Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Review [2]

Posted by Shawn S. Lealos on 07.17.2009

The movie that sets up Harry Potter for his greatest battle is upon us. Does it match up to the movies that came before or can it possibly exceed even those expectations?

Directed by David Yates
Written by Steve Cloves based on the novel by J.K. Rowling

Cast
Daniel Radcliffe ... Harry Potter
Rupert Grint ... Ron Weasley
Emma Watson ... Hermione Granger
Michael Gambon ... Professor Albus Dumbledore
Jim Broadbent ... Professor Horace Slughorn
Alan Rickman ... Severus Snape
Bonnie Wright ... Ginny Weasley
Helena Bonham Carter ... Bellatrix Lestrange
Tom Felton ... Draco Malfoy
Evanna Lynch ... Luna Lovegood
Dave Legeno ... Fennir Greyback
Timothy Spall ... Wormtail
Robbie Coltrane ... Hagrid
Warwick Davis ... Professor Flitwick
Maggie Smith ... Professor McGonagall
Hero Fiennes-Tiffin ... Tom Riddle (11)
Frank Dellane ... Tom Riddle (16)



** This review contains minor spoilers **

The job of adapting a novel into a feature film comes with many pitfalls. The worst case scenario is making changes that anger the fans of said literary works and finding your film the scorn of their words. Stanley Kubrick faced those criticisms when he directed The Shining, a film discredited by none other than the novel’s own author, Stephen King. The Harry Potter franchise has a fan base so huge and, in many cases so rabidly faithful, that change to the original story, regardless of how mundane, is met with cries of foul. Whether it is the removal of a Quidditch match or the elimination of the House Elves, fans want everything they love about the book up on the screen. That is not possible, and each film should be judged solely on how it works in the overall story arc.

With that said, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, while flawed in areas, is a great addition to the series and ranks at the top as one of the best films so far.

If you have not seen a Harry Potter movie yet, don’t start with this one. When the last movie ended, Harry Potter and company had went to battle with the Death Eaters in the Ministry of Magic and Potter watched as his beloved godfather, Sirius Black, was murdered before his eyes. Half-Blood Prince opens immediately after that battle, Harry bloody and beaten. Dumbledore reaches his arm out and wraps Harry up, protecting him from the press flashing pictures of the two. It is a perfect shot, Dumbledore protecting his young charge, and emphasizes what this story is all about. The entire Harry Potter series breaks this young boy down, takes away everyone that means anything to him, and leaves him alone in the world. It is at this point the boy can become a man and defeat his demons. That one shot told me this movie also understands their dynamic and sets Harry up to lose the last piece of the puzzle.

The film takes great strides, more than the previous four, to establish the relationship between Harry and Dumbledore. There are light moments of comedy in the film put in place to show Dumbledore’s attempts to be the father that Harry never had. When Harry is sitting in a coffee shop, a young waitress hits on him. Harry sees Dumbledore in the distance, and is whisked away, proving there is no place in Harry’s life to be ordinary. These scenes seem to be patched together, but each one is important to show the breaking of Harry’s life. When Dumbledore apologizes for costing Harry his date, he mentions the girl looked pretty. It is a sweet moment, and while it may seem like an offhand statement, it is a relationship building scene between the two. Dumbledore is trying to be someone who can be there for Harry to talk to and it happens again later when he asks Harry if he likes Hermione. It is nice moments like these that make the tragedy at the end so heartbreaking for young Harry Potter.

It has been amazing watching these kids grow up over the series. Daniel Radcliffe has become at one with the character he portrays but he is the least of the improved actors in this series. Emma Watson has become simply astonishing as Hermione and it is amazing to watch her showing the range of emotion her character is asked to in this film. It is hard to believe the awkward eleven year old girl from Philosopher’s Stone is the confident, great actress on display here. Rupert Grint, while still the same gawky character he was eight years ago, has great comic timing and is always a treat to watch.

The character in this chapter of the series asked to do the most is Draco Malfoy and I have to say Tom Felton exceeded my expectations coming into this. For a time, while reading the book, I actually believed Draco would end up as the hero in the end and Felton was able to convey his character is no longer the bullying punk from the previous movies, but is instead a scared, insecure and unsure young man. Next to Watson, I believe Felton is the most improved youngster to come from the series. I also want to give some credit to Evanna Lynch, who continues to make the screen version of Luna Lovegood more interesting than the book version ever could be.

It is no wonder such performances are wrung from these youngsters because they are all surrounded by a magnificent cast, arguably the best ever assembled in one film series. Michael Gambon continues to be admirable in his portrayal of Dumbledore since replacing the late Richard Harris. The many familiar names return as well, from Maggie Smith to Robbie Coltrane, but there were new standouts in this film as well.

Helena Bonham-Carter returns in a larger role than the past few films and is fantastically over-the-top as the crazy Bellatrix. It is a performance she has perfected from other films, such as her husband’s Sweeney Todd, but conveys the personality of the character perfectly. Newcomer, Jim Broadbent, is also a welcome addition. I have been a fan of Broadbent since I saw him in Moulin Rouge and he was magnificent in his role as Horace Slughorn, a man with a dark secret to hide. Each film has had its guest star (Brendan Gleeson, Kenneth Branagh) and Broadbent ranks near the top as the best. He is a tortured soul and delivers so much in just a glance of his eyes to convey everything you need to know about his character.

