Harry Potter Review *spoilers*
SNAPE KILLS DUMBLEDORE (I warned you)
It's all the rage: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince! People are sitting outside dressed in Hogwarts/wizarding attire, waving their wands in the air and stupefying anyone who cuts in front of them. During opening night, the movie made 20 million dollars (is that right?). Yes, my friends! Harry Potter is the most popular wizard in the muggle world.
As I sat down in my seat, I was excited for this movie. Though 20 minutes of previews started to thwart my excitement, I was nevertheless anxious to see what was done with one of my favorite books in the series. The first five minutes was displeasing.
If memory serves me correctly, didn't Dumbledore meet Harry's Aunt and Uncle, causing quite a stir (this was like the Goblet of Fire to me...and the lack of the Weasley's at the Dursleys)? I was immediately confused. And the 20 some year old woman flirting with a 16 year old boy...who happens to be reading a newspaper not of that world? Curious.
As I sat in the sweltering hot theatre, my dad snoring to my right, my sister whispering questions to my left (my other sister was busy texting), I wondered if this movie was going to be any good. I was already a bit annoyed, but Draco was coming up soon...and I heard much talk about him in this movie.
As I suspected, Tom Felton made a brilliant performance as Draco Malfoy, the boy who must do an unforgivable spell or else he would be put to death by a certain dark lord. He started out as a cocky know-it-all who felt as though he had to seek revenge for his father's arrest. Harry Potter the chosen one? HA! Try Draco Malfoy bitches. As time progresses, he becomes less sure of himself, his face becoming paler and his eyes looking as though he was sleep deprived. He was torturing himself with this task...a task that should have been so simple for an experience death eater that was given to a boy of 16. Throughout the movie, you can see him becoming weak. Tom Felton portrays this torture perfectly, making me feel almost sorry for him.
Rupert Grint, as usual, was hysterical. I would've liked to see him try and get the memory out of Slughorn, rather than Harry. I think he would've done a better job at acting incredibly lucky...Daniel Radcliffe acted more stoned than anything. Anyways, Ron was caught in a love triangle between Hermione Granger (Emma Watson is gorgeous...but she as a bit weak in this one) and Lavender Brown (Perfect casting). Though Ron obviously fancies Hermione, Lavender is more aggressive (way aggressive) and snogs our young Weasley, causing Hermione to become slightly emo.
Speaking of relationships, I have to hone in on a particular one that was the most talked about during those days we were forced to live without this movie. Harry and Ginny. I won't go into specifics, seeing as though I have stuff to do and waves to surf, but their relationship was rather...bland. Ginny wasn't really a developed character, so Bonnie Wright's portrayal of her was a bit plain. In the books, she was this vibrant, confident character who seemed to have an outgoing personality; her mother's fierceness and her older twin brothers playfulness with a bit of Ron's humor. Yet in the movie, Bonnie seemed not to have grasped the character. It seemed to me that she was just reading her lines with a hint of emotion. The relationship on screen between Harry and Ginny made me quite uncomfortable. It was awkward (if that's what they were going for, they did one hell of a good job) which I figured it should have been. Harry's best friend's sister? That does cause for awkwardness...but in this case, there was no chemistry. To be able to feel the awkwardness and the uncontrollable chemistry between them would have changed the film entirely. Instead, it just made me want to leave the theatre and wonder why the hell Harry would go for Ginny.
Dumbledore. An abrupt change in subject...but it had to be said. Michael Gambon was spectacular, as always and demonstrated to us how our loved headmaster was getting old (just like Dame Maggie Smith...oh man, love her). I was looking forward to him dying, merely because I was hoping for a fantastic piece of acting and lead up to his actual demise. Pretty much it was him trying to talk Draco out of it while Draco pointed a wand and hesitated. The Death Eaters were spectators and merely smirked at the dilemma (except for Bellatrix Lestrange...once again, Helena Boheme Carter is fabulous). There wasn't exactly a trail to his death...it just....it just kind of happened. I was hoping more out of it, wanting to see the struggle...and I didn't much feel Harry's anger and disappointment.
The movie was great if you haven't read the book. If you have read the book, you'll be disappointed. The acting was mediocre and the plot was like Grandma's dress in the attic...filled with holes. And don't take someone who hasn't read the books, they'll be asking a ton of questions during the movie and after. Would I see this movie again? Yes, but only when it comes out in the cheap theatres... and I would perfect my game called "Where the Hell is Neville," a game I made while trying not to get angry at the film for not featuring Neville. I think Neville should have his own show.
