Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince

[Ackbar]

A teaser trailer was released on July 29 and a plethora of download options are available:

[align=center][flash width=425 height=344]http://www.youtube.com/v/jpCPvHJ6p90[/flash][/align]

QUICKTIME HD (MOV)
HD1080 123.5MB
HD720 72.6MB
HD480 31.9MB

QUICKTIME STANDARD (MOV)
Large 16.1MB
Medium 9.0MB
Small 6.5MB

WINDOWS HD (WMV Zipped)
HD1080 126.3MB
HD720 79.2MB

FLASH (FLV)
Version 8 or below 4.4MB
Version 9+ 16.1MB

IPOD (m4v)
17.7MB

[darthpsychotic]

news.yahoo.com

Half-Blood Prince pushed back from November 9 2008 to July 17 2009, thanks in part to the writers strike

[hr]
The release date for the sixth Harry Potter movie, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," was pushed back on Thursday to July 2009 from its original slot in November 2008, movie studio Warner Bros. said.

The eight-month change in the opening date to July 17, 2009, is expected to disappoint millions of Harry Potter fans around the world who have already been waiting more than a year to watch the next big-screen installment in the international literary and film phenomenon.

Trailers for "Half-Blood Prince" began running last week in advance of the expected November movie release worldwide.

Warner Bros., a unit of Time Warner Inc, said it had decided to make the change to bolster its release schedule for the lucrative summer moviegoing season -- a period that can account for as much as 40 percent of Hollywood's annual box office receipts.

Warner Bros. President Alan Horn said the studio was also still feeling repercussions from the three-month Hollywood screenwriters strike that ended in February but has "impacted the readiness of scripts for other films."

"We know the summer season is an ideal window for a family ... release, as proven by the success of our last Harry Potter film, which is the second-highest grossing film in the franchise, behind only the first installment," Horn said.

The studio said the change of date would not alter production plans for the final, two-part Potter movie adventure, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." The release date for part one is tentatively set for November 2010.

[hr]

btw brah thanks for the trailer links you post

[TroyObliX]

This one actually looks half blood decent. Waiting for it to come out is mildly annoying, but I haven't been bitting my nails and waiting to see it either so I only mildly give a shit. Thanks for the trailer links!

[TiniTinyTony]

Yes, I've already read the books, so while the delay semi-pisses me off, I can wait, especially since the executives decided to split the final movie in two anyway so they are obviously in no rush to end the series and will milk it anyway they can.

[yavinator]

That delay spoiled my date with my HP fan GF..

I hope they should revise(and further improve) their special effects since the time from release is too long..

[ETandElliott]

They have time to bring in John Williams to score it.

[Ackbar]

International Teaser Trailer released on October 26, 2008

traileraddict.com /harry-potter-and-half-blood-prince/

[align=center][flash width=520 height=265]http://www.traileraddict.com/emd/7090[/flash][/align]
FLV file
10.5Mb


New Theatrical Trailer released on November 14, 2008

[align=center][flash width=425 height=344]http://www.youtube.com/v/lO3DrA1M0Tc[/flash][/align]

QUICKTIME HD (MOV)
HD 1080P (144Mb)
HD 720P (86.2Mb)
HD 480P (37.7Mb)

QUICKTIME Standard (MOV)
Hi-Res (19.1Mb)
Med-Res (10.6Mb)
Low-Res (7.9Mb)

WINDOWS HD (WMV Zipped)
HD1080 125.4MB
HD720 78.4MB

FLASH (FLV)
Version 8 or below 10.6MB
Version 9+ 19.2MB

IPOD (m4v)
20.6MB

[bearvomit]

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/38251

There was a test screening in Chicago a while back. Forgot to post AICN's response:

[spoil]
[align=left] Hi. I saw Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince this past Saturday in Chicago. It was presented on the flyers as a mystery screening, and right before it started, a man with a microphone said we were the first people to see it. Maybe 75% of the special effects were complete. Also, some pieces of music from Batman Begins were on the soundtrack, indicating the score had yet to be totally completed. The runtime of this version was about 145 minutes.

