Film Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

I was very excited for this movie because the 6th book is one of my favorites. Although I’ve felt a roller coaster of emotions from the 5 previous films, ranging from utter disappointment (the 3rd film) to complete satisfaction (the 4th film), I was trying to keep in mind that it’s just a movie and it can’t please everyone.

Surely that mindset kept me from hating the film, but it couldn't help me love it like I so wanted to. After seeing all of the trailers, I was so ridiculously pumped to see this film! I went to the midnight showing, and waited in line for 2 1/2 hours. In the end, I left feeling confused about just what I thought about the film. Since then, I've mostly sorted out my feelings towards the 6th Potter flick.

I'll begin with the negative comments so that I can finish with the positive comments and thus end the review on a positive note.

1) No fight scene at the end! I knew that the fight scene between the Hogwarts students/teachers and the Death Eaters was going to be left out from the film, but I still felt disappointed that the end was so anti-climatic.

2) I wanted a bigger fight scene between Snape and Harry. Harry is supposed to HATE Snape, to be absolutely FURIOUS with him but I didn't really sense that emotion. Harry seemed to give up really quickly, and Snape was not as angry (I do recall a "I AM NOT A COWARD!" in the novel) as I had hoped.

3) David Yates concentrated too much on the romance aspect of the story. Other parts of the story weren't explored as thoroughly as I would have liked because of the focus on the teenage romance. Oh, and the kiss between Harry and Ginny that the fans eagerly waited for? LAME. I'm sorry, but there was no passion at all there.

4) I agree with Caitlin that there was definitely not enough Voldemort memories! I wanted badly to see the Gaunts, and I felt that Voldemort took a back seat in this film.

5) The Half-Blood Prince storyline took the 2nd backseat in this film. It seemed so unimportant and I even had friends who hadn't read the series asking why it was named "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince".

6) Burning down the Burrow. Why exactly did the Death Eaters (well, Bellatrix and Fenrir) attack the Burrow? Nothing really came out of that lackluster fight except for the burning of the Weasley's home which didn't take place in the novel and wasn't explored later in the film.

7) The inaccuracies. Harry's supposed to kiss Ginny in front of approximately 50 people. Harry's supposed to be immobilized beneath the invisibility cloak while Dumbledore dies. These little details might have made both those scenes so much better for me.

OKAY, now after such negativity (sorry everyone!), here's the positive comments:

1) HILARIOUS. OH MY GOODNESS, this film was SO FUNNY. I was laughing so hard; the script was funny and the actors did such a great job at comedy! The Felix Felices part was ridiculously hilarious,and definitely one of my favourite parts of the movie. My favourite lines of the film were:
"Not to mention those pincers. Click click!"
"Harry!" "SIR!"
"All hands on deck, Granger!"
"So you and Ginny did it?"
"...Well, she has nice skin..."
Really, some great comedy there!

2) Slughorn! When I saw the trailers, I was disappointed that the actor did not have a walrus-like mustache and didn't really fit my physical idea of the character. But man, oh man, did Jim Broadbent impress me! He was downright hilarious and really made the character come to life. His movement, his speech...everything was just flawless!

3) Ron and Hermione. I'm a huge fan of this couple; I've loved the idea of them since the first couple novels and I was so happy to finally see a more pronounced loving tension between the two. When Ron is in the hospital and he whispers Hermione's name in his sleep, I'm pretty sure I "Aww"'ed for a good 5 minutes.

4) Lavender Brown. This actress was perfect for this character! Her performance was hilarious, and really enjoyed her over-the-top acting!

5) The acting. The quality of the acting from all of the actors, young and old, has really improved over the years. It's been a subtle growth but I really noticed how much work they put into their acting in this film. I was really impressed with all of the actors here.

6) Fred and George's Jokeshop. Although it wasn't shown all that much, I was impressed with how well the shop corresponded with my image of how it would look. It was very well done, and I loved the moving statue of the twins outside!

Overall, I enjoyed this film. It did lack on several accounts, but it made up for it in other ways. It wasn't the action-packed adventure I had hoped, but it was much more of a comedy then any of the previous films and had me almost crying from laughter! I'll give it a 3.5/5 because on the whole it kept me entertained and has a good chance in ending up being one of my favourite Potter films!\

(* cross posted from the cooperative blog Collision)

Continuing the Potter Craze...

