Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince the Movie
The Sixth Book in J.K. Rowling's Beloved Series Is Out
Jul 28, 2009
The sixth installment J.K. Rowling’s of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, has finally hit movie theaters, to the delight of many fans. Originally due out in November 2008, it would be an understatement to say this film was highly anticipated. With high demand come high expectations. The question then becomes does Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince live up to those expectations?
The Dark Side of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
As the much of the media has been jabbering about, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince does have its dark moments. It seems that the series is shifting that way at least to some degree. That only makes sense as the children grow up and deal with real issues.
Draco Malfoy, while always a bully and mean spirited little cuss, has been driven farther. He holds a grudge because of his father’s fate and this weighs on him. The burden of the task given to Malfoy by Voldemort has changed the young man. Tom Felton slips into this role magnificently and should be given more acknowledgment. He has been brilliant from the start and plays the role well.
Stemming from Malfoy’s actions and the fact Voldemort is active, gives way to other events that spur the darkness on. The movie starts out with Death Eaters wreaking havoc throughout London. People are cursed, houses are blown up, and people die. Even the color seems drained and washed out through the whole movie. But the movie is far from a downer.
The Lighter Side of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Things may be getting darker as the children in the Harry Potter series age. There are, however, other issues that can be explored that are of a lighter nature, namely love.
Ron Weasley finds a girlfriend, Lavender Brown, making Hermione jealous. Ginny Weasley dates a few boys, making Harry a wreck. This sets up some wonderfully hilarious scenes.
Rupert Grint has come into his own as Ron Weasley and he is a natural comedian. His facial expressions and line delivery are spot on, sure to crack the audience up. One of the funniest scenes is when Ron is enchanted by a love potion. The audience will be in hysterics as Ron fawns over Slughorn and acts a fool. There are other nuggets of humor, such as when Harry takes the Felix Felicis.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Movie vs. the Book
The Harry Potter series was made famous first through the books, obviously. That means there are diehard fans, each with their thoughts on how the films should be done. There are things left out of the movie version of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince that were in the book. Many would argue some of the things left out were important to the story, which they may have a point.
What the movie does have is the spirit of the book and series. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is two and a half hours with the omissions. Not everyone will be pleased but decisions had to be made. Time will tell if they were the right decisions.
Does Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince live up to the expectations? In general it does. The acting is tremendous, as are the effects and story. But it’s even better if you read the book to fill in any missing pieces. Now the wait is on for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, part one and two.
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