Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Review *SPOILERS!*
Okay, so here is the preliminary review of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince film! And seeing as you have obviously already read the books, there are no spoilers really anywhere to be found. Okay, so if you haven't read the books, or haven't seen the film, stop here. There be spoilers ahead!
Firstly, my initial reaction was: HOMYGODTHATWASBRILLIANT! And it rapidly accelerated from there.
Secondly, my aftershock reaction was something like this: "Wow, they managed it- they fit all of the information they really needed into a mere two and half hours. AND they managed to make it engaging enough and the continuity was solid enough for watchers who *GASP* hadn't read the book. Well done then."
I don't know if I can find anything seriously worth criticism. It was funny- much more so than any of the previous pictures, which is odd, because it's one of the darker, if not the darkest book in the series. But they managed to make ron/lavender work out but still be humorous and somewhat revolting, they had simply stunning scenes with harry and hermione just blossoming their friendship (trust me, that was the most heart wrenching part of the film for me, watching harry/hermione hurt/comfort with ron/lavender and ginny/dean making harry and hermione sad. Their comfort to each other, simply tender and touching and lovely.), they had plenty of ANGSTY!Draco and subsequent Supportive!Protective!
Criticizing!Snape, the Half-Blood Prince's book was everything I could've hoped for, the potions and slughorn were on target, diving into Dumbledore's memories of Riddle were riviting and somewhat scary in a perfect sort of dance between sympathy and remorse and disgust at young riddle's ways.
And the Harry/Ginny was subtle, but existent. Which is enough to make this hardcore Harry/Ginny shipper a happy camper indeed. OH! And the attack on the Burrow- So well played! I wonder though, if it was really in the book in the first place. I know this makes me a bad hp fan, but I simply don't remember if that's cannon or not, let alone if it were only Harry and Ginny that went after those who began the attack.
I was wrong, I do have a few criticisms. Nowhere in the film was there any sort of sign that Harry grieved Sirius's death. I realize that it wasn't as prominent in the books as some of the fanfic authors would like either, but it was there. It did not exist in the film. And I would have dearly loved to see more of Remus and Tonks, separate and together. They show them together briefly, but don't really re-iterate that that IS indeed tonks and that they ARE indeed involved.
Snape/Alan Rickman was beautiful. It was so well done- He's evil, but he's made an unbreakable vow, and Dumbledore asks him, "please," before snape casts the killing curse- leaving so much room for speculation. "Please, don't kill me?" or "Please, do what I asked you to do earlier, which is as of yet, undiscovered?" or "Please, kill me, I've drunk a potion that's killing me anyway, so give me a mercy stroke?"
Ahh, the wonders of delicate spy work and deception. Oh, here's an oddity though- Not once in this film was there a single frame of Voldemort. Plenty of Riddle. Zilch of Voldemort. Interesting... and Ron making keeper- wonderful. Loved every bit of Harry's episode with Felix as well- brilliant kind of character-acting. I would have sworn he'd just taken half a spliff rather than a powerful luck potion. Ah well.
It is four in the morning, or near to it, here in the great pacific northwest. I'm for bed.
Firstly, my initial reaction was: HOMYGODTHATWASBRILLIANT! And it rapidly accelerated from there.
Secondly, my aftershock reaction was something like this: "Wow, they managed it- they fit all of the information they really needed into a mere two and half hours. AND they managed to make it engaging enough and the continuity was solid enough for watchers who *GASP* hadn't read the book. Well done then."
I don't know if I can find anything seriously worth criticism. It was funny- much more so than any of the previous pictures, which is odd, because it's one of the darker, if not the darkest book in the series. But they managed to make ron/lavender work out but still be humorous and somewhat revolting, they had simply stunning scenes with harry and hermione just blossoming their friendship (trust me, that was the most heart wrenching part of the film for me, watching harry/hermione hurt/comfort with ron/lavender and ginny/dean making harry and hermione sad. Their comfort to each other, simply tender and touching and lovely.), they had plenty of ANGSTY!Draco and subsequent Supportive!Protective!
Criticizing!Snape, the Half-Blood Prince's book was everything I could've hoped for, the potions and slughorn were on target, diving into Dumbledore's memories of Riddle were riviting and somewhat scary in a perfect sort of dance between sympathy and remorse and disgust at young riddle's ways.
And the Harry/Ginny was subtle, but existent. Which is enough to make this hardcore Harry/Ginny shipper a happy camper indeed. OH! And the attack on the Burrow- So well played! I wonder though, if it was really in the book in the first place. I know this makes me a bad hp fan, but I simply don't remember if that's cannon or not, let alone if it were only Harry and Ginny that went after those who began the attack.
I was wrong, I do have a few criticisms. Nowhere in the film was there any sort of sign that Harry grieved Sirius's death. I realize that it wasn't as prominent in the books as some of the fanfic authors would like either, but it was there. It did not exist in the film. And I would have dearly loved to see more of Remus and Tonks, separate and together. They show them together briefly, but don't really re-iterate that that IS indeed tonks and that they ARE indeed involved.
Snape/Alan Rickman was beautiful. It was so well done- He's evil, but he's made an unbreakable vow, and Dumbledore asks him, "please," before snape casts the killing curse- leaving so much room for speculation. "Please, don't kill me?" or "Please, do what I asked you to do earlier, which is as of yet, undiscovered?" or "Please, kill me, I've drunk a potion that's killing me anyway, so give me a mercy stroke?"
Ahh, the wonders of delicate spy work and deception. Oh, here's an oddity though- Not once in this film was there a single frame of Voldemort. Plenty of Riddle. Zilch of Voldemort. Interesting... and Ron making keeper- wonderful. Loved every bit of Harry's episode with Felix as well- brilliant kind of character-acting. I would have sworn he'd just taken half a spliff rather than a powerful luck potion. Ah well.
It is four in the morning, or near to it, here in the great pacific northwest. I'm for bed.