important as she gets older even though not much is shared about her. Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin each make a very short appearance.
Draco has been in all the movies as an enemy to Harry. Draco ends up with more to do in this movie since he is involved in a very important plot point. He still acts arrogant and cocky at times, but he does seem to be changing and realizing a few things. Tom Felton does a very good job with the part. His mother, Narcissa, is shown for the first time in a few scenes. Helen McCrory is fine in the part, though she didn't look like I imagined the character when reading the book. Draco's friends Crabbe and Goyle are around in a few scenes without doing much of anything. Bellatrix, Narcissa's sister, returns in a few scenes to cause havoc. Helena Bonham Carter is wonderful in the part. A few other Death Eaters are shown, usually with Bellatrix, without any of them being developed. Fenrir Greyback, a vicious character in the books, turns up without an explanation for why he is so feared.
After being ignored in the previous movies even though she has always sort of been around in the book, Lavender Brown receives some attention thanks to her relationship with Ron. Lavender seems to be a bit ditzy and she is clingy once she gets her hooks into Ron. Jessie Cave is fine in the part. According to the credits, the Patil twins are supposed to be in the movie, but I honestly don't remember seeing them. Cho Chang is supposed to be in the movie as well. Dean Thomas, Seamus, and Neville are all just sort of around without having much to do. Neville is really wasted, which annoys me. I'm just hoping his character is handled correctly in the final movies. Luna Lovegood returns, but she is only in a couple of brief scenes, so she ends up with basically nothing to do. Various other students pop up here and there without doing much of anything.
Lord Voldemort is involved with the plot, though it is all off screen. He is talked about throughout the movie without being seen. A younger version of Voldemort, when he is still using the name Tom Riddle, is shown in a few memories. Riddle is shown at two different ages, 11 and 16, which gives a different take on the character that is interesting. Not much is shown of the character at either age, but the young actors do fine with the part.
Main Cast
David Bradley - Argus Filch Jim Broadbent - Professor Horace Slughorn Helena Bonham Carter - Bellatrix Lestrange Jessie Cave - Lavender Brown Robbie Coltrane - Rebeus Hagrid Warwick Davis - Filius Flitwick Frank Dillane - Tom Riddle, Age 16 Tom Felton - Draco Malfoy Hero Fiennes-Tiffin - Tom Riddle, Age 11 Michael Gambon - Albus Dumbledore Rupert Grint - Ron Weasley Dave Legeno - Fenrir Greyback Matthew Lewis - Neville Longbottom Evanna Lynch - Luna Lovegood Helen McCrory - Narcissa Malfoy James Phelps - Fred Weasley Oliver Phelps - George Weasley Daniel Radcliffe - Harry Potter Alan Rickman - Severus Snape Maggie Smith - Minerva McGonagall Natalia Tena - Nymphadora Tonks David Thewlis - Remus Lupin Julie Walters - Molly Weasley Emma Watson - Hermione Granger Mark Williams - Arthur Weasley Bonnie Wright - Ginny Weasley
David Yates - Director
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a decent adaptation that I managed to enjoy overall, but I think the movie wold have been much better if certain things had been handled differently. Fans of the books may not be that happy with the movie because of the changes. People who haven't read the books may have a better chance of more fully enjoying the movie since they won't know what has been changed or left out. I am disappointed with certain aspects of the movie, but I still think it is a good, entertaining movie overall that is worth seeing. I think I would have enjoyed the movie more and felt it was a five star movie if I hadn't read the book before.
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