Harry Potter Marathon Part 6: The Slug Club

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HP6: The Half-Blood Prince

This was my favorite book.  Half Blood Prince took us to a level of depth and dimensions into so many characters that we hadn't seen before.  Harry, Ron, Draco Malfoy.  Dumbledore.  Voldemort.  Understanding the story of how Voldemort became who he is was one of the most frightening things I've read, because you can almost - ALMOST - understand it.  You can see it - and you can easily see the parallels in the lives of Harry, and later, in the next book, Dumbledore and Snape.  How these different men had similarly terrible things happen to them, at such young ages, and how they chose to cope.  The decisions they made.  I was super excited to see this movie, and I felt like they did great justice to a lot of my favorite scenes, but at times at the sake of some others.  The pace suddenly slows down, and never regains it's momentum enough to carry what should have been an epic ending sequence.

• I love love love that they started with one of the final shots from OotP.  It puts  you RIGHT BACK in that mindset, remembering what Harry has just been through, what he's lost.  I also absolutely love the music here. 
• And then we're thrown into this incredible sequence with the bridge.  Suddenly we're seeing these events we've watched unfold and how they affect the modern muggle world, which we'd almost forgotten. 
• I am not a fan of smarmy Harry here.
• Magic perfume ad.  I see what you did there.
• I'm pretty sure I almost screamed when they did the apparition sequence, which was a perfect graphic depiction of the way Rowling described it.
• They Turned. Slughorn.  Into.  The Chair.  I was so excited.   Jim Broadbent.  I kept trying to picture who they'd cast and until I heard the announcement, I couldn't think of who it would be.  And when I heard, I thought, GOD That's brilliant.  He's so perfect.
• I laughed a little when I realized Bonnie was taller than Dan.  But then, Dan is ridiculously short. I love this short sequence in the Burrow, sitting up in Ron's room.
• Ah, Spinners End.  Helen McCrory.  I am so glad they brought her in with this, since she couldn't be Bellatrix - and it's really I think better this way, because Bonham-Carter OWNS that role, but McCrory's proud desperation here is so great.
• Weasley's Wizard Wheezes is perfect.  Although the whole "twins talking at the same time" thing started to get old two movies ago.
• I thought the train sequence was well done. I like that Luna is the one to find him here, in those hilarious glasses.  "Personally, I think you look more 'Devil may care' this way."  She's brilliant.
• Hahaha I love Harry and Ron watching the first years mill around.  And Maggie Smith looks so old :(  I love her.
• The drought of living death sequence is like, straight out of the book perfection.
• I have no idea why they had Dumbledore ask about Hermione.  I do like this version of "memories" better than other things we've seen.  There's a fuzzy, watery feeling to it all, we can still see colors but they're muted.  And this kid.  THIS KID.  Man he's creepy.  
• Cormac McClaggen is appropriately skeevy.  And Lavender Brown is hilariously insane.
• Katie Bell.  Wow.  This sequence was amazing.  SO creepy.  SO SO creepy.
• "She's got nice skin."  lol. 
• LION. HAT.  LUNA.  Wait.  I TOTALLY JUST NOTICED IT BLINK.  But it doesn't roar!  WHY DOESN'T IT ROAR.
• Poor Hermione.  "But I am the chosen one."  LOL.
• I kind of hated that Neville was a server at the Christmas Party.  But, you know, it meant lines for Neville.  And I kind of like this interaction between Harry and Snape.  Like.  Why the hell do you think I am going to answer that question.
• Vanishing Cabinet.  I love the way they say this.  Vanishing Cabinet.
• Right, the attack in the burrow.  Look, I know it's not canon, but I kind of like it.  The movie has such a slow pace, it serves as a way to remind you of what's actually going on outside the castle.  Not only that, but it gives a little character to Ginny, she's just as brave and strong willed as Harry, running after him like that. 
• Ah, Ron on love potion.  I love this scene.  Ron is HYSTERICAL.  I love the scene in the hospital afterwards, when all the teachers just watch the scene with Lavender unfold.  Id have been laughing so hard.
• Sectumsempra.  Malfoy.  Tom Felton does a fantastic job here, this scene is great. 
• And now my least favorite scene, mostly because this is not the way Ginny/Harry is supposed to happen.  Ginny is not a quiet, keep things secret kind of person, and this whole "I can stay hidden up here too" just doesn't WORK for her character.  Although the music is gorgeous here.  And I love Ginny, I do, but it just doesn't fit.
• Ah, Felix Felices.  Favorite.  Sequence.  Ever.  Whoever decided that Harry should be basically high is a genius, it's one of the most hilarious scenes in the whole series.  "That would be counterproductive, sir."  The story about the fish is pretty contrived, but it served a good purpose, setting up the memory. 
• Which is wonderful.  This kid is fantastic.  And now we know what we're dealing with - now Harry and Dumbledore understand.  They know what they're looking for now. 
• And now we come to the climax, the downhill pitch of the movie.  I wish there was a scene here, with Ron and Hermione and Ginny.  Even just a short one.
• The Cave.  I don't know what I expected.  But it was so well done.  Gambon does this fabulously.  And Radcliffe...it's just heartbreaking to watch.  And even though I always know it's coming...I freak out a little every time that inferi hand comes out of the water. 
• This.  I was so anxious for this scene, and Felton did a fantastic job.  His despair is perfect.  And Dumbledore's death is epic and tragic.
• But there is no battle.  And nobody understands why.  Maybe it just wasn't budgeted.  Whatever.  There SHOULD have been a fight here.  It needs it.  The Death Eaters just walk out of the castle, unchallenged.  
• The music here is simply incredible.  I love the wands thing, how they dispel the dark mark with the light of their wands.  I was balling hysterically at this point in the theater. 
• I wish we'd gotten the funeral.  I wish Ginny had been there, at the top of the tower, with the others.  I wish...Ron had lines.  And again, we have the quiet ending, like the last movie, only this time, there is no light, happy, hopeful ending.  Just the understanding of what we have to next.  What we're facing now.  What has to happen next. 

Despite it's obvious flaws, HBP does one important thing exceedingly well, and that's tell us the tale of young Tom Riddle, and the path of Voldemort.  I suppose it's good that it does this best, because without it the setup of the horcruxes, and the intersection of the lives of Harry, Dumbledore, Snape and Voldemort would not carry the weight they do in the next film and, presumably, the last.

Deathly Hallows: Part 1 will have to wait until tomorrow, I'm afraid!