Here's a hilarious interview (part one and part two) with actors Rupert Grint and Daniel Radcliffe about Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince:






And Rupert, I love that you're a ginger ;)


Here's HBO's First Look at the Series, part two so that we can explore some of the other characters:


And to end the interviews, here's a really funny rifftrax of Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban and one of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.




My favourites:
POA:
"I coulda sworn I heard a cheesecake in here.."
"Young Notorious P.I.G. is right!"
"Whatever did this, I'll find it and be hideous at it."
"Observe the picture of the red dragon, it's pretty sweet."
"Keep your hands off my dress!"
"Grandpa's off his meds again..."
COS:
"Get away from me demon, we're all doomed!"
"Not hookers. Not at all like hookers."
"ROADTRIP!"
"Grasp your mandrake... but never in public."
"Settle down, muddy." (Okay, mean, but funny.)
"I raise my eyebrow at you, sir."
"Hm...yeah...we may have to call J.K, do you have her cell number?"

So, in conclusion, HARRY POTTER = LOVE <3 and...

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE IS OUT IN 8 DAYS! ALMOST A WEEK!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince...

IS OUT IN 10 DAYS!!!!!!!!

Oh man, I'm freaking out. I'm such a huge HP fangirl, and I'm really hoping I'll be able to go see the midnight showing (and then go like 3 times after that haha)

I read this on Wikipedia though: There are a number of changes from the book in the film. Much of the book's ending has been changed, with the climactic battle and Dumbledore's funeral being removed. Heyman commented that the end battle was removed to "(avoid) repetition" with the forthcoming adaptation of Deathly Hallows. The funeral was removed as it was believed it did not fit with the rest of the film.[74] The collapse of a Muggle bridge mentioned briefly in the book serves as the film's opening sequence.[75] Scenes of Diagon Alley being demolished by Death Eaters and an attack on the Burrow by Bellatrix Lestrange and werewolf Fenrir Greyback are added, as can be seen in the trailers. All but two of the memory scenes, including that of the Gaunts, have been cut. Only the flashbacks of Tom Riddle at the orphanage and Riddle asking Slughorn about Horcruxes, shown twice, remain.[75] Yates said they made the decision to compress the memories, but still "got some really cool ones".[76] Characters who are cut include the Dursleys, Kreacher, Dobby, Bill and Fleur, Rufus Scrimgeour, Cornelius Fudge and the Muggle Prime Minister. However, Quidditch[77], being excluded from the previous film, returns. Bellatrix Lestrange will also participate in the battle of the astronomy tower, whereas she did not in the book, as seen in a picture with the Carrows and Greyback, celebrating Dumbledore's death. In the book, on the Hogwarts Express, after he is paralysed and hidden under his Invisibility Cloak by Draco Malfoy, Harry is rescued by Nymphadora Tonks. In the film, Luna Lovegood saves him instead, using her Spectrespecs to find him.

and I'm not too pleased... but we'll see. I'll probably be mad they changed a lot but at the same time, love it anyways.

Here's the trailer and a couple scenes from the movie:
Trailer 1:


"In Love" Scene:


Behind the Scenes:


I hope this movie is great and everyone enjoys it!

A room without books is like a body without a soul.

I was reading a review of one of my favourite novels, and I thought that I would share my favourite novels here!

I'm a total sucker for the Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone; Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban; Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire; Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and finally, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.


(SPOILERS AHEAD! DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED THE SERIES)

My favourite novels of the 7 book series were: the 4th book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and the 6th book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and the 7th and final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Goblet of Fire is one of my favourites because of the whole idea of the Triward Tournament. The competition was the main idea of the novel, and the introduction of the two other schools of witchcraft and wizardry (Beauxbatons Academy from France and Durmstrang Institute from Bulgaria) just expanded Rowling's magical universe! Also, the first meeting with Voldemort in his own body was just breathtaking. I believe Cedric Diggory's death at the hands of Peter Pettigrew really brought the darkness of the series into light. The 3 previous novels had toyed with death, such as all petrified students in the 2nd novel, but the 4th installment finally went there. Although some complain that Cedric's death qualified the books as unsuitable for children, I don't believe the series is necessarily intended for 10 year olds. The 4th novel really begins the complex issues involving Voldemort, and I just adored it.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was another favourite because this book was just so darn funny! All of the drama going on between Ron/Hermione/Lavender was so amusing and I often got into laughing fits over this love triangle. Dumbledore's lessons with Harry, visiting memories in the Pensieve, were just exceptional. I especially liked the memory of a ministry official questioning the Gaunts. The title of the novel, the Half-Blood Prince, was brought about by Harry finding a potions book with written comments, alterations and spells by a previous Hogwarts student who nicknamed themselves "the half-blood prince". This was very intriguing, and trying to figure out who owned the book kept me hooked.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is my final favourite simply because it is the final installment of the series. There is so much that happens in this novel. All loose ends are tied by the end of the novel, and every event in the novel was incredibly important. I greatly enjoyed the part where Ron stabbed Voldemort's locket, and ghosts of Harry and Hermione appeared and exposed Ron's biggest fears: that Hermione did not love him. I thought that was unbelievably sweet, and when they FINALLY kissed at the end of the novel, I'm pretty sure I screamed! I'm a huge Ron/Hermione fan :) Also, the fight scene at the end, with deaths that would make the readers cry and scream, was very realistic. I was so sad to see Fred, Lupin and Tonks die, and although I wish they hadn't, it was a realistic portrayal of a war. Not everyone you love will end up alive, and Rowling did not try to sugarcoat this war.