I read the books once, maybe twice for a couple of them, but I’m definitely not what I’d call a fanatic. I’ve seen the movies, but started to lose interest in them after the fourth, which I felt they could have done a much better job with. I read Half-Blood Prince about three years ago and don’t remember all of the details, so please bear with me.

And there are spoilers, so don’t say I didn’t warn you.

The film opens with an assault on a bridge in London by Death Eaters. The fly around it in corkscrew-like formations, causing the bridge to collapse into the water below. They make their way into Diagon Alley, put a bag over some guy’s head, and take him away. It was a pretty spectacular opening, and I understand after talking to a couple of people that the filmmakers decided to show some of the Death Eaters’ assaults on muggles instead of having two guys in a room talking about it as it was portrayed in the book, but in regards to the rest of the film, I couldn’t understand really why it was there. Whoever gets kidnapped doesn’t reappear for the rest of the movie, and the money spent on that opening sequence (which isn’t in the book) could have been diverted to something that happens later on, the absence of which should leave fans of the book disappointed. (The person getting kidnapped might be Ollivander, and the person getting bagged might have been a stand-in for him – all of the effects weren’t finished. Why they would do that digitally, though, makes no sense to me.)

We’re introduced to Horace Slughorn, who is played by Jim Broadbent. When I first heard he wouldn’t be fat and he wouldn’t have a mustache, I was irritated, but Broadbent’s character is easily the most enjoyable in the film. There’s two scenes where he’s drunk that are great. He takes over as the Potions teacher, and Harry finds a book that once belonged to the Half-Blood Prince. In one scene, Harry follows the book’s modified potion-making instructions and gets proper results as the rest of his classmates fail around him. This leads me to another problem I had with the film – the mystery as to who the Half-Blood Prince is takes a backseat to all the dating stuff. Some of it’s pleasant and funny, but it should have been background comic relief to help balance the drama in the forefront. There’s a part where Harry fights Malfoy in a bathroom and he uses some violent spell, causing Malfoy’s chest to bleed, but the fact that Harry got the spell from the potions book was lost on me. I might have missed something, but regardless, whatever scene or line of dialogue was supposed to emphasize that fact definitely needs more attention. Also, there’s a scene during Christmas that wasn’t in the book where some Death Eaters attack the Weasley household, drawing first Harry and Ginny into a field of wheat (or something), then Lupin and someone else, I forget who. The scene feels totally unnecessary –tacked on to give the audience a jolt of action at around the halfway point of the film.

I had the most problems with the film’s final third. Harry and Dumbledore’s trip to the caves seemed to come out of nowhere, as did Dumbledore’s declaration that he had to drink the water from the podium in which the locket they were after was held. I don’t remember if that’s how it happened in the book, but I remember arriving at that location & conclusion in a way that at least felt more natural.

After that, they make their way to the tower and instead of using a charm to immobilize Harry and cover him with the invisibility cloak like in the book, Dumbledore just sends Harry away, and Harry goes downstairs, stops & watches the following scene through cracks in the floor above him. Malfoy tries to kill Dumbledore but realizes he can’t. Snape arrives on the floor below & signals Harry to be quiet, which he uncharacteristically does. Snape then goes upstairs & sends Dumbledore to his death. The modifications made to this scene from book to film are terrible, and they partially blow what may be the biggest surprise of the entire franchise.

Afterwards, there is no enormous battle. The Death Eaters stroll out silently. I remember the fight in the book being fantastic, and I personally would rather have had a short scene in the beginning with two guys talking about the horrible things the Death Eaters are doing than eliminate the battle at the end. Harry runs after them and confronts Snape, who quietly tells him he’s the Half-Blood Prince. Again, due to lack of attention paid to this plotline, I didn’t really care. In the book, he screams his response. The book has Snape screaming and the film has him using his indoor voice. What a disappointment.

And as if this weren’t enough, there is no funeral for Dumbledore. It’s been cut.

