FILM FREAK: 2 buckets
MOVIE GEEK'S REVIEW:
I'm one of those people who have never read the books. When the first "Harry Potter" movie came out back in 2001, I made the conscious decision to not delve into the source material until after all the movies had played out.
I decided that I wanted to evaluate each of the films on their cinematic quality rather than their success as an adaptation.
While I hope this decision will prove to be a good one in the end, after viewing this latest film, I'm really lost and infuriated with the lack of information that is conveyed.
"Half-Blood Prince" is the first "Harry Potter" film that fully functions on the notion that its audience already knows the characters and exactly what has transpired over the last films. Sure this choice might be good in that it keeps the pace traveling at a steady speed, but it doesn't help any casual viewer.
Similarly, this is the first film in the series that I can actually "feel" the missing plot devices from the book. It's painfully obvious that there are massive chunks of the books missing in this film, and I kind of scratch my head as to why. It can't be the whole "running time" issue as everyone is aware that all Harry Potter fans will gladly sit thru a 3 hour plus film.
One of the must frustrating things for me was the handling of the "reveal" of the Half-Blood Prince. Absolutely no time is spent on explaining exactly what it means to be the Half-Blood Prince. I feel absolutely cheated, as literally all the character says is "and yes, I am the Half-Blood Prince." No more screen time is devoted to explaining what the heck it means.
The last 10-15 minutes of this film just really make me angry, as the climax and the promise of a spectacular finale just aren't there. The film ends just like "The Empire Strikes Back" in a sense, but there is no emotional weight behind any of it. It shocks me, as there is a load of character development strewn throughout this series. It's unnerving to see this penultimate film fall flat on that aspect.
While this film is better than "Order of the Phoenix," there is nothing spectacular in it. All the background magic that I loved from the previous films is gone unless it serves as a plot device. It makes me wonder if director David Yates is getting lazy. This is his second film with the series, and he will finish it out with the two-part "Deathly Hallows." I just don't get the sense of wonder and excitement with this film, unlike "Prisoner of Azkaban," with which director Alfonso Cuaron did so well with the third installment.
After "Order of the Phoenix," my love of the series started to diminish. And while "Half-Blood Prince" does give me some hope, I'm very nervous about how the upcoming finale is handled.
Because of my frustration, I'm really feeling the "pull" to go ahead and read the source material. Hopefully I can wait, as I've already avoided it for this long.
While the film version of "Half-Blood Prince" is making my emotions associated with the series fly every which way but loose, I have high hopes that the impending finale will fully restore my faith in witchcraft and wizardry.
3 buckets.
FILM FREAK'S REVIEW:
For those of you who are not up to date with where we are in the series, here's a refresher:
Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was.
Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is quickly approaching. Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information.
Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry finds himself more and more drawn to Ginny, but so is Dean Thomas. Lavender Brown has decided that Ron is the one for her, but she hadn't counted on Romilda Vane's chocolates.
Then there's Hermione, simmering with jealousy, but determined not to show her feelings.
As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.
Unlike my counterpart, I wasn't a huge fan of "Harry Potter" before this movie and it's safe to say that I'm still not.
I've gathered from other people that usually flock to these films that they are good adaptations of the source material. You do hear complaints here and there, but overall, not the sense I get from most fans is that the movies are good interpretations of their literary counterparts.
That said, I can't imagine that "Half-Blood Prince" is a good adaptation, since I was unable to follow or make sense of a large portion of the movie.
Although there were more laughs than I expected, I also expected to be entertained as with any movie and I didn't really get that.
If Harry Potter is supposed to be "the Chosen One" in the world of wizardry, then why is it in every movie he consistently gets his butt kicked or gains victory only through luck or help from someone else? Maybe this notion is what prevents me from enjoying this series.
I certainly hope that fans of the books get some enjoyment out of this one, but I just can't seem to enjoy myself with this series.
2 buckets
