Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince SPOILERS

[Sindatur]

I enjoyed it, there was alot of good stuff in it, especially some of the subtle clues in the book, such as Harry overhearing Snape and Dumbledore arguing because Snape "Didn't want to do it" and Dumbledore insisted he must.

The actors performances were top notch.

A couple things I would have liked to see done better:

1. The Half Blood Prince reveal didn't go far enough, you find out who it refers to, but, not the meaning behind the title
2. I would've liked to have seen more of "what makes Tom Riddle/Voldemort tick" as a youth, there wasn't enough of the memories.
3. The movie ended without the funeral (though, since Deathly Hallows will be split into two movies, they very well could start the first one with the funeral)

Still, considering the size of the book, they did a pretty good job of cutting stuff. GoF really suffered in the first 20 minutes due to incoherency because so much had to be cut, this one didn't become incoherent at all, it just didn't ahve as much of some things as I would have liked to have seen.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars

 

[Alluveal]

Re: Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

A couple things I would have liked to see done better:

1. The Half Blood Prince reveal didn't go far enough, you find out who it refers to, but, not the meaning behind the title

This. Absolutely. I don't know what this means. I need to go to my Potter book expert to get the answers. It was a VERY fascinating aspect of the story that felt short-changed. Why was Harry so obsessed with the book? They could have teased that out a little more. What does "the half blood prince" mean? (Spoilers are ok with me if someone wants to fill me in).

2. I would've liked to have seen more of "what makes Tom Riddle/Voldemort tick" as a youth, there wasn't enough of the memories.

What a creepy performance too (by both the younger/adolescent Toms). I would have also liked to see this more.

3. The movie ended without the funeral (though, since Deathly Hallows will be split into two movies, they very well could start the first one with the funeral)

I think you're right. I think it will probably be in the next one. Perhaps a good way to set the mood for the next film.

 

[Sindatur]

Re: Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

Spoiler for :

Snape's mother was a woman with the last name Prince, and Snape's dad was a ...GASP...Filthy Muggle

With Snape being a Slytherin through and through, and a Muggle/Mud Blood hater, you would never have suspected he was a half blood. This contrasts with Harry and Voldemort who are also both Half Bloods

Harry wasn't so much obsessed with the book, but, he found the notes in it (mostly revisions to the potions recipes) made the potions work spectacularly, making him reat at Potions, for the first time ever. And then of course, there was spell he used on Malfoy, which is pretty powerful stuff.

In the book version of HBP, it's made clear (or maybe only heavily implied, only read this one once, so can't be sure which) that the book was deliberately planted there for Harry's education

 

[hypatia]

Re: Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

Isn't there also some background on Snape that has been whitewashed by the movies? If I remember correctly (forgive me, HP fans, but my memory on the books isn't great, I should really reread them some day it has been so long): Snape came from a poor family. Thus he had to use a borrowed spellbook. That's why he didn't keep it, but it went back into circulation, as it was not his. But this explains even more why James Potter and his gang represented everything Snape hated and envied: rich (IIRC all full wizards by birth), lazy but successful in school to a large extent due to their popularity and charm), from well-off and happy families.

It kills me the depth of Snape's story that will never be known to the movie-goers. The character has been reduced to comic relief and minor intrigue, and it is rather upsetting.

 

[Sindatur]

Re: Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

Isn't there also some background on Snape that has been whitewashed by the movies? If I remember correctly (forgive me, HP fans, but my memory on the books isn't great, I should really reread them some day it has been so long): Snape came from a poor family. Thus he had to use a borrowed spellbook. That's why he didn't keep it, but it went back into circulation, as it was not his. But this explains even more why James Potter and his gang represented everything Snape hated and envied: rich (IIRC all full wizards by birth), lazy but successful in school to a large extent due to their popularity and charm), from well-off and happy families.

It kills me the depth of Snape's story that will never be known to the movie-goers. The character has been reduced to comic relief and minor intrigue, and it is rather upsetting.

Yes, poor family. I think, however, the book wasn't borrowed, but, rather it was used, perhaps his mom's?

 

[Alluveal]

Re: Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

It kills me the depth of Snape's story that will never be known to the movie-goers. The character has been reduced to comic relief and minor intrigue, and it is rather upsetting.

They would be saving it for one of the last two movies.

 

[Sindatur]

Re: Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

It kills me the depth of Snape's story that will never be known to the movie-goers. The character has been reduced to comic relief and minor intrigue, and it is rather upsetting.

They would be saving it for one of the last two movies.

That's my hope as well. Having 5 hours for the last book, I am hoping they will be able to get in all the important stuff that had to be glossed over from the first 6 books

 

[Alluveal]

Re: Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

It's a tall order. But, in the end, I'm sure I'll feel a little empty and saddened when all the movies are finally finished. It's been such a great ride.

 

[jnk5y]

Re: Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

I enjoyed all the other movies but this one was monumentally boring. I haven't read the books so I don't know about all the subtle things that are going on. All I know is they half arsed everything never giving any sub plot significant time to mature. Very unfulfilling.

 

[hypatia]

Re: Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

I have wondered if some people haven't found the later movies as being a bit confusing and unexplained. Having read the series, I admit despite their weaknesses, they have been enjoyable. Way too long for one uninterrupted showing, but most people don't seem to mind. And it's a guarantee that they'll be out on DVD in about half a year.