One of my favourite authors wrote four of my favourite novels, however none of these are part of a series. These novels are written by the fabulous Sarah Dessen.

The Truth About Forever (my favourite of hers)


Dreamland (my 2nd favourite of hers)


This Lullaby (my 3rd favourite of hers)


Lock and Key (my 4th favourite of hers)


This following novel is A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan's last thirty years-from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding-that puts the violence, fear, hope, and faith of this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives-the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness-are inextricable from the history playing out around them.

Propelled by the same storytelling instinct that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once a remarkable chronicle of three decades of Afghan history and a deeply moving account of family and friendship. It is a striking, heart-wrenching novel of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love-a stunning accomplishment.

This novel is The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.

This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.

This novel is White Oleander by Janet Fitch.

Astrid Magnussen, the teenage narrator of Janet Fitch's engrossing first novel, White Oleander, has a mother who is as sharp as a new knife. An uncompromising poet, Ingrid despises weakness and self-pity, telling her daughter that they are descendants of Vikings, savages who fought fiercely to survive. And when one of Ingrid's boyfriends abandons her, she illustrates her point, killing the man with the poison of oleander flowers. This leads to a life sentence in prison, leaving Astrid to teach herself the art of survival in a string of Los Angeles foster homes.As Astrid bumps from trailer park to tract house to Hollywood bungalow, White Oleander uncoils her existential anxieties. "Who was I, really?" she asks. "I was the sole occupant of my mother's totalitarian state, my own personal history rewritten to fit the story she was telling that day. There were so many missing pieces." Fitch adroitly leads Astrid down a path of sorting out her past and identity. In the process, this girl develops a wire-tight inner strength, gains her mother's white-blonde beauty, and achieves some measure of control over their relationship. Even from prison, Ingrid tries to mold her daughter. Foiling her, Astrid learns about tenderness from one foster mother and how to stand up for herself from another. Like the weather in Los Angeles--the winds of the Santa Anas, the scorching heat--Astrid's teenage life is intense. Fitch's novel deftly displays that, and also makes Astrid's life meaningful.

This novel is A Spell for Chameleon by Piers Anthony. This is the first novel of the Xanth series, and it is my favourite of the ones I've read so far.

Xanth was the enchanted land where magic ruled--where every citizen had a special spell only he could cast. That is, except for Bink of North Village. He was sure he possessed no magic, and knew that if he didn't find some soon, he would be exiled. According to the Good Magician Humpfrey, the charts said that Bink was as powerful as the King or even the Evil Magician Trent. Unfortunately, no one could determine its form. Meanwhile, Bink was in despair. If he didn't find his magic soon, he would be forced to leave....

And as many girls out there, another favourite series of mine is the Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer. Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and finally Breaking Dawn.


My favourite novel of the series is the 3rd, Eclipse. By this novel, the Bella/Edward/Jacob love triangle has reached a peak and it's a constant guessing game of what's gong to happen next. Plus the drama with the vampire gang in Seattle and the upcoming battle between Victoria and the Cullens really kept me hooked. The fight at the end was the best of the series, and I really enjoyed the whole novel. Personally I'm a HUGE Jacob Black fan, and his attempts to win Bella's love confirmed that I am very much Team Jacob, haha.

So if you're in a bookstore, and you're looking for a great novel, pick up any of these novels and enjoy! They're all fantastic and I promise they won't disappoint!