Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

[Freeway]

Originally Posted by STeeLy

Exactly... LOL they're all legal...

The actress who plays Luna Lovegood is 17.

[STeeLy]

Originally Posted by Freeway

The actress who plays Luna Lovegood is 17.

Close to legal?

I thought the age of consent in Britain is like 16...

[WesternCanadaKing]

I really liked it... but it was definitely seperate from the book. I was a massive fan of the series, so I really nerded out and got annoyed at sort of stupid things.

I didn't like how it didn't really convey how tense the times were, people are supposed dropping dead everywhere, nobody is trusting anybody, and security is at an all time high everywhere (not just at Hogwarts). Also they don't mention how Harry inherits Kreacher and Grimmauld Place (isn't that sort of important for the next movie when they have to break into the Ministry?). The attack on the Burrow was stupid (isn't it supposed to have that charm that conceals its location unless the secret keeper reveals it to you?) and it just seemed like an action to piece to make up for the lack of action throughout. I didn't like how they focused so much time on the relationships and made plot points that were huge in the book rather minor in the movie (like Harry's obsession with Malfoy and the Half-Blood Prince, they seemed almost neglible in the movie). Finally, they left out the battle at the end, and I'm not sure why. It could've been a terrific way to end the movie.

But all that aside, I still enjoyed it. I do understand that there are an incredible amount of restraints on a movie and its impossible to include everything. It flowed a lot better than previous ones and still told the story very well, getting the main points across and playing out the major scenes extremely well (meeting Slughorn, the memories, getting the Horcrux). Very good acting and the cinematography was brilliant. Slughorn, Luna, and Riddle were absolutely perfect too.

[flip]

I mostly agree with WCK's complaints. Although I thought this was the first movie that is good as a stand alone movie (ie not much background needed, people who haven't read the book could probably follow the movie), I'd even say it was better than the book, except for the fact they left out Aurors and the final battle.

This was definitely the Empire Strikes Back of the Harry Potter series.

I should say that the 1st two movies were abortions put to film, the third was pretty good, the fourth quite good, the fifth was ok and this one was fantastic. Only movie of the six I'd recommend to non-HP fans.

Too bad I thought the 7th book sucked so much balls. I just don't see how they are going to take the most boring off all the books and make it into two movies. If anything it was the book that needed the most trimming.

To say I liked this movie more than the book isn't to say I didn't like the book, because I really did enjoy it. That being said Rowling has an addicting writing style but she's not a very good storyteller. By that I mean she can make it interesting but she sure as hell doesn't understand story structure like say Mel Gibson (Imaginationland reference).

[anyonebutedmonton]

My complaints in white:

They left out the biggest scene of the whole book in the fight near the end. Did anyone else think "why did the death eaters have to come to Hogwarts at all? Snape and Malfoy were there the whole time and they were the only ones who did anything". They spent all this time on the two chests and Malfoy bringing the death eaters there only so they could just leave? Very disappointing...

[MissTeeks]

I watched it on the midnight showing on Wednesday and I was so exhausted while watching, I'm just starting to think of more things that are bugging me about it. In white:

I know this book had a lot of flashback scenes, but I think the movie needed more than just the two they had. They don't explain really well why Voldemort became Voldemort. I think you need to explain in greater detail how his muggle father abandoned his witch mother and how that made him start his hate for muggle born wizards. You have to go all the way back to Chamber of Secrets to where it is mentioned. And they could have mentioned why he selected the objects he did to make horcruxes, how it was a status thing to him. Dumbledore didn't explain the ring of Slytherin at all. That's what usually bugs me about the movies, I don't mind if they cut out certain storylines but they don't do a very good job with the backstory behind everything.

Maybe I'm just too picky since I've read the books so many times.

[flip]

WARNING SLIGHT SPOILERS and I'm too lazy to use white.

With the complaints in white in the last 2 posts I think they left that stuff out due to times restraints and they wanted to really focus the story on Harry, Dumbledore, Hermoine and Ron.

They really downplayed the Order this time.

I would have like to see the love stuff played down just a bit and the ending fixed up to include the battle.

[WesternCanadaKing]

Originally Posted by flip

WARNING SLIGHT SPOILERS and I'm too lazy to use white.

With the complaints in white in the last 2 posts I think they left that stuff out due to times restraints and they wanted to really focus the story on Harry, Dumbledore, Hermoine and Ron.