They have almost a year before this film is released, so there’s plenty of time for editing, which is good news because this cut was quite underwhelming. A woman in our post-screening discussion of about 20-25 people said she usually cries at movies, but didn’t react at all when Dumbledore died. Hopefully, the filmmakers will ease up on the relationship stuff and emphasize more of the potions book/Half-Blood Prince plot. I’d like to think they’d shoot that missing end battle and also shoot the funeral, but I doubt the studio would be willing to spend any more money, especially because of how elaborate the battle was in the book.[/align][/spoil]

[spoil]
[align=left]Hello. I saw an incredibly early test screening of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on Saturday in Chicago. It was an event shrouded in secrecy, the audience only being told what film they had come to see seconds before the lights went down, and I was honestly excited. Like, five-year old boy excited.

My disappointment with what followed is endless.

Warning: this review contains many, many spoilers.

First, let's go with what was good if for no other reason than it will take less time. The opening, far different from the novel, was very strong. We see a bridge destroyed by Death Eaters, Diagon Alley blown to bits, Harry and Dumbledore mourning before an onslaught of Magical Press, and Snape making a very ominous, very Unbreakable Vow. I got a real sense of urgency, of darkly engrossing things to come. And they did. Just not in the sense that I had expected.

There was also the inspiring performance by Jim Broadbent as Prof. Horace Slughorn. Easily the most enjoyable character in the film, I found myself lolling away the scenes he was absent from anticipating the next one he was in. In fact, there was a lot of good humor, not only from Broadbent. There is a lot of teen drama in this film, most notably a love triangle between Harry, Ginnie Weasley, and Dean Thomas. A love potion gone awry adds a bit of welcomed lightness for Ron Weasley (who finally gets a crack at Quidditch, one of many points of anticipation hacked out of the last film).

And, well, that's about it.

The problem with all of this romance is All of This Romance. It dominates the movie, drawing our focus away not only from major plot points – which fall disastrously through the cracks – but also deters the mood, which, in a (nearly) penultimate film, should be at the forefront.

The title of this film is Harry Potter and the HALF-BLOOD PRINCE but the title character gets next to no screen time and even less explanation, save for a few asides that, if you haven't read the book, may as well have been cut. Better to call the movie Harry Potter and the Hormones from Hedes and save us our disillusionment.

Most of my issues with this film deal with deletions and alterations from the book, which would be okay if they were for the betterment of the movie-going experience, except that they're not. Gone are notable characters such as Rufus Schrimgouer, Fleur Delacour, and Bill and Charlie Weasley. Series regulars such as Maggie Smith and Robbie Coltrane are reduced two line cameos.

For a book based on Harry and Dumbledore's quest to find out more about Voldemort, and how to stop him, via his memories, all but three memories have been cut from the film. Why is it that the filmmakers decided it was more important to focus on teen-age love rather than what are inarguably critical plot points? It is aneurysm inducing logic that will surely leave me dead in my bathtub.

And the ending. Good God, the ending. Not only is the fight between the Death Eaters and the Order of the Phoenix completely removed, but so is Dumbledore's funeral. The last third of this movie is so incredibly mishandled that Dumbledore's death feels more like an unfortunate accident than genuine tragedy. No one in the film seems even remotely upset that he's gone and the Death Eaters who murdered him, including would-be-good-guy Severus Snape (Alan Rickman, the title-character in cameo form), walk out of Hogwarts unmolested.

Anyone who has read the book (an incredible sum of folk who Warner Bros. seem to have forgotten are the target audience – either that or they have some personal vendetta against them) will be severely, SEVERELY disappointed with this film. Let's just hope that in the ten intervening months between now and the film's release, Warner's will take the time and the money to fix this incredible mess.

Sadly, I'm not holding my breath.[/align][/spoil]

and this response above:

[Longtime_Sunshine]

Wow, this is seriously troubling. This doesn't sound like typical bitching from hardcore fans, this sounds like real bad shit. The ending of this book was riveting, truly, and I was really looking forward to seeing it on screen.