 

[Alluveal]

Re: Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

I'm not confused so much as wondering what I'm missing in a sense. In the last one, there hinted of quite a bit that I was not privy to, but I enjoyed the heck out of it nonetheless.

 

[Sindatur]

Re: Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

I'm not confused so much as wondering what I'm missing in a sense. In the last one, there hinted of quite a bit that I was not privy to, but I enjoyed the heck out of it nonetheless.

Book 4 ("KILL THE SPARE") was the center of the Septology, that culminated the new direction of the story. Book 5 (The last movie) was the first book in the new "heightened tension world", so it was meant to open up mysteries you didn't even know were being started.

 

[darth_librarian]

Re: Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

I saw book four (the end at least) as an end of innocence moment.

 

[Sindatur]

Re: Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

I saw book four (the end at least) as an end of innocence moment.

Yes, the culmination of it, the loss of innocence actually started with Prisoner of Azkaban, as can be seen in the movie version, where the colors started to become muted, and the little feats of magic were more relegated to the background, versus the shiny bright colors in the first two, and even the smallest feats of magic are front and center and seen with wonder. Also, not sure if it was intentional, since they changed shooting locations, but, Hogwarts in the first two movies, the walls aren't dinged up, they're like perfect, but, by the time of the third movie, you see all the dings on the walls, to showcase 1000 years of magical abuse by teenagers. It's like Harry started losing his innocence, and was seeing the world for what it really was, rather than being so taken in by the wonder of it all.

 

[Markas]

Re: Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

I read the whole series but it has been a while. I missed the background with the Gaunts and the explanation of the ring. Dumbledore shows off his hand, but not what actually happened to it other than by inference. Also, the reason for getting the memory from Slughorn wasn't fleshed out enough. We don't have any idea why Olivander was taken by the Deatheaters. What the hell was up with what happened at the Burrow? Sometimes I didn't understand why they took liberties with the story when it was unnecessary.

All in all, I enjoyed it, but I can see how many would think it quite slow-paced.

 

[Sindatur]

Re: Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

I read the whole series but it has been a while. I missed the background with the Gaunts and the explanation of the ring. Dumbledore shows off his hand, but not what actually happened to it other than by inference. Also, the reason for getting the memory from Slughorn wasn't fleshed out enough. We don't have any idea why Olivander was taken by the Deatheaters. What the hell was up with what happened at the Burrow? Sometimes I didn't understand why they took liberties with the story when it was unnecessary.

All in all, I enjoyed it, but I can see how many would think it quite slow-paced.

Ah, I had forgotten about the throwaway scene of Ollivander's shop. That'll be easy enough to clean up in the final movies though.

Yea, the Burrow was kind of a waste of screen time that could've been better used elsewhere.

 

[B5_Obsessed]

Re: Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

I have wondered if some people haven't found the later movies as being a bit confusing and unexplained. Having read the series, I admit despite their weaknesses, they have been enjoyable. Way too long for one uninterrupted showing, but most people don't seem to mind. And it's a guarantee that they'll be out on DVD in about half a year.

I've been less than satisfied since director David Yates showed up. Unfortunately, he's signed on til the end.

 

[superbob]

Must say that I found the HBP to be a little disappointing. Too much time spent on the "love interests" at the expense of so much of the actual storyline. Being a heavy critic of book to movie adaptations (LOTR was a prime example until I shook off the snobby point of view and enjoyed the movies for the sake of the movies) I saw this "atrophy" of the storyline right from the beginning. I am perfectly aware that there would have been numerous movies required in order to accomodate all the detail but when the liberties began to become noticable in the fourth installment. GoB, I knew it was going to catch up with them in the long run. Too much time was spent on the retrieval of the horocrux as a result Dumbledores death came across in an almost "by the way fashion". No fight within the walls ( as the book described), the show down between harry and severus was very mild. I was especially irked by the fact that the entire series see's harry not listening to anyone and acting in a head strong manner, all of a sudden he listens to dumledore and does nothing.
that was just my soap box opinion

 

[Alluveal]

Are there extended versions of these movies? I was wondering if extra material (that would explain a lot of this) could be used in a release of an extended version, kind of like Lord of the Rings.

Just wonderin' . . .

 

[B5_Obsessed]

Must say that I found the HBP to be a little disappointing. Too much time spent on the "love interests" at the expense of so much of the actual storyline. Being a heavy critic of book to movie adaptations (LOTR was a prime example until I shook off the snobby point of view and enjoyed the movies for the sake of the movies) I saw this "atrophy" of the storyline right from the beginning. I am perfectly aware that there would have been numerous movies required in order to accomodate all the detail but when the liberties began to become noticable in the fourth installment. GoB, I knew it was going to catch up with them in the long run. Too much time was spent on the retrieval of the horocrux as a result Dumbledores death came across in an almost "by the way fashion". No fight within the walls ( as the book described), the show down between harry and severus was very mild. I was especially irked by the fact that the entire series see's harry not listening to anyone and acting in a head strong manner, all of a sudden he listens to dumledore and does nothing.
that was just my soap box opinion

As I recall it from the book, Harry couldn't locate Snape and was returning to Dumbledore and saw what happened from a distance; he didn't just stand there practically in the room and watch it happen. As shown in the film, it really stretches believability. It also had almost zero dramatic impact.