Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

[myrosiedog]

Originally Posted by Bearcata

You will not have missed much. Seriously, the majority of the action happens at the very beginning of the book. The trailers are misleading, the bridge scene happens in the first five minutes and after that it is 2 hours and 20 minutes of ho hum where is this movie going. The movie is well crafted and there are lots of small story arcs with the kids becoming young adults and developing romances which is nice to see. But I have a very hard time seeing Harry Potter as a hero. Yes, he is the Chosen One, but he is clueless, helpless and brainless. .

I couldn't agree more. I was very disappointed. I was actually squirming in my seat because I was bored by halfway through. I thought it was the worst of the films.
The vanishing cabinet wasn't explained well. I didn't think that there was a good climatic scene like in Goblet of Fire. I thought it totally missed it's mark this time around.

[Google]

 

[Yankee]

I think it was quite good film. Quite funny, quite serious.

[Bearcata]

Originally Posted by myrosiedog

I couldn't agree more. I was very disappointed. I was actually squirming in my seat because I was bored by halfway through. I thought it was the worst of the films.
The vanishing cabinet wasn't explained well. I didn't think that there was a good climatic scene like in Goblet of Fire. I thought it totally missed it's mark this time around.

I closed my eyes during the cave sequence at the end of the film and I think I would have fallen asleep except I heard the audience gasp when the creatures came out of the water.

[MissGogo]

I floved this movie. I thought Dumbledore was so much better this time around.

[mom2]

I've seen it 3 times now, I will get the dvd. My kids are still quoting lines, especially when Harry is "high" on lucky potion.

[ClosetRTWatcher]

I saw the movie this afternoon after recently re-reading the book. There were definite things I liked and things I didn't. I will spoiler just in case...

PROS:
[[
- I liked the scene with Katie, could definitely scare younger kids!
- Great humor, I thought all the actors did well with this.
- For the most part I liked the way they handled the teen relationships.
- I liked the way they informed the audience that the problems were affecting the muggle world with the bridge scene at the beginning.
- The special effects were very well done. I liked the way they handled the memory sequences.
- I thought Draco was portrayed very appropriately! I also thought the way they dealt with the vanishing cabinets was better in the movie in the sense that it would be easier for non-book readers to follow.
- I was very glad they included the scene with the Weasley twins and their store. I like those boys!
- Although it will not be enough for people who have not read the book to catch on, there were little bits of extra info that made some connections for me that I liked. In the first memory of Tom Riddle there was a postcard on the wall of his room showing the cave where the horcrux is located. Also, in Diagon Alley they showed a wanted poster with Fenrir Greyback. At least it clued me in to what he looked like so I could easily pick him out of the Deatheaters later on. For non-book readers I would be surprised if they even picked up that that Deatheater was a werewolf!
]]

CONS:
[[
- WTH was up with the Deatheaters at the Burrow and the house catching fire? I just read the book and I don't recall this happening at all. Am I crazy? There wsa one other scene that I also thought never happened in the book, but I am drawing a blank at the moment. IMO, they are leaving too much of the book out - there is no room for extra scenes that are pointless to the actual story!
- No angst between Lupin & Tonks. They are just suddenly a couple.
- Why did Luna save Harry in the train? It bugs me a bit when they just randomly change little things with no apparent purpose. Maybe they just wanted to give Luna more screen time?
- I COMPLETELY agree with the poster who was disappointed by no fight scene at the end. That was the PERFECT opportunity for some action and they just let it go. They should have gotten rid of the dumb Burrow fire scene and included this content.
- I didn't completely buy that Harry would have stayed uninvolved at the end as Dumbledore confronted the Deatheaters if he had not been immobilized.
]]

PARTS LEFT OUT COMPLETELY THAT I REALLY MISSED:
[[
- I kind of wished the Dursley's had made an appearance at the beginning. When I was reading the book I was envisioning them on the couch with mugs of mead knocking them in the head!
- I REALLY missed the storyline with Fleur and Bill.
- I wanted to see the memories involving Voldemort's family. These other memories really helped make the point about likely items for the other Horcruxes so I have to wonder if they will somehow work this kind of stuff into the next movie.
]]

[AZChristian]

I agree with most of what you wrote, ClosetRTWatcher. There are a couple of points (which I picked up on more at the second time I saw the movie). Unfortunately, I haven't figured out how to "spoiler" things, so I'll have to provide the detail later, because I'm off to see it for the 3rd time today - in Imax 3D!!!!

[godzila]

Wow this is really a great movie with lot of fun including fantasy, Romance, suspense and horror.Though i am keen to watch this type of movies and basically the Harry Potter Movies but this one is fabulous.

[JLuvs]

For me the movie was a total let down. Way too much left out of the books and added suspense scenes that never happened when there was plenty they could have used from the book. The humor was the only thing that I think they hit the nail on the head with. It is barely better than the Goblet of Fire, and in my opinion that was the worst of the movies.

[Miss Scarlet]

I finally got to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. After reading all the reviews here I was prepared to be disappointed, but NOT AT ALL!

Add me to the list of those who loved it. I loved the way the teen crushes were handled & Ron on Love Potion had me laughing in the theater. I also liked the beginnings of genuine romantic feelings for some of them.
The development of the characters' personal growth & ability to not only handle trouble by reaction & luck, but understand, digest & cope in a more grown-up way, was perfect.
I found the flashbacks to be handled very well & excellent background material for what was to come, & still is to come in the next movie.
The cave sequence was suspensful & Draco's cockiness turning into fear & indecision was very realistic.
And Snape................. Snapier than ever I just love that character!

I wasn't happy, however, with the burning/attack on the Burrow. THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN IN THE BOOK AT ALL !!!!! It also didn't serve any purpose in advancing the story. The time could have been better used to show the conflict at Hogwarts with the Death Eaters. As the movie stood, they really didn't have a reason to be there. After all the build up with Draco getting the cabinet to work properly, they just came out of the cabinet, broke a few dishes & ran away. In the book, their "invasion" had much more dire purpose.

All in all, a great movie.