[TroyObliX]

Mrs O, who has actually read the books unlike myself, has been telling me how "the big battle at the end should be spectacular" since they started making this one. To hear it isn't even going to be included makes me think they are making a big mistake. Plus, the FX and action bits you get in this series are the only reason I watch. Because caring about the characters feewings and who they are dating (insert vomiting emoticon here) is some real Harry Potter shit IMO. I hope they fix it, because it sounds like it's going to really suck.

[Cryostar]

WTF?!

W.
T.
F?!

I thought we got angsty teen crap out of the way with this Twilight bullshit. Now we have to suffer through it in HP as well? Next to no Rickman, no battle at the end? I'd rather see the battle at the end, then some battle that never happened in the book which takes place at the Weasleys. No Funeral. What a crock of shit. No Memories? I guess this means we don't find out about the history of the heir of Slitherin either. WB better shape up, or no one's going to go for double feature of deathly hallows.

[Longtime_Sunshine]

Well, Half-Blood Prince did have a lot of "teen" moments but they were there I think to let the kids be kids. But when it turned to the actual HBP story line, it delivered.

I remember feeling a little "ehh" when the director and stars all described this movie as Harry Potter + sex drugs and rock and roll. I guess they've had it wrong the entire time. This is arguably the most important HP book/movie in the series and to see them fuck it up is really ...tacky. They're always talking about the books, the characters, the story but it is now so clearly about the $$

[Cryostar]

I guess they figure since they have 2 more movies after this, they can fsck it up all they want, and fix it in the first part of Deathly Hallows.

[bearvomit]

AICN is reporting this one will be rated PG. Guess they cut the balls off this one afterall!

[Raveers]

I've never gotten the fascination with Harry Potter. I've seriously tried getting into the movies but I can't. I am not a book reader so I won't ever read the books but I just don't get all the fan base around it.

[Cryostar]

For me it was the books. Totally changed how I viewed the franchise.

As for PG I'm hoping the article was correct and MPAA is going to be lenient I'd hate to think that they neutered the movie and really makes me worry for deathly hallows and all the death it has in it.

[MasterKyobi9d9]

Yeah the movies have nothing on the books, but they aren't bad. Too bad about the PG rating, I thought they were aiming towards more mature films, at least PG-13?

[darthpsychotic]

[flash width=480 height=325]http://cdn.springboard.gorillanation.com/storage/xplayer/ci001.swf?e=4bffc0037b3a3a49328d685cccfc7c21cc002973d57a44951a38fddf065f5c696a66be9b89ee2d2f0947d4e15d253124c7d296b9a2a5d695fdd446d15f64f11765e48a3169f68736fbc4dc031d8962a02723d09accafe3f4ff222b&width=518&height=457&pid=ci001&autostart=false&allowscriptaccess=always&usefullscreen=true&esnapshot=4bffc0037b3a3a493b90685cccfc7c21cc002973d57a44951a38fddf065f5c696a66be9b89ee2d2f094ccde2702233248cc2a0b6a3bed699f2d44c9a1869fa1f32b8d76936b6c068b683c70a0b8d79a826798fcd&trueurl=http://www.cinemablend.com/new.php[/flash]

video doc after these commercial messages

[Hige]

New trailer.

First Showing, MTV.

OR

480, 720, 1080


[flash width=499 height=306]http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:mtv.com:348080&type%3Dnetwork%26vid%3D348080%26uri%3Dmgid%3Auma%3Avideo%3Amtv.com%3A348080%26startUri=null[/flash]

[bearvomit]

AICN just posted a review:

[spoil]

One of the many great joys of watching the sixth, and most deeply satisfying, installment in the HARRY POTTER film series is watching returning director David Yates and screenwriter Steve Kloves beef up characters whose roles (in the movies, at least) have been soundly in the background up to this point. I liked watching members of the Weasley finally be brought to the foreground in anticipation of major contributions from them in the final two-part HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS finale. I was particularly impressed with the way Tom Felton has transformed Draco Malfoy from a sneering bully into a genuine source of tortured menace, worthy of being both feared and pitied. But more than anything, it's great watching every element of the sweeping overall story come together so wonderfully and have the acting by the one-time child performers be able to match the power of the maturing plotlines.

