Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

[woodycakes]

Dark Secrets Revealed[All Movie Photos]I guess I have to start this by saying I'm not the biggest Harry Potter fan there is. I loved reading the books and I enjoy watching the movies, so I guess that makes me the bottom feeder of fans. I can't quote stuff and remember details, but I certainly enjoy the movies, so this entire entry will practically be coming from someone who's sort of forgotten the details of the book (and is easy to please -- when have I not been?)

Nevertheless, despite my being a supposed not-quite-fan, I actually woke up early (for me) to watch the first screening at Trinoma, which was full, despite it being a working/school day. We were lucky enough to still score tickets 5 minutes to showing time.

Before I forget: It's surpassed The Dark Knight with midnight screening ticket sales earning $22.2 million. Also, I really like all their posters, cause I'm shallow like that. i forgot to bring the scarf I crocheted AGAIN.

Critics Gonna Be Critics

These are mad times we live in! Mad! Photo courtesy of All Movie PhotosThe critics actually liked this one folks! It's the fifth highest scorer of the year right after (500) Days of Summer at number 4, Drag Me To Hell at 3 and Star Trek at 2! Up is still number 1. I really should watch that. But back to the critics.

Elizabeth Weitzman of the New York Daily News said:As for the ever-impressive supporting cast, neither a delightfully befuddled Jim Broadbent nor a wild-eyed Helena Bonham Carter can upstage Alan Rickman, who again proves invaluable as the slithery Prof. Snape.
I'm gonna say that the cast vastly improved acting-wise, when it comes to the young'uns, and I thought it lacked Snape, considering he is the half-blood prince. I wish there were a bit more of Snape, really. A bit more of his memories. A bit more of him period. I miss his greasy hair and Alan Rickman's delivery of lines.

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times said:I admired this Harry Potter. It opens and closes well, and has wondrous art design and cinematography as always, only more so.
YES YES YES. It was so beautiful. From the opening disaster of the Millenium bridge to the really pretty Underground sequence and every other pretty shot of Hogwarts, I kept turning to _lexizzle to tell him how I was so awestruck by the prettiness of the cinematography and the set design! I don't know how I felt with the other five films, but this one felt so rich and full of life -- despite not being one the more ~serious books.

Steven Rea of the Philadelphia Inquirer said:Slower and talkier than the five Potters that came before - but not necessarily in a bad way - Half-Blood Prince is a bubbling cauldron of hormonal angst, rife with romance and heartbreak, jealousy and longing.
It did have a ton of hormonal angst and I don't know if this is the result of some audience testing or FGD that said teenagers want angst, because I'm sure some hardcore fans would have preferred a more-canon take on the film, but for a Muggle-viewer, it surely brought on the romance and most of the couples (I'm looking at you Harry/Ginny! WTF?!) delivered with the entertainment.

While I Remain Easy to Please

How grand it must be to be the Chosen One. Photo courtesy of All Movie Photos

I've always been a little awkward around the acting of Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson (though I find myself girl crushing on her so freaking hard), I have to say that he improved in this film. He still had that wide-eyed look to him, maybe it's his style? But he will always be Harry Potter to me. He brought more emotion this time around.

I ♥ Ron Weasley so much. In the books, I love him and on screen, I love him even more because Rupert Grint does a fantastic job of bringing him to life. You know who else I love? Lavender Brown's real life actress, Jessie Cave because she entertained me so much. The look on her face whenever Ron is around really gets to me!

As I said, soon-to-be girl crush Emma Watson was so beautiful as Hermione. _lexizzle was right in saying she's gone a long way from her more-true-to-book-look in movies past. And her acting's vastly improved too. The pained look she has on her face whenever Ron/Lavender are around breaks my heart a bit. And to quote my brother again, Cormac McLaggen (Freddie Stroma) is the "douche of the wizarding world." I have to say, he's a really really pretty boy though. So funny. When he licked his finger during the dinner? I was like Hello PG rating!

I'm gonna be sad that there's no more Dumbledore in the next book because Michael Gambon (who apparently hasn't read any of the book) kinda grew on me after the death of Richard Harris. But anyway, I cried when he died in the book and because I knew that, I was preparing myself for his on-screen death which didn't cause any tears, thank goodness. He had a nice little wand-to-the-sky tribute, but I would have liked the funeral as well.

Luna Lovegood owns me!!! I liked her in the last movie -- I know celeni loved her -- but in this one Evanna Lynch really ups Luna's looniness despite being in only a few scenes. When Harry took her to the ball, I wished we'd seen more of her! She looked totally adorable though with her shades as she discovered Harry on the floor. Plus she sleepwalks! I love her.

Oh Bonnie Wright, I gotta say you're beautiful and you really look like a Weasley but honey, you totally made me not like Ginny Weasley. Not that I was her biggest fan in the books but I just did NOT feel anything in the Harry/Ginny thing. At all. Their kiss in the Room of Requirement wasn't much for me either, but dude, their romance or lack thereof was just whatever. Thus my non-buying of the fact that Harry 'hurt like Hermione' as she pined over Ron. Maybe he pines in his own way? I don't know.

DRACO FREAKING MALFOY, you can now have my babies. Kinda, I think. Tom Felton grew up nicely now didn't he? I just have to insert that I still love Neville Longbottom before I forget it. But back to Draco. Wow. So serious about your mission dear? I actually felt bad for him! And I don't feel bad for Slytherins! But I did for him cause he felt so compelled. Even if he was putting on that 'the-Dark-Lord-chose-me' bravado, you could tell he was scared. good job, boy. Plus thanks for bringing the pretty!

I really like Jim Broadbent so I'm not going to complain much about Slughorn even if that wasn't quite how I imagined him to be. Still, he makes pretty good friend-to-the-stars prof. Meanwhile, I'm still freaked out by Helena Bonham-Carter's Bellatrix Lestrange. Woman gives me nightmare all the time. Amazing.


Potter, take Weasley with you. He looks far too happy over there. Photo courtesy of All Movie PhotosAs I said in a comment to another friend's thoughts on the movie, I guess this movie was made to be appreciated more by non-book fans. Considering I didn't remember a lot of details of the book, other than the main plot and some sub-plots, I really enjoyed this movie. It was so visually appealing -- the shots were amazing! Plus there were so many 'funny' quips.

I don't know if their intention was to attract non-fans of the book because taking out key scenes and making up entirely new ones probably won't sit too well with canon fans. All the romance is sure to entertain someone I know (*cough*jamypye*cough*) who hasn't gotten past book 1.

Still, for something that I didn't expect to enjoy (not after Order of The Phoenix), I really did have fun watching it and I'm definitely looking forward to the last (two) movies.

ETA: I know I forgot so many things, but there was too many to remember (like Harry high on Felix Felicis!) thanks derschatzi. BUT I have to say that I found the girl Harry flirted with in the Underground to be tremendously beautiful.

RELATED: 100 Movies in 2009 [112/100]