[Movie] Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

So you still have a lot to look forward to. He was intentionally leaving out the real suspense of the book/movies.

 

Apparently!

My issue with Chamber of Secrets is that it is a very "kidsy" movie. I found the snake scene at the end to be ridiculous and totally unbelievable (granted, none of it is really believable, but even for this world...just something was off about the scene, to me). I never really liked Aragog that much (seemed like a copy of the spider concept from LOTR) but even so, found the creatures to be very puppet-esque. Even Branagh, who I think nonetheless acts the part really well...even his character has a stupid gaiety. I still liked the movie in all, just not my favorite.

Whereas, on the other hand, Sirius' character has been one of my favorites, I really really liked what they did at the end of Prisoner's with the doubling back in time, liked the dementors, etc. Just liked Prisoner.

I just can't like this one that much. There was so so little action. I can see why many people do like it...it seemingly would attract the same crowd that liked Twilight. A lot of focus on relationships, on an overall "dark tone", etc....but nothing really happens in the movie - even with the big event at the end, there is no fight scene or anything. Again, I still liked the movie. I though Lavender's character was great. I thought, once again, Draco Malfoy was acted perfectly. But just not my favorite overall.

 

I totally disagree about cutting out some of the relationship stuff. There is every bit as much hormonal angst in the book as there is in the movie, it's just presented in a different way. The book pays more attention to Harry and Ginny after they get together, whereas the movie focuses on the buildup. That makes sense for the film, considering they couldn't visually show what Harry was feeling internally.

Both Ron and Hermione, and Harry and Ginny are two very important relationships in the book series. To focus less on them would be a disservice to the story and it would create some problems in the final movies. And one reason why I enjoyed those parts (both in the film and the book) is that it provides some hope in an otherwise progressively menacing world. For Harry specifically, as I've mentioned before, Ginny is his chance for a normal life.

I also disagree about the fight at the end. I didn't notice it's absence at all. And to include it would have to include a lot more backstory. Plus, perhaps Yates chose to cut it out because it might have been a little repetitive with the last movie. And the reason why the death eaters were there was to ensure Draco succeeded in his mission...not to specifically fight the DA and the aurors.

After watching a second time, I enjoyed it even more, especially since I knew what to expect (what was different between the film and the book). The Burrow scene in the middle was one of my favorites in the movie, and one that wasn't in the book. I kind of feel Yates wanted that scene so that they could further different subplots without having to add an extra 30 minutes to the movie. To that end, it was an effective.

Spoiler

My only real complaints about the movie now, would be Harry and Ginny's kiss. I love the scene in general. It works just as well as the scene in the book. But the kiss should have been longer. Also Harry seems to dismiss them as a couple a little bit at the end when he's talking to Hermione...but I imagine that's just because his character doesn't wear his emotions on his sleeve. Still, they need to focus a little bit on Harry and Ginny in the next movie before he continues his quest for the horcruxes. I need to see a little more weight added to their relationship.

The cave scene. It was a great scene, but they didn't quite nail it. For the first time in the series, we start to see that Dumbledore is in fact, mortal. And the potion sequence in the cave was a heartbreaking moment. I would have liked to see Dumbledore show a little more pain, and some tears between the two.

Snape's reveal. I understand they couldn't focus on the potions book as much as the book did, but the reveal was a big "so what." I would have liked to see a bit more anger from Snape

Awesome movie though. It's hard for me to rank 3 and on because they are just about equal in my enjoyment. The first two would still be at the bottom, not because I didn't like them, but because they are hard to watch now, considering those two are very geared toward's children.

 

They didn't need Harry at the beginning with the coffee shop girl, nor did they need Dumbledore to ask Harry anything about relationships. I don't remember Hermione's behavior being that big of a deal in the book(her interest in Ron was obvious in Goblet of Fire). They could have had less Lavender Brown. Ron & Harry certainly didn't need to discuss Ginny/Hermoine's nice skin.

 

I dunno, maybe i'm being too critical, but I was just kind of asking myself why exactly are the death eaters here? To cheerlead ? Any one of them could've done the deed themselves instead of Snape. And because of this, the whole backstory of the vanishing cabinets is really irrelevant, since they didnt really do anything at all....to me, the movie is completely and utterly unbalanced w/o the fight in the end.

 

Of course in the book the teachers/students and death eaters were fighting each other. The death eaters were not supposed to kill Dumbledore. That task was Draco's. They were essentially testing Draco, while punishing Lucius Malfoy if he failed. Snape being under the unbreakable vow, as well as other reasons, then carries out the act after hesitation of Draco.

In the book, you never really knew what Draco was up to. You find out that whatever it was in the store, you knew Draco had another one that he was trying to repair.

 

I've read the book I was merely pointing out the fact that the ending in the movie seemed flawed.

 

I'm not saying cut out relationship stuff. I would just argue, as you do, that it wasn't all done that faithfully. That said, as I've mentioned, I think the Ron/Lavender storyline was done perfectly.

To stay on this a bit, near the very very end of the movie, there is a little snippet where Hermoine tells Harry that Ron is okay with Harry and Ginny being together or something to that effect. If you've read the book, you get the point. But it was kind of just thrown in there. At no point in teh movie that I recall does it every seem like Ron has a problem with that potential relationship...principally because at no point is it ever really a relationship. It's clear that Harry and Ginny have grown closer, and they do have that kiss in private, but nothing publicly, so Hermoine's comment there just doesn't make any sense.