Let me just remind you that after watching the third film, 2004's HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN, I decided that I was going to experience the world of HARRY POTTER as a strictly cinematic endeavor and hold off reading the J.K. Rowling novels until all of the films had been released. After watching what was for me (until now) the best entry in the series, I felt the way for me to enjoy these films (or not) would be to not constantly be comparing them to the books. I know there are many fan-favorite moments left out from the novels; it happens. That seemed like a distraction I didn't need. In my mind, the filmed versions of these stories needed to stand on their own. Thankfully, with minor exceptions here and there, I've found the entire series to be an exceedingly fulfilling pursuit. And while I have loved playing “Spot the Talented Veteran British Actor” over the course of the works, I've really grown to love the younger characters and their trials.

It should come as no surprise that great sections of THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE are about sex, which is one of the many reasons I'm surprised this film still managed to secure a PG rating. Rising attraction between the boys and girls was alluded to in the last film, but here, you can almost see the condom in every male character’s pocket. And Ron Weasley is the biggest horn dog any PG-rated film has ever seen. Not to mention that the young girls are practically throwing themselves at Harry because of his possible status as "The Chosen One." And Hermione Granger is acting just like a young woman whose hormones are in an uproar over a guy she not only believes she can't have but can't believe she's fallen for in the first place. In one scene, Harry and Ron are lying in bed in their shared room talking about girls they like; you can almost sense the semi-stiffies under their respective covers. It's weird, but it seems absolutely authentic at the same time.

Each new HARRY POTTER story gives us at least one new teacher, and in this film we may have the greatest addition of all, Jim Broadbent as Professor Horace Slughorn, the new potions instructor returning to Hogwarts after an extended absence. Since little in the POTTER world is unconnected, it should come as no surprise that Slughorn's past is tied to that of a young boy named Tom Riddle, who will grow to become Lord Voldemort. Harry and Prof. Dumbledore (a thankfully beefed up role for Michael Gambon) spend a great deal of time together watching memories of Riddle as a child, first meeting a younger version of the headmaster years earlier and then being taught a secret spell by Slughorn that forever changes the fate of many characters. I'd been told that huge sections of The Half-Blood Prince novel were devoted to flashbacks, and while we do get a few in the film, it never struck me that the story dwelled too much in the past to make me miss the present. And Broadbent is one of those exceptional actors that I truly could watch in anything and enjoy the experience that much more because of him. He’s the embodiment of nervous guilt, and his twitchy behavior kept me in as much suspense as any more overtly scary moment in THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE.

While I’m calling out actors, let me mention Alan Rickman just because I can. This is maybe only the second of the HARRY POTTER films where I’ve really felt the weight of his character fully utilized. I realize the films are following the lead of the books, but I literally crave more Rickman every time I watch these movies. He’s all over this one, and he’s doing things that appear on the surface to be not very admirable or good, but I’ve always known that of all the instructors at Hogwarts, he held the deepest secrets. As someone who is strictly going by the movies, he’s always been my favorite character, and I can’t wait to see where his storyline goes.

In an exquisite way, the film ties together and draws parallels between the twisted and churning emotions raging through the young characters on a daily basis and the Riddle flashbacks, showing us a version of the child-who-would-be-Voldemort at about the same age as our heroes are in the present. The lesson is that these beings of pure emotion have chosen to either harness their feelings for good or allow the let them run unchecked and turn them into something terrible. Even more remarkable is the film’s ability to make me reconsider so many other aspects of all the previous films. This latest work actually made me a little angry at the first two HARRY POTTER installments for being too whimsical and action-packed. THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE is the story that begins the tying up process, and reminds us that no character’s life is sacred at this stage of the game.

If it sounds like I’m painting THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE as something of a talkative number, that’s because I am and it is, and that’s hardly a bad thing. There’s an enormous amount of exposition going on here, but if you’re even mildly invested in these characters, it’s all wildly interesting. But the focus on relationships and emotion and talking and great acting and the Who’s Who of great British thespians made me realize that this is the best art film I’ve seen this summer, complete with some of the best camera work you’re likely to see all year thanks to the masterful French director of photography Bruno Delbonnel. More than that, much like the books, the films have gone well beyond being simply kids’ stories and moves them into the realm of fine, rich storytelling the likes of which you just don’t get in a typical large-budget summer film. I’m always crowing about how big films lack character development, but THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE has enough of that for six movies, and I was still itching for more at the end of the films 150-minute-plus running time.

