Comments on: Young Adult Appreciation Month – Movie Review: Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince

By: Brandon

Brandon — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 03:36:05 +0000

He may have played Slughorn well, but he didn’t match the books description at all, where was the great big belly and walrus beard?

By: JJ

JJ — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 06:46:50 +0000

Okay so I watched the movie 2 nights ago and I gotta stay I totally agree on almost everything you say. The movie was particularly boring for me and the way they portrayed the romance was so painful. It was like watching a rom com for a 15 year old. I wish they had focused more on the important parts of the storyline such as the Half-Blooded Prince. I totally agree that the point of the book was to focus on the Half-Blooded Prince and this was missing practically from the entire movie!! I felt the movie focused TOO much on the relationships. There were a few entertaining and funny lines here and there but I was also hoping for some more action. I particularly loved the Horcrux scene. Dumbledore’s death was indeed very played down, the only part I liked was when Harry returned to grieve for him.

I hope the last movie will have lots more action and will not be as disappointing as this one!

On a side note, you two update so frequently its so hard to keep track of everything haha but keep up the great work =D

By: NatalieT

NatalieT — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 07:41:43 +0000

Totally agree with you both – except for the no love for Snape – summed up my thoughts perfectly. I’m hoping the next one works better for me, because I left the cinema a bit deflated and disappointed.

By: Adrienne

Adrienne — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:33:02 +0000

I have to agree with both of the reviews, ladies, that you presented to us. I loved the movie and thought the film and the wash out look was great. Again, the book is really dark and the screenwriter chose to do the lighter theme of all the snogging. Ron and the match as keeper was awesome! And I love Snape’s characture, that dark horse. I didn’t mind not having the battle since Yates promised us fans the ‘ultimate battle’ in DH but I do wish there was that urgency that I felt when Snape grabbed Malfory and said “it’s time to go!” Reading Harry pour that horrible potion into his friend’s throat was one thing, seeing in the screen was more disturbing. I think it comes down to budget on what they can keep and can’t. It cost out at $235 million I believe (don’t quote me) so that is a ton of scratch to invest.

P.S.-Malfoy was totally hot
P.S.S.-(longest post ever!) Katie Bell’s scene with the necklace, totally amazing!

By: April

April — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:23:57 +0000

oh, but I still love the movies. The music alone is enough to make me get all fluttery and excited.

By: April

April — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:13:55 +0000

Ana–your take on the final scene was spot on IMO. My friend and I (and our kids) left the theatre saying: “Harry would NEVER just stand there!!!”

And that annoys me the absolute most about this movie. You can’t diverge from character that much. JK Rowling is a genius at knowing her characters and their motivations. Harry is impetuous and brave. He LOVES Dumbledore. He wouldn’t have stood there watching Malfoy threaten Dumbledore or for any of the rest.

The scene at the burrough really bugs me. Harry wouldn’t have run out into that field and Ginny CERTAINLY wouldn’t have chased him. It was just stupid–I don’t get the addition of it.

ANOTHER thing that bugs me greatly was the lack of the Dursleys at the beginning. I’m sorry, but starting with the Dursleys is TRADITION. It’s as important as Diagon Alley, Christmas and The Burrough. You can’t take that away.

I also wonder how someone who hasn’t read the books would’ve understood what was going on in the cave. Why did Dumbledore have to drink all that water? It’s not explained in the movie.

AND I agree that more should’ve been made of the Half-Blood Prince/ Snape connection. It’s integral to the entire series and Snape’s poignant involvement throughout.

By: Bridget Locke

Bridget Locke — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 22:58:22 +0000

I haven’t seen the movie, but I’ve heard raves about the kid who plays the young Tom Riddle. Awesome that he’s Ralph Fiennes’ nephew…kind of keeps it all in the family, doesn’t it?

I haven’t watched any of the movies since 3. I was never a big fan of Order of the Phoenix. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great book, but it doesn’t have the emotional resonance of the last 2.

By: heidenkind

heidenkind — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:26:28 +0000

Well, I actually agree with both of you (although, Thea–you don’t love Snape?! O.O *falls over*). I didn’t really remember a lot of the stuff in the book except for when Dumbledore took Harry to find the horcrux in the cave, and that part of the movie was brilliant. But I absolutely agree that the movie was way too light. It was like they took the book and turned it into a romcom. The funny parts were there, but the serious part were totally glossed over. And I barely got misty-eyed at the death of Dumbledore, and you’re right; I should have been bawling.

That being said, it was 2 1/2 hours, but it didn’t feel that long. It felt like it was on the short side of 2 hours–which for me, who hates to sit for more than hour and doesn’t go to a lot of movies for that very reason, is saying a lot. So I think overall it was successful, even though it could have been better.

By: Memory

Memory — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 17:27:10 +0000

Awesome review. I’m with Ana: the end didn’t do so much for me, largely because of how Harry was unfrozen. He would NEVER have let that happen to Dumbledore unless he was petrified. NEVER. I also felt like the whole HBP thing was underplayed.

And I’m with Thea, too: a lot of the movie was just too understated. I mean, it was good, and I got a big kick out of it, but I sometimes felt that the oomph was missing. I felt like some of the changes took away from the connections between the characters, too, and that was a sad thing to see.

All in all, though, I liked it. The casting is absolutely amazing, and the visuals! Don’t even get me started on the visuals.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 15:42:36 +0000

I think the lack of attention paid to Snape bugs me more than the lack of the final action set piece (though that does annoy me a great deal). It’s as if, in The Prisoner of Azkaban, you never actually see Sirius Black, just hear about him at the end.

Is it just me, or does Harry stand around ineffectually a lot more in the movies than he does in the books?

I will say this in the film’s defense. I thought they were going to bowdlerize the scene between Harry and Draco in the men’s room, but I was actually impressed that they showed the amount of blood they did.