I found a lot of moments like this in the movie, where you knew what they meant because you had read the book, but you also knew that they probably filmed a lot more movie and something was left out on the editing table for time reasons, but would have helped the story.

I'd still be much happier with a fight scene at the end. The point about the vanishing cabinets being useless is valid. What do the deatheaters need to be there for? Snape has already sworn to do it if Draco can't. Plus, it's in the book and the movie just needed more action.

 

The coffee shop scene was less than five minutes and served as a segway to Harry meeting with Dumbledore. It also, if you were quick enough, showed that the Minister had been replaced in an article Harry was reading. Honestly I would rather have that scene and the opening Death Eater attack than a 10 minute dialogue between the Minister of Magic and the Prime Minister. It's just one of those examples that what happens in the book doesn't necessarily translate well to film.

I loved how Dumbledore was asking Harry about Hermione, and then his little snippet in the infirmary regarding Ron and Lavender. It fits perfectly with Michael Gambon's interpretation of the character.

In the book, I almost felt that Hermione was much more upset with Ron than what we saw in the film. They were really at odds with each other. And most of those scenes were in the book. And I'm not too sure here, but I seem to recall the "skin" comments happening in the book too. It felt very familiar. I could be wrong though.

In any case, I think the budding romances were a pretty integral part of the book, and were given their deserved screen time here.

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I can understand the end fight. It probably would have been nice to include it, but it really wasn't that necessary. The Death Eaters were there, again, to ensure Draco succeeded. Up until that point, he had not. And, the Death Eaters, as we see earlier, were trying to infiltrate Hogwarts throughout the movie. It was Draco's task, but what happens if he doesn't do it. What happens if Snape isn't there....well that puts some cramps in the seventh book that's for sure. But in any case, I'm pretty sure Bellatrix wouldn't have any qualms with stepping in for Draco.

 

I agree with you there. While I liked all the moments with Harry and Ginny, I just didn't feel as much as a connection between them as I did in the book. Which is why I hope they touch on it a little more in the next movie.

 

See, personally I always liked the whole dual minister scene from the book. I'm okay with them leaving it out as it is just added fluff...but then, not at the expense of extra random fluff. Moreover, it feels like it would have worked int his case considering the whole bridge destruction scene - they had one random scene of violence on the muggle world but never go back to it...if you had 5 minutes of minister meets minister, the bridge scene would have fit in better...imo.

 

I did not like the absence of the final fight scene. Outside of beating up Malfoy, Harry comes off pretty pathetic in this movie. It has been a while since I read the book, but it seems like the fight was going poorly inside the castle until Harry through it chasing Snape. While Harry still couldn't take on Snape, it showed that he was a force to be reckoned with for the average death eater.

 

True but then it might have been a bit redundant...them talking about the violence and then seeing it. I think you can only have one. I actually was hoping we would get to see a few more attacks in addition to the bridge. But then I think that whole sequence was chained together as part of the Death Eaters kidnapping of Ollivander. It took me awhile to realize it though.

 

Spoiler

Actually in the book the fight is pretty even specifically because the DA used the rest of the Felix Felicis. Harry was pretty much the same in the books as he was in the movie. And when Snape fled through the castle, he told the rest of the Death Eaters that it was time to go, so Harry really didn't have a chance to fight. Snape kicked his ass even more so in the book than what we see here, which I think was the point. Harry was being a little reckless chasing after Snape like he did, especially considering Dumbledore told him to stay hidden.

Again I don't think they quite nailed the ending, but it was moreso because of the "reveal" than a lack of the fight...imo at least.

 

This is only the 2nd potter movie I've seen (didn't read the books) and for being the 'chosen one', Harry got his ass beat all around and was indeed, quite the pud

 

^^Again exactly as it happened in the book. If you do watch them all and read the books as well, I think it becomes clear that while he is the chosen one he isn't the greatest wizard ever, or even necessarily of his generation. His bravery goes unmatched, he can play mad quidditch and he has an uncanny ability to get out of tricky situations. But he has help. They allude to it, especially at the end of Order of the Phoenix. But, imo, Harry's greatest power and weapon is love...cheesy as it sounds.

 

Disagree. Tonks specifically says "we were losing" referring to the fight before the Death Eaters went up the tower. Harry knocked an unnamed death eater out on way out of tower, saved Ginny by slamming Amycus against a wall, took down Fenrir, and bloodied up the blonde wizard. So while Snape may have told the other Death Eaters to leave, they didn't until Harry joined the fight and slapped them around a little bit on his way after Snape.

While Harry isn't portrayed as the greatest wizard ever in the books, he isn't completely lucky either. Snape truly did kick his rear. Then again Snape did deceive one of the greatest wizards ever so it wasn't like he got beat down by a nobody.

 

Its obvious that he has amazing talent throughout the books, but he has such little magic knowledge. Anything he sets out to learn, he pretty much gets it quicker than most, but doesn't seem interested in hitting the books and practicing like Hermione. I was disappointed when reading the books how little actual spells he used.

 

This is one of the few (ok, probably only) times I've seen a movie series where I haven't read the book, so I am judging these purely by what the movies present. I really enjoyed the last two films but was disappointed in this one. It seemed to drag and was really just bogged down.

I understand there was a lot of key points happening in the movie (as pertaining to the story) but it just didn't really work well on film.

I feel kinda bad because the wife and I had a friend show up last minute so we had to drag him to the movie because we had plans to see it already. (He doesn't watch HP). I thought it wouldn't be a big deal because the last few movies were entertaining enough that he would at least enjoy himself. T

Yeah...not so much...