Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince....

nattybatty55

Nadalaholic
The film was released yesterday, as anybody seen it? What did you think? What you expect? Did it live up to expectaions?

Synopsis:
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 fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort’s defenses and, to this end, 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. And Lavender Brown has decided that Ron is the one for her, only she hadn't counted on Romilda Vane's chocolates! And then there's Hermione, simpering with jealously 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. --© Warner Bros
 
As an avid reader and a huge fan of the books I'd have to say the movie wasn't bad. The ending was somewhat lacking and those who know the books will know what I mean when they've seen the movie.
 
I don't know how spoilers for movies in theaters work, so I'll just work the safe route...

I haven't seen the movie myself as of yet, but I did listen to PotterCast's after-movie opinions. I'm very curious of some of the things they mentioned but didn't explain. For example, Melissa mentioned that there was a moment in the movie where Dumbledore seems to realize that Harry is a Horcrux. I hope I catch that moment. I've heard that it's very good. That it's not the book, but the story is still there.

I believe that the actual battle at the end was cut, which I suppose will work better in the actual movie, because right now I can't really see how that would work. Right now I really can't see how a horde of Death Eaters could get into the school without a single teacher noticing.

I heard that the Harry/Ginny stuff was different. PC said that it was a bit awkward. They also said that it wasn't really developed much, which makes me worry about how they'll revive it in Deathly Hallows. At some point the movies need to make enough of a deal about their relationship to make it believable that they're married in the Epilogue.
 
To answer your questions Tciddaisc....

Yes, you should pick up on when Dumbledore figures out that Harry is a horcrux. I thought it was pretty obvious (but then I've read the books like a million times)

I was really disappointed at the lack of a battle scene at the end. Just Belatrix doing her destructive thing. The battle in the book as somewhat epic most of the Order was there even Bill (who gets injured in the book...which reminds me ....no phleghm ...oops Fleur..:)) In the book the Death Eaters get into the school the same way they do in the movie ... via the repaired (by Draco) Vanishing Cabinet.

Harry/Ginny stuff was kind of akward (as were some of the Hermione.Ron scenes ...IMHO they were over done.)

I don't mean to talk anyone out of going to see the movie. I am just a nitpicker where these movies are concerned because I love the books and have read them numerous times.
 
this was my fave book and the best movie so far. i laughed so much the funny parts were brilliantly done.

i'm a new HP fan i just read all the books within a month not that long ago. i wasn't too picky with the movie. i was not bothered by the parts from the book that were not added in the movie, they just didn't need to be added.

i pick at movies a lot i love to rip them apart but HBP was one of the very few that i did not rip to shreds. it was fun and very entertaining. my fave parts were all the Harry and Ginny scenes!!
 
I don't know how spoilers for movies in theaters work, so I'll just work the safe route...
The rules are the same as reviewing any movie. If you're going to give away any specific spoilers such as deaths, the ending, who turns out to be evil, etc. you need to put those in a spoiler code. :)
 
I really enjoyed the movie. I thought it was well done and had a great storyline. What I don't understand is why this movie of all the Harry Potter movies was rated PG ahen all the others were PG-13. This deserved a PG13 rating for sure! But overall, I enjoyed it. Not as good as the third one, but still pretty darn good!
 
^^ this and Prisoner of Azkaban are tied as my fave Potter movies and books.

i'm going to see this for a third time thursday i cannot wait!
 
Wow. I went to see it earlier today and it was amazing. Since I need to ramble: (It's kind of long. Sorry.)

I broke my ramblings into sections, since I have a lot to talk about. And it makes it easier to edit out what no one cares about. Which is another reason this is in a spoiler bracket.

Book Vs. Movie: There were several scenes that I had heard were cut that were scenes that I really liked in the book. I was happy to find that, while I did notice that they weren't there, it did not affect my enjoyment of the movie. It didn't matter that those scenes weren't there.

Luna finding Harry under the Cloak was something that I was worried about because I didn't want the glasses to see through it. It turns out that it was remarkably easy to get past that point, as all they had to do was make wrakspurts real. Not cannon, but I can live with it.

