"Once again, I must ask too much of you, Harry."
- Dumbledore
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the sixth installment in the Harry Potter series, based on the series of novels by J.K. Rowling. Like the rest of the films, it stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Alan Rickman, and Sir Michael Gambon. While this may be the most exciting film of the series, you may not want to pour the champagne just yet. For anyone who is wondering, I will refrain from giving away any spoilers... Any major ones, anyway (I assume that anyone reading this has probably already read the books, but I digress).
Like all Harry Potter movies to date, this film is filled with beautiful images, thrilling action scenes, and surprisingly decent amount of comedy. Unlike its predecessors, however, this film has been quite a bit more character-driven. This film (I know, I know... it is based off the book) has decided to rely mostly on the various state of the character's relationships/feelings for one another.
Right off the bat, this film had some magnificent scenes from Sir Michael Gambon. He completely stole the show, and I was thoroughly impressed by how he commanded the screen. Likewise, Daniel Radcliffe is really beginning to blossom into quite the talented actor. As always, there was a solid performance from Alan Rickman, who is one of the more underrated actors of his generation (If you don't believe me, watch his performances in Die Hard, Love Actually, and Galaxy Quest... This guy is versatile!).
As the film progresses, I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that Half-Blood Price finally allowed us, the viewer to have a better look at quidditch. Aside from the fact that is far to easy for the athletes to die, and there are no apparent anti-spell rules in place to prevent outside cheating, this looks like a very fun game. It was nice to see the game from the perspective of Ron, Ginny, and a few other characters. The CGI in that scene was fantastic, and I did not expect those scenes to push the story line as far as it did.
Unlike other films in the Harry Potter series, the Half-Blood Prince was the first film to realy concentrate on the romantic lives of several characters. It might seem like a risky maneuver for a big film franchise to delve too deeply into matters of the heart. For those of you who don't believe me, watch all of the non-action scenes from Return of the Sith (Damn you Lucus!!!). All joking aside, however, I had a mixed reaction to their attempt.
The dialogue between the characters was filled with real emotions. I mean, sure there was a little bit of teen angst, but I was actually impressed by the moderately smooth transition the franchise has been able to make. It is very easy to make a love scene materialize out of thin air, but the Harry Potter franchise has been laying the groundwork for quite some time. In regards to some characters, the payoff was really satisfying, and the chemestry seemed truly organic.
Unfortunately, I do have to point out that I do not feel any connection between the characters of Hermione and Ron. Whether or not the characters end up together or not is not the point... at this point, I really don't care. I know that the casting director casted these actors as children - and both Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are fine actors - but I just don't feel any type of real connection between the two.
As only a casual viewer, I am not familiar with the books, I am enjoying how they are starting to tie everything together. From beginning to end, almost every second of screen time left me wanting more of the story. I know that some parts of the story were easily predictable, but that did not stop me from enjoying the movie. In fact, this made me appreciate some of the previous films from the series. The first time I had watched Harry Potter and the Book of Secrets, I thought that the plot had been forced. Looking back at it now, while most sequels are just a thinly veiled way for movie studios to make an extra dollar (while diluting the impact of the original, ie The Matrix or Pirates of the Caribbean), this franchise has only gotten better and better. One reason is because the storyline has had a clear vision from beginning to end. Another reason is because of the suburb talent of the entire ensemble. It is difficult for such a diverse cast to stay together for so long. This only proves how much this cast believes in this project. I know that Emma Watson seriously considered leaving, but she just couldn't bare the thought of anyone else playing her, proving how connected the cast is to this project.
Is it worth seeing? Yes. Not only does this film leave me wanting more, but this series has also been able to change how I felt about the entire series.
Theatre or Rental? Theatre... This one is a no brainer. Sure, this movie will still translate well on the small screen, but with the special effects, and loyal fan following, you can understand why this film has been shattering records in its opening weeks. All I can say is that I can not wait to see what happens next...
No comments:
Post a Comment