Movie review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

It's hard to imagine anyone who isn't already engrossed in the Harry Potter series of films deciding, "Oh, gee, I think I'll see the new one -- even though I haven't seen any of the others."

Either you're on the Potter bus or you're not. Either you've been captivated by J.K. Rowling's series about a young wizard forced to deal with his destiny or you haven't. Some people are fantasy-resistant -- even if they have kids who are in Rowling's thrall.

As far as the new film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, it's far too late for a newcomer to wander into the story for the first time and make any sense of it. Which says nothing about the film's commercial prospects: After all, this is #6 in the series -- and the previous five haven't done too badly.

Each of the films, in fact, has been better than the last. For those of us who've been with this engrossing fantasy series from the start, Half-Blood Prince is thrilling storytelling, a sumptuous, engrossing tale based on what may be the series' most compelling installment.

Half-Blood Prince is the sixth book, but it really concludes the overall story's second act -- Act Three being the massive seventh book, so sprawling that it will require two films to tell it in 2010. As such, Half-Blood Prince is packed with revelations, even as it leaves the audience hanging at the end -- a la The Empire Strikes Back and The Two Towers.

Indeed, this film -- and the book on which it was based - jettison comfortably familiar signposts from the past. There is no comic opening interlude with Harry's Muggle family, the dreaded Dursleys. There's barely a sighting of Voldemort, the dark lord who has been the increasingly powerful villain throughout the series. In fact, there's no preamble at all -- just Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his mentor, Prof. Dumbledore (Michael Gambon), meeting in a London subway, then jumping into the story straightaway.

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Comments

[querencia]

SPOILER WARNING - I don't mind that the films must include some of the story and some not. What i do mind is the changing of subtleties in story and dialog that change the characters. Dumbledore is gay. He wears a purple velvet suit in the scene when he first meets Tom Riddle- Harry says "nice suit sir" when he is in the memory with him. It is a moment in the book that says a lot about both characters and their relationship. Putting him in a gray business suit in the movie is just asinine. The film also leaves out that Malfoy is mid -unforgivable-curse in provoking the sectumsepra counter curse from Harry (pre-emptive war is ok???) Ginnie BREAKS UP with Dean BEFORE getting involved with Harry in the book, AFTER in the movie. From my perspective these scripting choices reflect the crap values and lack of integrity that Hollywood continues to communicate permission for. What I love about the HP books is that they do the opposite. I am dismayed that either Rowling has no control over the script or doesn't care. Whatever- I respect her, I love the stories and i can never resist the movies anyhow. What next? Will Harry kill Malfoy instead of saving his life in The Deadly Hallows movie?

[bluephenom]

It's incredible to see the HP series grow and grow with each new iteration. Rowling has done such an incredible job of creating an unique culture. Here is a related post about Harry Potter and business culture http://sparxoo.com/2009/07/14/the-new-harry-potter-film-and-business-culture//) that I thought was interesting.