I always thought that "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" was the weakest book of the series, because it just feels like a bridge between Book 5 and 7, that doesn't have anything to offer on its own. The whole plot basically centers around the romantic problems of Harry, Ron and Hermione, and Harry and Dumbledore traveling through memories that involve Lord Voldemort's past. The excitement factor was just absent for pretty much the first 3/4 of the book, and while the final was quite thrilling, it also fell short of some of the others in previous books. Now, with that in mind, I went to see the film with rather low expectations, and expected to hate it and be mad for a long time that they butchered the Harry Potter film series beyond saving. Well, it turns out I was wrong. All in all, the film was a pleasant surprise, and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. Was it the worst of the six Harry Potter movies? Probably yes. Is it worth watching though? Definitely!
Well, as I said before, "The Half-Blood Prince", the book, as well as the movie, feel a bit empty. Considering that the book has 607 pages, and the movie is more than 2 1/2 hours long, there is just not enough exciting stuff to keep up the thrill for the whole time. One of the pluses is certainly the humor, and I can say for certain, that I haven't laughed as much in any Harry Potter movie since "The Chamber of Secrets". The hilarious, but often not too far-fetched romantic dialogue is so cheesy and ridiculous, that you just have to be amused by it. But like "Order of the Phoenix", the movie has a very dark and claustrophobic atmosphere from time to time, especially the very beginning and the end. In between, you almost forget that there is an evil dark wizard out there, trying to kill our beloved main character. While the two elements, comic and dramatic maybe a little imbalanced, they are connected relatively well and for most of the time, the audience will definitely be on the edge of their seats, even if you have read the book already. But then, who hasn't these days? "The Half-Blood Prince", while still being a faithful adaptation of the book, makes quite a bit of changes, cuts and additions, so that there are even one or two surprises that you didn't see coming. Interestingly enough, for example, it was decided to completely leave out the battle between the Order of the Phoenix and the students against the Death Eaters, supposedly because it would distract from the upcoming Battle of Hogwarts in "The Deathly Hallows". Anyway, instead we get a thrilling replacement, namely an attack on the Burrow by the Death Eaters, and Harry and Ginny chasing Bellatrix Lestrange and Fenrir Greyback through the fields surrounding the Weasley family home.
The movies have clearly become darker and darker with each new entry, but therefore we also get to see more fights and actions. What I really want to say with that, is that the demand for high quality special effects in the Harry Potter movies is now greater than ever. And the Visual Effects are quite stunning, with the Millennium Bridge in London collapsing after an attack of Lord Voldemort's death eaters, the Burrow exploding, or Dumbledore casting a powerful fire charm against a group of inferi, re-animated dead bodies. While especially the destruction of the bridge is simply there to open the movie with a bang, a couple of stunning scenes can't hurt a movie that is relatively slow-paced and for the most part relies on dialogue, rather than action. All in all, it should have been great practice for the upcoming two movies based on the seventh and final Harry Potter book "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows".
The performances are also great, especially outstanding are Michael Gambon (who finally nails his role as Dumbledore), Jim Broadbent (who is one of the comedy center points of this film as Horace Slughorn) and Alan Rickman (who really only has to be on screen and don't say a word, to scare the crap out of everyone) The thing about the Harry Potter movies, is that no matter how bad the review is, people will still go and see them, just because Harry Potter is in the title. But, while "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" really is nothing more than a bridge to the final entry of the series, it is rather enjoyable, well-made and has some pretty good acting. (4/5)
Even though the plot is not the most gripping one, the movie combines the comic and dark sides of the Harry Potter universe quite well and manages to entertain for most of its running time.
Well, as I said before, "The Half-Blood Prince", the book, as well as the movie, feel a bit empty. Considering that the book has 607 pages, and the movie is more than 2 1/2 hours long, there is just not enough exciting stuff to keep up the thrill for the whole time. One of the pluses is certainly the humor, and I can say for certain, that I haven't laughed as much in any Harry Potter movie since "The Chamber of Secrets". The hilarious, but often not too far-fetched romantic dialogue is so cheesy and ridiculous, that you just have to be amused by it. But like "Order of the Phoenix", the movie has a very dark and claustrophobic atmosphere from time to time, especially the very beginning and the end. In between, you almost forget that there is an evil dark wizard out there, trying to kill our beloved main character. While the two elements, comic and dramatic maybe a little imbalanced, they are connected relatively well and for most of the time, the audience will definitely be on the edge of their seats, even if you have read the book already. But then, who hasn't these days? "The Half-Blood Prince", while still being a faithful adaptation of the book, makes quite a bit of changes, cuts and additions, so that there are even one or two surprises that you didn't see coming. Interestingly enough, for example, it was decided to completely leave out the battle between the Order of the Phoenix and the students against the Death Eaters, supposedly because it would distract from the upcoming Battle of Hogwarts in "The Deathly Hallows". Anyway, instead we get a thrilling replacement, namely an attack on the Burrow by the Death Eaters, and Harry and Ginny chasing Bellatrix Lestrange and Fenrir Greyback through the fields surrounding the Weasley family home.
The movies have clearly become darker and darker with each new entry, but therefore we also get to see more fights and actions. What I really want to say with that, is that the demand for high quality special effects in the Harry Potter movies is now greater than ever. And the Visual Effects are quite stunning, with the Millennium Bridge in London collapsing after an attack of Lord Voldemort's death eaters, the Burrow exploding, or Dumbledore casting a powerful fire charm against a group of inferi, re-animated dead bodies. While especially the destruction of the bridge is simply there to open the movie with a bang, a couple of stunning scenes can't hurt a movie that is relatively slow-paced and for the most part relies on dialogue, rather than action. All in all, it should have been great practice for the upcoming two movies based on the seventh and final Harry Potter book "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows".
The performances are also great, especially outstanding are Michael Gambon (who finally nails his role as Dumbledore), Jim Broadbent (who is one of the comedy center points of this film as Horace Slughorn) and Alan Rickman (who really only has to be on screen and don't say a word, to scare the crap out of everyone) The thing about the Harry Potter movies, is that no matter how bad the review is, people will still go and see them, just because Harry Potter is in the title. But, while "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" really is nothing more than a bridge to the final entry of the series, it is rather enjoyable, well-made and has some pretty good acting. (4/5)
Even though the plot is not the most gripping one, the movie combines the comic and dark sides of the Harry Potter universe quite well and manages to entertain for most of its running time.