I was also especially impressed with how the extended scenes between Dumbledore and Harry are handled. The line that I continue to think about is Dumbledore saying, “I’m afraid I must ask too much of you again, Harry” before an especially dangerous mission the two embark on together. He appears to be the kindly, protective grandfather type, but he also sees Harry as a weapon against the Dark Lord and he will wield him as often as he must. The layers and complexity of their relationship are their epic high point in this installment.

Honestly, I have no complaints about this movie, unless you count just wanting more of this very good thing. I somehow managed to make it through this entire review with even mentioning the names of the actors playing the three lead students (actually, there are a lot of much-loved actors’ names I’ve left out of this review--Helena Bonham Carter, returning as death-eater Bellatrix Lestrange, being at the top of the list). At least for a little while longer, allow me to pretend that there are no actors playing them. They simply are Harry, Hermione, and Ron for at least one more very long, two-part movie that I have to wait until November 2010 and July 2011 to see. For the first time since this franchise began, I am eagerly anticipating what happens next to these young wizards and their adversaries. Set the countdown clock for HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS.

-- Capone

[/spoil]
sounds kinda long winded, not much action, gay little british twerps being all harry potter like for 2 1/2 hours and talking about giving Hermione a good thrashing in a PG kind of way.



watched it online, streaming here: half blood prince

just click 'cancel' on the popup that appears first thing then you'll be allowed to watch the movie. As far as it goes, it was boring. a bunch of love crap with sprinklings of semi-interesting potter stuff in-between more love stuff. there's hardly no action at all in this. When there is action, it's quickly over before it began and not that great to begin with.

The ending fight in particular was weak. The bad guys sneak in, they do their thang, Harry gets mad and chases them out and then gets knocked on his ass and that's it. Also, Voldemort is not in this at all. A young Tom Riddle is in a few nice scenes but they're few as well. Really, one of the weakest films yet.

[Longtime_Sunshine]

AICN just posted a review:

[spoil]

One of the many great joys of watching the sixth, and most deeply satisfying, installment in the HARRY POTTER film series is watching returning director David Yates and screenwriter Steve Kloves beef up characters whose roles (in the movies, at least) have been soundly in the background up to this point. I liked watching members of the Weasley finally be brought to the foreground in anticipation of major contributions from them in the final two-part HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS finale. I was particularly impressed with the way Tom Felton has transformed Draco Malfoy from a sneering bully into a genuine source of tortured menace, worthy of being both feared and pitied. But more than anything, it's great watching every element of the sweeping overall story come together so wonderfully and have the acting by the one-time child performers be able to match the power of the maturing plotlines.

Let me just remind you that after watching the third film, 2004's HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN, I decided that I was going to experience the world of HARRY POTTER as a strictly cinematic endeavor and hold off reading the J.K. Rowling novels until all of the films had been released. After watching what was for me (until now) the best entry in the series, I felt the way for me to enjoy these films (or not) would be to not constantly be comparing them to the books. I know there are many fan-favorite moments left out from the novels; it happens. That seemed like a distraction I didn't need. In my mind, the filmed versions of these stories needed to stand on their own. Thankfully, with minor exceptions here and there, I've found the entire series to be an exceedingly fulfilling pursuit. And while I have loved playing “Spot the Talented Veteran British Actor” over the course of the works, I've really grown to love the younger characters and their trials.

It should come as no surprise that great sections of THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE are about sex, which is one of the many reasons I'm surprised this film still managed to secure a PG rating. Rising attraction between the boys and girls was alluded to in the last film, but here, you can almost see the condom in every male character’s pocket. And Ron Weasley is the biggest horn dog any PG-rated film has ever seen. Not to mention that the young girls are practically throwing themselves at Harry because of his possible status as "The Chosen One." And Hermione Granger is acting just like a young woman whose hormones are in an uproar over a guy she not only believes she can't have but can't believe she's fallen for in the first place. In one scene, Harry and Ron are lying in bed in their shared room talking about girls they like; you can almost sense the semi-stiffies under their respective covers. It's weird, but it seems absolutely authentic at the same time.

