Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - movie (spoilers)

Television, Movies Games and Books Harry Potter
#35

I really liked the movie, but i haven’t yet read the series past the first book yet. but the story was a little awkward and condensed at moments. On the other hand the acting was quite good. Over all was on the edge of my seat. I liked the romantic angle it was the lightness and cuteness it needed to keep the whole thing from turning into Macbeth. I will say there is one nagging thing about the movie and its nothing anyone could have done, but the actors just look to old for the age range they’re playing. just pulls me out of the movie a little.

But a great movie. loved the end scene with harry and Snape. Dude just steps up and takes them all out. he’s like I don’t really want to do this, but once i start your all screwed

now on to book number 2 (my favorite movie)

#36

Have ya seen kids nowadays…Girls look 20 in High School. And most of the kids are about the ages they should be maybe a year or two older. Much better than most HS movies where the actors are in their mid 20’s

#37

we saw the movie saturday night and it’s is the best one so far IMO. And I agree with a previous poster that Emma Watson finally brought it! I was cringing gong in at having to suffer through her acting again. I didn’t reread book 6 before the movie so I was just going along with the ride.

I think there is much they can add in to the 1st DH movie to tie up some loose ends. I read a quote that book 7 was “the never ending camping trip” so we’ve been talking about what will be in 1st half and 2nd half. I like others ideas of having funeral at the beginning and even having the battle come there instead of having the wedding at all. There’s going to be some need of filler for this 1st movie and I think it will end with the escape from Gringott’s.

Don’t know why they chose to blow up the Burrow. But, now Arthur and Molly can rent Shell Cottage and voila-no need for Bill and Fleur. (But, I do hate that the “7 Potters” won’t need to happen). Funeral, attack, escape to Grimmauld Place, camping trip, malfoys, shell cottage, gringotts.

#38

Hm whereas if they end the first one at Gringotts, then all that’s left in yhe 2nd one is the Battle of Hogwarts - which I think would be awesome but I don’t think they have the budget to do 2.5 hours of battle. My quarter (though I’m not a betting person) would be on the cut coming somewhere around the Malfoy Manor part - either they get caught and then the next movie starts with them there, or it ends suspensefully with the torture, etc.

Bright and cheery, I know. But as I have had more time to think about it - I expected the movie to be darker than it is, and am perhaps a bit annoyed that the movie took that away. Because it’s serious, man! Though as the Trinity said in the podcast, for the kids, the romance is just as serious. I guess this means I’m becoming an old fuddy-duddy lol.

#39

Re: The Age. Really? In my experience movies about high school age kids have them generally end up looking like McClagen. All of them. I thought the HP movies were really good about not doing this

#40

I thought maybe a little more back story and then epic battle!! But I can see cutting at Malfoy’s also. Maybe escape from Malfoy’s and end with the planning stages at Shell Cottage. Hmmm…that seems to follow their formula of movie, battle…then discussion of what’s to come. Then the 8th movie opens with Gringott’s and doesn’t stop to take a breath!! :eek:

#41

There is not enough left after Gringotts to justify an entire film afterrwards. I stand by my mid-point of roughly around the events in the Forest of Dean.

#42

guess its just me :o, but it just pulls me out of the movie when they look like they’re mid 20’s

#43

I didn’t think the kids looked too old; there aren’t any obvious Charisma Carpenters or Kristen Bells or anything. The oldest of the major and minor Hogwarts characters that I can see on IMDB is the girl who played Lavender Brown, who may have been 21 at the end of shooting, and I didn’t think she looked that old at all.

Then again, I am a bit desensitized to adults playing high school students, so I’m not as quick to spot it.

#44

LOL whereas they look younger than me, and they certainly look younger than my students (except maybe the freshman, who are about 18… their age), so I guess the difference between 16 and 18, 19, 20 isn’t as much. Certainly I don’t think they look my age (25)

#45

I don’t really see them together. I think Dan likes going to cricket matches with Tom Felton though. :slight_smile:

#46

//youtu.be/kn-oXec5gik

#47

That is the one song that keeps getting stuck in my head…and the Charlie Weasly song.

