Movie review
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (A+) - I noticed something interesting in the first 15 or so minutes of this newest Harry Potter film. The franchise has now completely grown up. I dont think I have ever sat through a Harry Potter film that has floated along so smoothly, so connected, and so well rounded as this one. This is easily the best adapted of all the books thus far, and easily the best in the film series thus far. The connection to the characters, their pains their struggles, the emotional connection you feel to them, for the first time, gets pushed to the front of the film, instead of being background to all the magic and wonder. This felt like a completely different film from the rest. It was mature, and grown up in a way the others were not. It's clear the director (also same guy who did Order of the Phoenix) has grown comfortable with the film, and is now fully confident of what he wants to do with these films. All of the actors as well gave some of the best performances seen in these films thus far.
I see already some idiots are getting frustrated and let down at this films slower pace, and more attention to story and character instead of action. It truly AMAZES me how stupid people are. If you want brainless action and minimal story, Transformers 2 is still playing. If you want something with substance, then this is it. Like Star Trek and Up before it, Half-Blood Prince takes a fantastical setting and uses it to create real characters you give a shit. If not for this being an obvious part of a larger franchise, it could almost stand alone in terms of look and style. This is also the first Potter film where the changes made from book to film felt like an overall improvement. This film did a masterful job of including all the necessary stuff while happily omitting the filler. And even when tragedy sets at the end, when you have read the book and KNOW what is coming, the scene is handled with such PERFECT acting, and great suspense, it still managed to make me tear up.
The end result of a cast and crew now completely confident of what they are doing and what they want to accomplish in this franchise has resulted in what is this series most mature and emotionally compelling film to date. It is also the perfect set up for what is sure to be a chaotic finally. A finale that is guaranteed to be a beast of a film (or in this case, FILMS). Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is nothing short of one of the very best films put out this year. A must see.