Each new HARRY POTTER story gives us at least one new teacher, and in this film we may have the greatest addition of all, Jim Broadbent as Professor Horace Slughorn, the new potions instructor returning to Hogwarts after an extended absence. Since little in the POTTER world is unconnected, it should come as no surprise that Slughorn's past is tied to that of a young boy named Tom Riddle, who will grow to become Lord Voldemort. Harry and Prof. Dumbledore (a thankfully beefed up role for Michael Gambon) spend a great deal of time together watching memories of Riddle as a child, first meeting a younger version of the headmaster years earlier and then being taught a secret spell by Slughorn that forever changes the fate of many characters. I'd been told that huge sections of The Half-Blood Prince novel were devoted to flashbacks, and while we do get a few in the film, it never struck me that the story dwelled too much in the past to make me miss the present. And Broadbent is one of those exceptional actors that I truly could watch in anything and enjoy the experience that much more because of him. He’s the embodiment of nervous guilt, and his twitchy behavior kept me in as much suspense as any more overtly scary moment in THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE.

While I’m calling out actors, let me mention Alan Rickman just because I can. This is maybe only the second of the HARRY POTTER films where I’ve really felt the weight of his character fully utilized. I realize the films are following the lead of the books, but I literally crave more Rickman every time I watch these movies. He’s all over this one, and he’s doing things that appear on the surface to be not very admirable or good, but I’ve always known that of all the instructors at Hogwarts, he held the deepest secrets. As someone who is strictly going by the movies, he’s always been my favorite character, and I can’t wait to see where his storyline goes.

In an exquisite way, the film ties together and draws parallels between the twisted and churning emotions raging through the young characters on a daily basis and the Riddle flashbacks, showing us a version of the child-who-would-be-Voldemort at about the same age as our heroes are in the present. The lesson is that these beings of pure emotion have chosen to either harness their feelings for good or allow the let them run unchecked and turn them into something terrible. Even more remarkable is the film’s ability to make me reconsider so many other aspects of all the previous films. This latest work actually made me a little angry at the first two HARRY POTTER installments for being too whimsical and action-packed. THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE is the story that begins the tying up process, and reminds us that no character’s life is sacred at this stage of the game.

If it sounds like I’m painting THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE as something of a talkative number, that’s because I am and it is, and that’s hardly a bad thing. There’s an enormous amount of exposition going on here, but if you’re even mildly invested in these characters, it’s all wildly interesting. But the focus on relationships and emotion and talking and great acting and the Who’s Who of great British thespians made me realize that this is the best art film I’ve seen this summer, complete with some of the best camera work you’re likely to see all year thanks to the masterful French director of photography Bruno Delbonnel. More than that, much like the books, the films have gone well beyond being simply kids’ stories and moves them into the realm of fine, rich storytelling the likes of which you just don’t get in a typical large-budget summer film. I’m always crowing about how big films lack character development, but THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE has enough of that for six movies, and I was still itching for more at the end of the films 150-minute-plus running time.

I was also especially impressed with how the extended scenes between Dumbledore and Harry are handled. The line that I continue to think about is Dumbledore saying, “I’m afraid I must ask too much of you again, Harry” before an especially dangerous mission the two embark on together. He appears to be the kindly, protective grandfather type, but he also sees Harry as a weapon against the Dark Lord and he will wield him as often as he must. The layers and complexity of their relationship are their epic high point in this installment.

