Film Review:Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

After two years of anticipation, Harry Potter fans once more got a chance to flock to movie theaters and be enchanted by the tale of young wizard Harry Potter. The magical phenomenon continued on July 15 with the opening of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, the sixth of eight films about the boy who lived. Fans that went to the midnight premiere were able to contribute to the biggest selling premiere of the year, and were treated to a film that while dark also brought entertainment and satisfaction to Potter fanatics.

The Half Blood Prince continues the story of Harry Potter and follows the young man through his darkest journey yet. After discovering that he is the one that must defeat the evil Lord Voldemort at the end of the fifth installment, Potter now has to figure out how to weaken the Dark Lord by taking private lessons with Dumbledore and trying to pry a revealing secret from the new Potions teacher. He endures this all while coping with the death of his godfather Sirius Black and a confusing crush on his best friend’s sister Ginny Weasley. The film is a bit gloomier than the previous five, with more images of Death Eaters and contains a tragic turn of one of Potter’s oldest foes. Also, the movie ends with a bit of a cliff hanger, making the audience feel a bit depressed but anxious to see what will happen next.

In general, it appeared that the film did not disappoint. While the first several minutes featured scenes that were not in the novel, striking fear into avid readers, the film quickly gets back on track and follows the novel fairly closely. However, fans may be a little disappointed that much of Riddle’s young life is not explored a sin the novel, that Fleur and Bill were not included, and that an important funeral that has critical dialogue was cut from the film. Also, the relationship between Harry and Ginny seems extremely forced in the motion picture, pushing them together right away in a manner that does not fit well with the previous films, while in the book their romance flows much smoother. Yet, by now, most Potter fans are used to the fact that all of the scenes could not be fit into a movie and realize that the whole story is still contained in Rowling’s seven novels.

Luckily, most of the film is very entertaining and much of the time is spent on plot, leaving out artsy scenes of the Whomping Willow or stain glass windows, which made the3^rdand 4^thfilms less entertaining. Furthermore, the film includes more humor than the previous installments, which while were not all included in the novel, were close enough to the character’s personalities that it worked well. For by now, actors Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint perfectly portray their characters, and it can be seen that their acting and connection to their characters has improved dramatically since Sorcerer’s Stone. Tom Felton, who plays Draco Malfoy, and Michael Gambon, who plays Dumbledore, also play a larger part in this movie and shine as they portray their characters with little flaw. The film includes romance and heart break as well, as Potter and his friends reach the ripe age of sixteen, which keeps the teen and adult audience satisfied and entertained. The overall plot thickens too, answering some of the questions from previous films but producing many more intriguing questions as the series of films enter their climax. Finally, the dramatic demolishment of a bridge and large flames conjured by Dumbledore show off some of the impressive special effects in film making today and add excitement to the 153 minute film.

Overall, Half Blood Prince has a little something for everyone whether one enjoys romance, humor, or action; and is a very worthwhile film to see, especially for ardent Potter fans.