.
It's all the rage: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince! People are sitting outside dressed in Hogwarts/wizarding attire, waving their wands in the air and stupefying anyone who cuts in front of them. During opening night, the movie made 20 million dollars (is that right?). Yes, my friends! Harry Potter is the most popular wizard in the muggle world.
As I sat down in my seat, I was excited for this movie. Though 20 minutes of previews started to thwart my excitement, I was nevertheless anxious to see what was done with one of my favorite books in the series. The first five minutes was displeasing.
If memory serves me correctly, didn't Dumbledore meet Harry's Aunt and Uncle, causing quite a stir (this was like the Goblet of Fire to me...and the lack of the Weasley's at the Dursleys)? I was immediately confused. And the 20 some year old woman flirting with a 16 year old boy...who happens to be reading a newspaper not of that world? Curious.
As I sat in the sweltering hot theatre, my dad snoring to my right, my sister whispering questions to my left (my other sister was busy texting), I wondered if this movie was going to be any good. I was already a bit annoyed, but Draco was coming up soon...and I heard much talk about him in this movie.
As I suspected, Tom Felton made a brilliant performance as Draco Malfoy, the boy who must do an unforgivable spell or else he would be put to death by a certain dark lord. He started out as a cocky know-it-all who felt as though he had to seek revenge for his father's arrest. Harry Potter the chosen one? HA! Try Draco Malfoy bitches. As time progresses, he becomes less sure of himself, his face becoming paler and his eyes looking as though he was sleep deprived. He was torturing himself with this task...a task that should have been so simple for an experience death eater that was given to a boy of 16. Throughout the movie, you can see him becoming weak. Tom Felton portrays this torture perfectly, making me feel almost sorry for him.
Rupert Grint, as usual, was hysterical. I would've liked to see him try and get the memory out of Slughorn, rather than Harry. I think he would've done a better job at acting incredibly lucky...Daniel Radcliffe acted more stoned than anything. Anyways, Ron was caught in a love triangle between Hermione Granger (Emma Watson is gorgeous...but she as a bit weak in this one) and Lavender Brown (Perfect casting). Though Ron obviously fancies Hermione, Lavender is more aggressive (way aggressive) and snogs our young Weasley, causing Hermione to become slightly emo.
Speaking of relationships, I have to hone in on a particular one that was the most talked about during those days we were forced to live without this movie. Harry and Ginny. I won't go into specifics, seeing as though I have stuff to do and waves to surf, but their relationship was rather...bland. Ginny wasn't really a developed character, so Bonnie Wright's portrayal of her was a bit plain. In the books, she was this vibrant, confident character who seemed to have an outgoing personality; her mother's fierceness and her older twin brothers playfulness with a bit of Ron's humor. Yet in the movie, Bonnie seemed not to have grasped the character. It seemed to me that she was just reading her lines with a hint of emotion. The relationship on screen between Harry and Ginny made me quite uncomfortable. It was awkward (if that's what they were going for, they did one hell of a good job) which I figured it should have been. Harry's best friend's sister? That does cause for awkwardness...but in this case, there was no chemistry. To be able to feel the awkwardness and the uncontrollable chemistry between them would have changed the film entirely. Instead, it just made me want to leave the theatre and wonder why the hell Harry would go for Ginny.
Dumbledore. An abrupt change in subject...but it had to be said. Michael Gambon was spectacular, as always and demonstrated to us how our loved headmaster was getting old (just like Dame Maggie Smith...oh man, love her). I was looking forward to him dying, merely because I was hoping for a fantastic piece of acting and lead up to his actual demise. Pretty much it was him trying to talk Draco out of it while Draco pointed a wand and hesitated. The Death Eaters were spectators and merely smirked at the dilemma (except for Bellatrix Lestrange...once again, Helena Boheme Carter is fabulous). There wasn't exactly a trail to his death...it just....it just kind of happened. I was hoping more out of it, wanting to see the struggle...and I didn't much feel Harry's anger and disappointment.
The movie was great if you haven't read the book. If you have read the book, you'll be disappointed. The acting was mediocre and the plot was like Grandma's dress in the attic...filled with holes. And don't take someone who hasn't read the books, they'll be asking a ton of questions during the movie and after. Would I see this movie again? Yes, but only when it comes out in the cheap theatres... and I would perfect my game called "Where the Hell is Neville," a game I made while trying not to get angry at the film for not featuring Neville. I think Neville should have his own show.
.