Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Directed by:
David YatesScreenplay:
Steve KlovesCinematography:
Bruno DelbonnelComposer:
Nicholas HooperCast:
Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Alan Rickman, Tom Felton, Jim Broadbent, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Gambon, Warwick Davis, Maggie Smith (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
Emboldened by the return of Lord Voldemort, the Death Eaters are wreaking havoc in both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that new dangers may lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. He needs Harry to help him uncover a vital key to unlocking Voldemort's defenses - critical information known only to Hogwarts' former Potions Professor, Horace Slughorn. With that in mind, Dumbledore manipulates his old colleague into returning to his previous post with promises of more money, a bigger office... and the chance to teach the famous Harry Potter. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry's long friendship with Ginny Weasley is growing into something deeper, but standing in the way is Ginny's boyfriend, Dean Thomas, not to mention her big brother Ron. But Ron's got romantic entanglements of his own to worry about, with Lavender Brown lavishing her affections on him, leaving Hermione simmering with jealousy yet determined not to show her feelings. And then a box of love potion-laced chocolates ends up in the wrong hands and changes everything. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof with far more important matters on his mind. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again. (Warner Home Video)
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Reviews (10)
I read somewhere the other day that the sixth Harry Potter film will be a bridge from the fifth to the final episodes. And that's what it looks like in the overall scheme of things. Since David Yates has been in the director's chair, this saga has taken on a grim veneer of action. I don't think that's missing here. The audio-visual execution, including the cinematography, is really good, especially the Millennium Bridge and the cave scene. The screenplay is based on the book, but other material has been brought to the surface, which at times mars the overall look of the film. The soundtrack fits the scenes perfectly – again, I liked the cave scene best. Casting Jim Broadbent as Slughorn was an excellent move, because that's sort of how I imagined his character. The final scene with Dumbledore and Snape and then with Snape was quite disappointing for me, but it is a "bridge" after all. For me, probably the weakest episode of the whole saga, excelling in the technical area rather than the script and the actors.
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It's unfortunate that the conversational aspect from the life of teenagers returns. I'm used to the undersized story, but I’m simply not interested in the emotional chatter of the little wizards. It’s a good thing that Yates gets the film going decently again in the second half. After the promising fifth film, it was confirmed to me again that the film version of Harry Potter is a precisely treated product, but there is no great magic – it disappeared with the departure of Oldman and the influx of hormones. Fans will be pleased, the infidels will not be offended, and the film will amuse and do no harm. Stupefy... not a chance. [65%]
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Just as I witnessed the exact translation of the tense political and magical atmosphere in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince there is a mood full of anticipation, competition, pranks, and infatuations. The popularity of this installment simply depends on the popularity of the book source material, and those who expected to continue the previous storylines without being familiar with it are bound to be disappointed. At Hogwarts there is an atmosphere of a year-long Valentine's Day, where it's easier to forget everything that burdens the outside world. And so, only Dumbledore regularly reminds everyone of why Harry is indispensable and irreplaceable, Draco noticeably keeps his distance from others, and the Christmas holidays show once again that evil never sleeps. Naturally, the screenplay doesn't forget that the dark fantasy mythology is continuing to progress and leaves our heroes exactly where they were destined to be from the beginning of the saga. At the beginning of the final rebellion, on the brink of independence. And the gem of it all is that both darkness and enchanting romance work so naturally alongside each other that it takes your breath away. David Yates is a king.
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It was fun, it makes it all the more messy. People who haven't read the book must be a bit confused (well, my immediate circle was). It's a shame the script buried it like that. If it had been more in the detective vein (remembering what Draco actually does) and flashed some of that romantic sparks here and there, it probably would have been better. I don't think Harry Potter is a one-act romantic comedy... Music – great as always; effects as well. It's just that a 153-minute movie shouldn't look like this, or let it look like this, but the people around you in the theater aren't supposed to be saying: "Is it finally over? Damn, not yet?! What time is it? Check your watch!" I kind of want to say RIP. Weakest installment of the series. Anyway, I'm curious to see what they're gonna serve up next.
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Considering Yates managed to get something out of the most superfluous part of the book that ends up not working because of that superfluousness (aka zero action), then I have nothing left to do than look forward to the adaptation of book seven which might at last aspire to toppling Cuarón’s offering from its position of best Harry Potter movie adaptation.
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