#48

By itself the movie was excellent, maybe the best yet. The only legitimate nitpicking I can see are the omissions and deviations from the book.

It took me a few minutes to realize it was Olivander that was taken away in the beginning. That should have been explained a bit better as I didn’t catch that part even though I just finished the book again over the weekend.

I actually finished re-listening to the audiobook over the weekend and was surprised at how different a feeling I got for Snape than when i originally read the book. In the first reading I had the impression that Snape was still in league with Dumbledore. When I listened to the book the impression I got was that Snape really was with Voldy. In the movie, however, Snape was given a much more benevolent representation; sympathetic I think someone already said. He didn’t punish Harry for being late to school or after the fight with Draco Malfoy in the restroom. In the book, Harry was frozen in place under the invisibility cloak when Dumbledore was killed while in the movie Harry was exposed and Snape gave him a pass, simply telling him to be quiet. Snape was also much less nasty when he told Harry he was the HBP, protecting him from Bellatrix more than just telling her to leave him for Voldemort.

The impression that I got from the movie was that Snape was protecting Harry as much as he was protecting Draco.

The only pure nitpicks I have with the movie, at this time, are that Dumbledore’s burnt hand looked like a prosthetic every time I saw it and there wasn’t enough movement in the portraits. Even in Dumbledore’s office they were still.

BTW, where were the moveing stairs?

#49

I don’t have a problem with the omitting of the first chapter. Since this story takes place in 1997 it would have dated the movie. It always made me wonder if J.K.R. was targeting any particular president and P.M. or if she was just taking political shots in general.

#50

Just saw the movie for the second time. I think visually it’s the best of the series. Loved the whole thing. A few thought regarding other comments:

  1. The romances - they are teenagers and even though it’s bad times they were shown just what they are teenagers. Until the bad directly affects them they are going to act like the hormone riddled beings they are at that age. :slight_smile:

  2. The burning of the Burrow - it wasn’t under any charm to keep anyone but muggles from seeing it. And I think it’s destruction in this film means that Bill & Fluer’s wedding will be cut from the beginning of the next movie since it took place at the beginning of book 7 and then the Burrow was destroyed.

  3. Jim Broadbent was perfect as Slughorn. I thought it was funny that he and Gemma Jones were in a scene together. (Bridget Jone’s parents!)

  4. Draco - with just a few lines for Tom Felton, his character is finally someone you can feel for he’s going through. Talk about being stuck between a rock and hard place.

  5. Michael Gambon - FINALLY, I now see him as Dumbledore. Didn’t like him in that character before this film.

  6. Olivander’s shop - No one has mentioned this so far and I’m surprised! At the beginning of the movie when the Death Eaters attack Diagon Alley the shop that they blow the windows out of and then exit…Fenrir Grayback has ahold of a hooded figure. That’s Olivander in the hood, so you got to see the kidnapping in this movie as a prelude to the next movie’s story line.

#51

See I never got the thought that the Burrow was destroyed in the books (otherwise how could the ghoul be faking being Ron having spattergroit?) - but I do see why they did it if they’re cutting out those storylines in Book 7. However, taken as a stand-alone thing, I still don’t think it makes much sense.

  1. Olivander’s shop - No one has mentioned this so far and I’m surprised! At the beginning of the movie when the Death Eaters attack Diagon Alley the shop that they blow the windows out of and then exit…Fenrir Grayback has ahold of a hooded figure. That’s Olivander in the hood, so you got to see the kidnapping in this movie as a prelude to the next movie’s story line.

Agreed, but I guess again we don’t see the pay-off until later.

I liked HBP, but I think I’ll like it much more when I can watch it in conjunction with the two Deathly Hallows films!

#52

I think I’m remembering that Luna Lovegood’s home was destroyed in DH and now thinking it was the Burrow after seeing HBP. I’m so confused! It will be good to re-read the entire series before the next 2 movies come out.

Oh and Bill Weasley will be in the next film. That part was cast with Brendan Gleeson’s son Domhnall. So the only Weasley we won’t see in any of the films is Charlie.

#53

I mentioned it but i may have been in the Podcast discussion thread.

#54

Sorry I must have missed it. :o