Harry/Ginny: Okay, I'll admit it. I was wrong. I seriously thought that not giving H/G the Victory Kiss was going to ruin them. As it turns out, their interactions were deliciously awkward without being to the point that it feels out of place. They're awkward like crushing teens are, and it fits with the movie canon. While I'm still disappointed that I didn't get to see one of my favorite moments ever, it doesn't bother the movie as a whole.

Ron/Hermione: This one was a bit overdone. I did find Hermione asking Harry about Ginny and Dean to be a nice addition that fit and gave them something to bond over, but in general it was a tad over-the-top.

Lavendar: In the books, I didn't really care about her. I knew that she'd never be with Ron so I didn't care. The actress that played Lavendar, however, made me positively hate her. And that's a good thing. Lavendar was a possessive, obsessive, overbearing, paranoid, jealous girlfriend, and that's the way she should be.

Lupin: He got a name in this one! +1000000 points to HBP!

Dumbledore: I didn't cry when he died. Then again, I didn't really cry when he died in the books, either.

Snape: Growl. "DON'T CALL ME COWARD'". Yeah. Hello? Also, he's the freaking Half-Blood Prince. They could have made a little bit of a bigger deal out of it considering the fact that it's the title of the movie.

Draco: Damn, when did Tom Felton get so awesome? He totally sold the movie as Draco, and I actually felt bad for him.

Quidditch: Woot! Rugby on brooms! Seriously, it looked so much better than it did before. Although I am still trying to figure out why Ginny was standing next to Harry at tryouts. Who gave her a co-captain badge? (Ginny yelling at the potential players? Awesome.)

Side Note: Harry and Ron trying to discuss Ginny and Hermione without making it obvioius that they were discussing Ginny and Hermione? Funny. Ron on love potion? Also funny. Harry on Felix Felices? Hilarious. Ginny being the only one to notice that a Mr. Potter has suddenly appeared in her house? Awesome. Ginny going after Harry when he runs through fire for no reason? Awesome.
 
::comes out of lurkerdom:: I wasn't impressed by the movie. Kinda anti-climactic, really or at least that was the impression I got. I might see it again after rereading the book, but I definitely won't be paying $9.00. More like $1.50 at the dollar theater in Raleigh.
 
You have a dollar theater? What, does it show the movie on a 9" screen?

It was a bit anticlimactic, but that didn't really bother me. Actually, come to think of it, it makes me expect more for the 7th. So maybe I'll hate Deathly Hallows because I expect it to make up for the lack of battle in HBP. :lol:
 
I found it anticlimactic myself. Since Azkaban, I've found the directing and editing has taken a nosedive. The movies feel like they're randomly spliced together or something... I dunno. I definitely liked this one much better than the last one, but still, it lacked cohesion. I really think they need to find a solid, tried and true director for the ending. I should check IMDB, since I don't know who they've gotten.
 
I don't think you'll like the answer, BabaOReilly. Since I'm pretty sure it's the same one.

I didn't really notice the lack of cohesion on my first viewing. Maybe when I see it a second time I'll notice. And now I'll have to since you've all been telling me so. Way to ruin the movie, guys. :lol:
 
Hey, I didn't think it was terrible or anything... I think you'll be OK. :lol:

I should probably mention right now that I didn't find Twilight anything special either, so that may say something about my viewing styles... :lol:

If you're a Potter fan, you must see this movie, without a doubt. I did for that reason. However, as a critical film viewer (outside my Harry Potter fanhood) I just saw a lot of flaws in how it was filmed. Still, I'd give it at least a 6 out of 10, and that's better than a lot of films I've seen, trust me.

So, still entertaining, just not quite up to the hype in my opinion.
 
Yay! You didn't like Twilight! *moves BabaOReilly to head of sane people list*

Like I said, upon first viewing I didn't notice that stuff. Certain things on second viewing stood out, but nothing much.

I'll give it 7.5/10 movie-wise. I did think it was one of the best HP movies so far. The acting was very good, and the plot didn't suffer too much from the major cuts from the book. Some things didn't go over as well, but they should be able to repair that in Deathly Hallows, depending on how they write it.
 
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