Half-Blood Prince

By the by, there SHOULD be a dash between “half” and “blood”, no matter how difficult it is to press that little dash button instead of the space bar.

Last night I went to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince after work. I got my ticket the night before because I knew it was going to sell out quickly. I definitely did not want to go to a midnight showing because I knew I would be too tired to really pay attention to the movie. So I went at 6:00 last night and was fully awake.

I enjoyed myself thoroughly. I think that the directing, screenwriting, and acting were all much more sure-footed than they were in previous films. The story was altered from the books, but a different medium calls for a different approach. The story had to be streamlined, and I think in this instance it was made into a cohesive story more effectively than the previous movies. There was rising action and a climax, and it was built up fairly well. I must admit some of the teenage antics got in the way a little bit, but honestly they were hilarious and handled well, so I won’t complain.

I was disappointed that one of my favorite scenes was removed–Dumbledore meeting with the Dursleys. Nothing in particular happens in that scene, so I know why it was cut, but I just adore the interaction between Dumbledore and the Dursleys, who he absolutely dominates. I think it would have been more effective than the scene in the Underground, which I thought was a little strange, to be honest.

I didn’t reread the book before going to the movie, which is probably the best way to do it. If you’ve just read the book, you’ll just sit there and take a mental inventory of what was and wasn’t included. As it was, I only noticed a few things while watching the movie (and many more later) that were changed. Obviously, the attack on the Burrow was an obvious addition, and the battle at the end was an obvious omission. I could have done without the attack on the Burrow, and I would have liked to see more action at the end (but more on that later).

The acting was much better. Ron–I mean Rupert–is fantastic. He’s good at being goofy. My only problem is not so much with Ron/Rupert as with the treatment he’s given in the film, a product of the writing and directing. He has mostly been nothing but the comic relief for most of the series. J.K. Rowling gave him much more depth and personality than that. In this movie, he was also separated from the others, physically and otherwise. The whole Lavender thing was the main cause, of course, and I suppose it was foreshadowing (I hope it was) of the brief split in the seventh book. But at the very end, I thought it was exceptionally weird that Harry and Hermione were standing there talking while Ron sat behind them, just listening. It was an odd physical placement.

But, back to acting. Emma Watson as Hermoine was less cringe-worthy than before. Of all the kids, I think she was the one whose acting I liked least. She just doesn’t seem at all like the Hermione from the books. Maybe she’s just too pretty (she’s a gorgeous girl). In any case, she did a very good job this time around; I think the only vaguely-cringe-worthy moment was when she said she had to go vomit. Somehow that line made me want to go vomit.

I’m definitely liking Daniel Radcliffe as Harry. He does a decent job. He definitely did a good job playing it for laughs when he was under the influence of Felix Felicis. He also did a decent job in the Astronomy Tower scene.

Tom Felton was really a revelation as Draco Malfoy. Previously, he’d done nothing much more than sneer a little, but he got to really develop the character a lot. I honestly felt bad for him, especially when Harry–ooops!–used Sectumsepra on him.

Of course, the adult actors are top notch, the cream of the British acting crop. Dumbledore was good, though I really really would have liked to see Michael Gambdon infuse the humor that is so evident in the books. I see Dumbledore smiling wryly and speaking in an ironic tone most of the time. I wished for a little more in the cave scene, as well, but overall I couldn’t have asked for much more. Alan Rickman is, of course, awesome. Thinking back, I’m disappointed that they didn’t give him the big freak-out after the death of Dumbledore. In the book he yells and screams at Harry. In the movie, it’s played down. Though to be honest, the movies have played down his nastiness, which is fair enough I suppose. Slughorn was perfectly played by Jim Broadbent. I think he hit the mark exactly.

So. The ending.

I really wanted so much more! The cave scene felt a little rushed (the Inferi were really really creepy and gross, though). I wanted it to be much eerier and scarier. I wanted it to be really really intense, with Harry desperately trying to help Dumbledore. I didn’t get a lot of the intensity and desperation I was hoping for. I didn’t mind that the Harry was hidden under the floor instead of his invisibility cloak (although several times in the movie, I thought, ”HE HAS AN INVISIBILITY CLOAK, USE IT GOD DAMN IT!”). And Snape popping up behind him and shushing him was okay, but still Harry would have screamed or done something.

The interaction between Malfoy/Dumbledore/Snape was well done, as was the fall from the Astronomy Tower. After that, I was disappointed. I wanted everything to bust loose into chaos. I love Helena Bonham Carter as the crazy-ass Bellatrix, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted all hell to break loose once Dumbledore was dead, just like it did in the book. It would have definitely seemed fitting.

And the confrontation between Harry and Snape was not intense enough. Harry screams at him to fight back, but he never attempts the Cruciatus Curse (that was actually set up in the fourth movie! they could have done that!). The half-dozen Death Eaters just kind of run away.

I did kind of like the wands in the air at the end, but again, I wanted more. I don’t cry at movies or books, but I definitely snivelled during Dumbledore’s funeral because J.K. Rowling brought back all the characters and impressed upon us how much Dumbledore meant to everyone.

The last scene was intersting to say the least. I already mentioned the physical separation of Ron from Harry and Hermione. We see the locket and learn that it’s fake–you know, R.A.B. But it reminded me that WE DIDN’T GET ANY CLUES AT ALL ABOUT ANY OF THE OTHER HORCRUXES! Only two memories were explored (sure, it’s hard to slip into a bunch of flashbacks, but they’re the core of this book), and neither of them set up Harry to be able to find the other Horcruxes. In fact, we don’t even learn what the locket is. I can only assume that this is yet another hole (plot-wise) that they will have to dig themselves out of in the last two films.

I probably sound negative, but overall I loved the movie and I think it was probably the best of the series so far. I thin it might have been worth the $12 ticket . . . maybe . . . I put a very very high value on money . . .