They really downplayed the Order this time.

I would have like to see the love stuff played down just a bit and the ending fixed up to include the battle.

This.

Not only did they downplay the Order, they almost completely left them out save for that scene at the Burrow. They also completely left out the Ministry, and Scrimgeour. They really downplay the fact that the wizarding world is at war at all. The sense I got is that if you had never read the books you would assume that all Voldemort and his small band of followers were interested in was killing Dumbledore. And Dumbledore stood alone against them. Oh and that 16 year old wizarding children still have the kinds of relationships that 13 year old muggle kids do.

I was reading the book today and I realised just how different the tone is between the two, they really stand apart more than any of the other movies and their respective books.

[Antithesis]

I think the complaints that some people have posted earlier in this thread regarding the end of the movie have been addressed by the director (yes, I am a nerd). He says from his POV that having the ending of the book translated directly into the movie would have made the ending of the last book redundant (remember - there would have been 3 climaxes of these movies in a row almost identical).

I for one, love how sombre and horrific everything seemed at the end of this movie. It really seemed like the Empire Strikes Back (not comparing series so don't anyone get their panties in a twist) of these films. Almost all of the changes I enjoyed aside from the razing of The Burrow (how was it not addressed elsewhere in the film? What purpose did that serve?). I especially enjoyed how Harry was choosing to follow Dumbledore's orders at the end rather than being unable to resist - should lead to some interesting characterization in these last two films.

To play devil's advocate here, I wonder if the Order may have been omitted as much as they were to further highlight how alone Harry will be at this point forward as the adults he looked up to and/or cared about start falling.

[Resolute 14]

http://www.bash.org/?111338

Saw it, thought it was alright. A lot slower than the other movies. Felt bad for the 8 year old girl behind me who broke out crying when Dumbledore died. The quiddich match was, as always, utterly useless, but it was also just about the only action sequence in the entire movie. They really played up the cave scene as being this incredibly dangerous excursion, and all it really ends up being is a drinking contest? WDF? I know the skeleton/zombies were there, but they were dispatched so easily they might not have bothered. As someone who never read the books (and probably never will), it was a good movie for developing the primary characters, however. And like Antithesis, I love how the movie ended on a down note.

[jeremywilhelm]

So the romance between Harry and Rons sister is still non-existant? lame....

[JerzeeGirl]

I have to agree with the complaints being registered above - I saw the HBP on Saturday and perhaps was expecting too much of it but felt rather let down by some of the huge omissions from the book. Really enjoyed the fact that we got to see Harry, Ron & Hermione end up tight and together without any petty crap like in movies 3 - 5 but hated that they left out the battle at the end between the Order & the Death-Eaters nevermind the treatment of Snape and his role at the end. Maybe I just enjoyed how well the fight at the end of Order of the Phoenix was done and was looking forward to more in this installment but all in all, while this was an enjoyable movie it was still a bit of a letdown for me.

[flip]

Originally Posted by jeremywilhelm

So the romance between Harry and Rons sister is still non-existant? lame....

???

Dude it is played quite a bit in the movie. Secondary to Ron and Hermoine perhaps but very prominent.

And Antithesis: you are right about the Empire Strikes Back thing. I said it as soon as the movie ended that this was intended to be the downer movie that sets up a triumphant 7th flick (although split in two).

[Antithesis]

Yeah, I just wonder if it will be too much of a 'downer' between the large part of this movie and the 7th part 1 - I'd imagine that part will probably end pretty down as well, but I'm not a director (thank goodness for that).

I didn't get the Harry/Ginny comment either but now that I think about it that was something I was a bit disappointed in, in terms of how the actual 'romance' happened. I thought it was very well done in the book, and was very, very understated in the film.

[Coach]

A few complaints from me. SPOILERS

The big fight of course. The way Ginny and Harry kissed. The situation in the book would have made for a much less cheesy and better actual kiss given the intensity of the moment. In a two hour movie i dont see the problem in adding 10 min for another quidditch game. Also the ending wouldve been better if they had done so as written with Dumbledore's funeral and Harry running away.


But all in all I enjoyed it. The last couple movies have seemed so rushed due to the length of the books. I wouldve had no problem with them splitting both of the last two books into two parts. Or even making the movie longer. LOTR proved that people will still pay their money to sit through a 3 and a half hour movie.