Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

[Foxbat]

I went to see "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" with my son and two of his friends. I am the guy in the cave as I have not read any of the HP books. I would say that this movie made we want to pick up the series from the beginning. Part of that was based on my belief that the movies are missing key story elements due to the time constraints of a block-buster movie. The movie was the Sweet and Sour soup of the series: very dark with comic relief. We see the characters begin to grow into adulthood and make the mistakes that happen when hormones are making themselves known.

I'd agree with the assessment that this movie is setting the stage for the two final movies. It did feel a little like "LotR: The Fellowship of the Ring" in that regard. The ending is the main characters saying, in effect, "You can't go off alone to fight Ultimate Evil, you need us to help!"

 

[rockymtnhigh]

I went to see "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" with my son and two of his friends. I am the guy in the cave as I have not read any of the HP books. I would say that this movie made we want to pick up the series from the beginning. Part of that was based on my belief that the movies are missing key story elements due to the time constraints of a block-buster movie. The movie was the Sweet and Sour soup of the series: very dark with comic relief. We see the characters begin to grow into adulthood and make the mistakes that happen when hormones are making themselves known.

I'd agree with the assessment that this movie is setting the stage for the two final movies. It did feel a little like "LotR: The Fellowship of the Ring" in that regard. The ending is the main characters saying, in effect, "You can't go off alone to fight Ultimate Evil, you need us to help!"

Well, recognize that the first one or two really do feel like children's books, but then they get more and more serious and darker as they progress. But I do believe that the series is classic.

You will find lots of pieces of the plot that they have disregarded in the films, some which were important, some which they did fine without (like Ron and Hermoine being prefects, but not Harry).

And to my surprise, in this film, for the first time, they simply made up a scene -

Spoiler

The burrow does not get burned down in the book. Hell it plays a prominent role in the beginning of the 7th book. That scene in the movie confused the hell out of me.

 

[jayn_j]

And to my surprise, in this film, for the first time, they simply made up a scene -

Spoiler

The burrow does not get burned down in the book. Hell it plays a prominent role in the beginning of the 7th book. That scene in the movie confused the hell out of me.

I think they are taking advantage of the fact that they were able to shoot 6 and 7 at the same time. Thus they were not limited by having to leave the book universe intact for the next director.

Spoiler

I anticipate that they will start 7 immediately after 6, with a contrived battle to kill off the minor characters and get the action moving. I don't think all the extended forest section that dominated the first half of book 7 will translate well into film.

 

[rockymtnhigh]

I think they are taking advantage of the fact that they were able to shoot 6 and 7 at the same time. Thus they were not limited by having to leave the book universe intact for the next director.

Spoiler

I anticipate that they will start 7 immediately after 6, with a contrived battle to kill off the minor characters and get the action moving. I don't think all the extended forest section that dominated the first half of book 7 will translate well into film.

Well, 7 is supposed to be 2 films, and that should give them some flex. I am anticipating movie 8 to be the Battle of Hogwarts. And movie 7 to be the Search for the Horcruxes. But you are right, it will have issues.

 

[ONUOsFan]

Dumbledor put a silent spell on Harry in the book, and I haven't seen the movie yet, but that may be one of the things you have to know from the book, or maybe they should have implied it in the movie. Harry was also under his cloak so no one could see him. Dumbledor basically planned it all out with Snape because he knew what Voldemort had set Draco up to do.

I don't know how to do a spoiler so if someone could tell me, that would be great!

Spoiler

That's the problem - he doesn't do the spell in the movie - he just tells Harry to go wait in the corner, basically, and he does. He just stands there and watches.

To do a spoiler, type the word spoiler in brackets [ ] before the quote, then /spoiler in brackets after the quote.

Like this (but without spaces in the brackets - if I do it right, it won't show up): [ spoiler ] quote [ /spoiler ]

Well, 7 is supposed to be 2 films, and that should give them some flex. I am anticipating movie 8 to be the Battle of Hogwarts. And movie 7 to be the Search for the Horcruxes. But you are right, it will have issues.

They are saying the Battle of Hogwarts will be about 30 minutes total, so there should be plenty of time for other stuff - of course, how they get to some of that other stuff with the plethora of things they left out, who knows....

 

[rockymtnhigh]

Personally I would prefer one three hour film to finish it. I hate the idea of watching half of it, and then having to wait a year to see the end.

But that makes less money.

 

[tigerprowler]

I finally got to see it today. I liked it, but I like most everything Harry Potter. I just wish

Spoiler

they would have put the funeral in at the end for Dumbledore something with the new minister. I would have liked to see that in the movie. I didn't really get the fire at the Burrow since they are supposed to have a wedding there in the next movie. And was it a special type of fire that they couldn't put it out? Why was Bellatrix and Fenrir there anyway? To get Harry?

I still really liked it, but I hope the next two movies stay a little closer to the book as so much gets explained. I really want the end to be the same, it's my favorite part of the book.

 

[rockymtnhigh]

I finally got to see it today. I liked it, but I like most everything Harry Potter. I just wish

Spoiler

they would have put the funeral in at the end for Dumbledore something with the new minister. I would have liked to see that in the movie. I didn't really get the fire at the Burrow since they are supposed to have a wedding there in the next movie. And was it a special type of fire that they couldn't put it out? Why was Bellatrix and Fenrir there anyway? To get Harry?

I still really liked it, but I hope the next two movies stay a little closer to the book as so much gets explained. I really want the end to be the same, it's my favorite part of the book.

I think it was a poorly executed scene. They cut out too much stuff to be able to make it make any sense; and yes, the Burrow is there for book 7, so it was just bad. I am surprised they did that.

 

[Ramy]

I liked the movie too, but I like Order of the Phoenix better personally.

 

[rockymtnhigh]

I liked the movie too, but I like Order of the Phoenix better personally.

I agree on that.

 

[ONUOsFan]

They cut out too much stuff to be able to make it make any sense

Spoiler

Like the fact that we have no idea what (or where) any of the Horcruxes are....