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 (I will be rambling on about Harry Potter, so only read on if you've read the books and seen the movie... otherwise, ignore me...) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was pretty good. I had really high expectations since most reviews had been really good. I quite liked it because these kids (these kids!) have grown into good actors and the comedic timing is fantastic! Dumbledore was a bit more like the Dumbledore in the books in this film (knitting patterns!), Harry on Felix Felicis was just wonderful, Won-Won and Lavender Brown were exactly how I imagined them (and Lavender Brown was exactly how I imagined her!), Ron in general is always wonderful and funny (after eating Romilda Vane's chocolates!), Hermione while walking back from Hogsmeade, Cormac licking his fingers while looking at Hermione was hilarious, Cormac throwing up and Harry's priceless look on his face, Luna in every scene is lovely, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes!, the entire cave scene, poor Draco Malfoy... But (sigh), I am a big fan and I love these books (and these kids!) a great deal (that's no secret), so I had some issues with what they cut and kept. For movie purposes, I understand and it makes complete sense. But why burn down the Burrow? Isn't that necessary in the Deathly Hallows? (Fleur wasn't even mentioned! Do you think that'll still happen?) I think Harry should've been petrified under the Invisibility Cloak; then he really wouldn't have been able to do anything (I know, I know, he was following Dumbledore's orders). The whole Snape finding him underneath... I don't know. Also, the lack of use of the Invisibility Cloak was quite interesting. No funeral? I did like the wands in the air, though. And Harry crying next to him was heartbreaking (but with Ginny? IIIII don't know about that). Also, no battle? (I did love that wide shot of him and Snape.) The battle should have happened, I think, because then all the Death Eaters that arrived would've made sense instead of Bellatrix just destroying the Great Hall and Hagrid's hut. I really wanted Snape to shout, "DON'T CALL ME A COWARD!" What about learning apparition? Not completely necessary but it would've been fun to watch! I don't know, but I'm sure it will all work out in the next two films with the changes they made (and more Neville!). |
I decided that I liked how they did not use the invisibility cloak and how Snape found him underneath, because it makes it more tragic. Harry followed Dumbledore's orders, and then he trusted Snape when Snape told him to keep quiet--thinking that Snape was here to help--but then with Snape killing Dumbledore, Harry has to be blaming himself even more for Dumbledore's death.
I haven't read the book since it first came out years ago, so I really couldn't remember what happened and after the movie I was sitting with a friend and we were trying to remember the stuff they'd cut out. Now that you mention it, though, I'm sad that they left out the battle, because I thought that was so interesting and it was a much better buildup to Dumbledore's death.
The Ginny stuff I just didn't like. There was way too much of them staring at each other awkwardly. The Ginny from Half-Blood Prince always seemed like such a departure from who she was in earlier books, but she was more interesting than the Ginny from the movie. Plus, the shoe tying scene was just weird.
I must confess that I tend to like the whole idea of the movies more than their actual plots. I like to see Hogwarts and the familiar characters, but something always seems a little lacking and I kind of disagree about the kids growing into good actors. They definitely have their moments, but they often fall short. I wouldn't want them to be replaced, but I think the movies could be better than they are.