With all that said, the MVP of Half-Blood Prince is Alan Rickman as Severus Snape. Rickman is perfect in his portrayal of the doomed Snape. At the beginning, you see him faced with the difficult decision to agree to an Unbreakable Vow to not only protect Draco but complete the mission Lord Voldemort assigned young Draco if the boy is unable to do so. The twitches in his face, the sadness in his eyes, the pursing of his mouth conveys everything you need to know about the inner conflict battling in his soul. When he is called a coward, it is obvious by his face he is hurt, but he quickly recovers and remains strong in the face the Death Eaters. Forget Harry Potter, the jackpot for any actor in this film is that of Severus Snape, Alan Rickman achieving everything he ever needed to do to make that character come alive.

Another standout includes Hero Fiennes-Tiffen as Tom Riddle, interestingly the real life nephew of Voldemort himself, Ralph Fiennes. He plays the psychopathic mentality of the eleven year old boy perfectly. It is a credit that I never recognized the change to Frank Dillane, as a sixteen year old Tom Riddle.

My favorite movie in the series was Prisoner of Azkaban. I felt Alfonso Cuaron came in and gave the movie more visual life then Chris Columbus ever could have accomplished. Columbus remained more faithful to the source material than anyone since, but as a visual film, no one could match Cuaron’s skill behind the camera. I believed that until now. Nothing in Order of the Phoenix prepared me for what I saw in this movie.

David Yates directed this movie like a man with many years of experience under his belt. The movie is a visual treat, shot in the most inspired, breathtaking ways possible. Yates understands the dark tendencies the storyline is based on and uses a gothic, impressionistic template for his palette. I started seeing this technique in the Escher styled labyrinth shots, displayed first in the Weasley home and later in Hogwarts itself. I also began to see a hint of Expressionist filmmaking, similar to the style used by early German directors such as Robert Wiene (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) or Fritz Lang (M). It is a visual dynamic I never expected coming in but fit the storyline and the mood perfectly. I was not sure Yates was the right man to finish the entire story, but after seeing this, I am more excited than ever to see him tackle the last book.

The script at times appears patch worked. There are a number of moments left out of the movie which could lead to some confusion for those who have not read the book and that is a problem. Not everything from the books need be included but events should not be skimmed over and then brought up later hoping everyone can keep up. The ring that scorched Dumbledore’s hand is shown in close up on occasions and then quickly brought up later in the film, but it was a plot point to show the extreme danger of these devices and I don’t think it was explained enough here. Snape was made the teacher of the Defense Against the Dark Arts, a point used to torture Harry even more in the book, but never even mentioned after taking the time to mention it during the opening ceremony. Why mention it if it is not going to be utilized in the film? Harry almost kills Draco in the movie, but nothing is done to him while in the book he is punished, leading to him missing the Quidditch finals. It could have been added easily here, but was not, making me wonder why they would allow Harry to act in such a violent manner without recourse.

There is one change that may have fans of the books up in arms. The end of the book includes a final, great battle that most people (myself included) have been chomping at the bits to see played out on the big screen. When Harry and Dumbledore return from their quest, Hogwarts finds itself under attack. Teachers and protectors are out in full force in a giant battle with the attacking Death Eaters. People are killed and Hogwarts is torn apart during this incredible battle. It is a moment made for movies. It does not exist here. Instead, it cuts right to the attack on Dumbledore and then the Death Eaters shoot up the place and leave. I should have been disappointed to miss out on this great battle, but I am not. The book showed this fight and many people fell during the battle. In the movie, only one person dies, making his death even more powerful. You don’t need dozens of casualties when the death of one great man tells you all you need to know. Much of the political upheaval in the book were also left out, a good choice since that would have weighed the movie down needlessly.

I am disappointed the funeral was not shown with the rising of the Phoenix. It would have been a great red herring for those who only follow the movies heading into the end. Two other moments temporarily took me out of the picture for more personal reasons. The first moment was in the caverns when the undead began to pull Harry under and Dumbledore saved him. It reminded me too much of Lord of the Rings and I actually saw Dumbledore and thought of Gandolf. The second moment was when Snape shoots Dumbledore out of the window and the great wizard fell, I immediately pictured actor Alan Rickman’s former role of Hans Gruber, whose death was shot with the exact same shot. When watching a movie, I don’t really like other stories being called to memory because it takes me out of the moment, but that is just a personal preference. These small problems, but none effects the power of the story overall.

This story is about Harry, Ron and Hermione preparing to enter the greatest battle of their lives. I loved the little moments with the kids, showing them acting like kids. There was love, lost love, crazy obsessive love and unrequited love, and every moment in this movie seemed to ring true to the way kids really act. That is an important addition to the story because these are kids that are about to battle the greatest evil the world has ever known. Every moment with these kids was integral to the development of their relationship leading into this final chapter. When this movie ends, and Harry loses the most important person left in his life, he is not alone. He still has his friends and that is what will lead him to his final victory.

The 411: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a great chapter in the already fantastic series. The movies continue to get darker and the deaths continue to pile up. There is only one book left, split into two movies, and with the amazing work done here by director David Yates, I cannot wait. The kids continue to develop into great actors, with both Emma Watson and Tom Felton excelling in this film. Alan Rickman continues to be the brightest star in this franchise filled with great actors and I can’t wait to see where he takes his character in the final chapter. The movie is expertly directed and well acted and only possesses minor problems from the screenplay. It is the shining star of this summer’s blockbuster movie slate.

Final Score:  9.0   [  Amazing ]