Review of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Let me preface this by saying that I am an uber Harry Potter fan. I love the books I've read several multiple times, I own all the DVDs of the movies, I even know Dumbledore's full name (Albus Pericival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore). You get the idea.
So while I like the movies I don't believe that they hold a candle to the books. I've always felt after watching a movie that the film makers have left something out that they shouldn't or omitted one of my favorite parts of the book that the movie was based on. Half Blood Prince (the latest film) is the only film where I haven't felt something like that at least not as strongly anyway.
Movie Continuation
Half Blood Prince is the first movie since Chamber of Secrets that has the same director as the previous films. One of the greats feats of the movie series is that no matter how many times directors have changed from film to film the overall tone remains the same. But the result of having the same director for two films is immediately apparent. Half Blood Prince truly feels like a direct continuation of Order of the Phoenix and it enriches the movie experience. It gives me great hope that the same director will finish out the series.
It's a set-up
The problem with Half-Blood Prince is that nothing happens until the end. They set up plot point after plot point all for the last two movies. The amount of the stuff they set-up is extremely exciting for me as a fan but it might not be for others. That is the way that Half Blood Prince the book was too it was a set-up for Deathly Hallows. So the film makers were facing a challenge when they made the book into a movie. They way they remedy the situation is the make the movie much more character driven and I think it works spectacularly the film really makes us care for the characters and their realtionships and their futures in the last two movies. The acting especially by Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) Ron (Rupert Grint) Hermione (Emma Watson) was superb and I am so excited for Deathly Hallows because the majority of the films will be solely on those three actors.
Final Verdict
Do I wish something were different? Yes. Do I wish that Alan Rickman (Snape) was a little less monotone and more emotional and vicious like the book Snape? Yes. (Even though I do enjoy Rickman's potrayal) Do I wish that we saw the gentle funny Dumbledore in this movie in the previous movies? Oh yeah! But Michael Gambon (Dumbledore) really redeemed himself in this one and when he is killed I felt something. Do I wish that there was more memories about Tom Riddle and Voldemort? Yes. But I still believe that it was the best Harry Potter movie yet.
Enjoy this video about comparing the first Dumbledore to the second.
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