Honestly, I have no complaints about this movie, unless you count just wanting more of this very good thing. I somehow managed to make it through this entire review with even mentioning the names of the actors playing the three lead students (actually, there are a lot of much-loved actors’ names I’ve left out of this review--Helena Bonham Carter, returning as death-eater Bellatrix Lestrange, being at the top of the list). At least for a little while longer, allow me to pretend that there are no actors playing them. They simply are Harry, Hermione, and Ron for at least one more very long, two-part movie that I have to wait until November 2010 and July 2011 to see. For the first time since this franchise began, I am eagerly anticipating what happens next to these young wizards and their adversaries. Set the countdown clock for HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS.

-- Capone

[/spoil]
sounds kinda long winded, not much action, gay little british twerps being all harry potter like for 2 1/2 hours and talking about giving Hermione a good thrashing in a PG kind of way.



watched it online, streaming here: half blood prince

just click 'cancel' on the popup that appears first thing then you'll be allowed to watch the movie. As far as it goes, it was boring. a bunch of love crap with sprinklings of semi-interesting potter stuff in-between more love stuff. there's hardly no action at all in this. When there is action, it's quickly over before it began and not that great to begin with.

The ending fight in particular was weak. The bad guys sneak in, they do their thang, Harry gets mad and chases them out and then gets knocked on his ass and that's it. Also, Voldemort is not in this at all. A young Tom Riddle is in a few nice scenes but they're few as well. Really, one of the weakest films yet.

"Gay little british twerps"? Oh yeah you're homophobic.


As for the movie, the book was the same way--it's all exposition for the 7th movie/book. Half-Blood Prince is like Deathly Hallows part 1 (or in this case part 1 of 3)

[bearvomit]

dude, was there any doubt?

as for the movie/book. it being the big setup for the final act of Deathly Hollows makes sense, but it doesn't make a good movie. You have to have seen every other movie for this thing to half way make sense. It's not a stand alone film at all. And if you have seen the others, (which I have thanks to my wife) it's still not a good film. And another thing, the Death Eaters kidnap someone at the beginning of the film and you never hear one thing about it again! I was like and then I remembered this was Potter and I was like

[Ackbar]

I thought it was decent enough for a Potter film, but then again my standards for the series have fallen a lot in the past decade. Yes, the movie spent far too much time on romantic subplots and new superfluous scenes instead of focusing on Voldemort, the Horcruxes, the betrayal of Snape, and well... the impending doom of the magical world. But I thought J.K. Rowling spent too much time on some of the same issues.

I'm actually not sure how anyone watches the movies without having at least read the books once. Although conversely, I start to worry when someone says they've read them over and over. This is one of those series that in my mind begs to be read once and then taken lightly for what it is.

[Longtime_Sunshine]

I know bear, I was pretty disappointed myself but whatever. These Potter movies, even though I hate to admit it because i marginally enjoy the films, are all about the $$

But what sucks the most is that while the novel was also exposition for part 7, it did a great job doing it. this one doesn't have the weight and mystery that was at the end of book 6. Dumbledore's funeral should have been there because it's then when you realize how fucked everything is and that Harry has a huge weight on his shoulders (and forehead).

I'll probably see this again because like I said I appreciate the movies, but it's so hard to separate the movies from the novels. I almost wish I never read them

[Maveritchell]

I thought it was decent enough for a Potter film, but then again my standards for the series have fallen a lot in the past decade. Yes, the movie spent far too much time on romantic subplots and new superfluous scenes instead of focusing on Voldemort, the Horcruxes, the betrayal of Snape, and well... the impending doom of the magical world. But I thought J.K. Rowling spent too much time on some of the same issues.

I'm actually not sure how anyone watches the movies without having at least read the books once. Although conversely, I start to worry when someone says they've read them over and over. This is one of those series that in my mind begs to be read once and then taken lightly for what it is.

Clearly there are different tastes at work here - I thought that this movie did a good job presenting the important plot points concisely, and while there were a lot of "romantic subplots," I thought those were pretty funny and a welcome addition (although had I felt the plot had been neglected, I would perhaps not feel the same).

Maybe the fact that I've read the books more than once (which by your admission is something "worrisome," perhaps I should be checked in somewhere) colored my viewing, but I enjoyed it moreso than I've enjoyed the past Potter films, which haven't done much for me.

I do wish that Snape had been portrayed as a little more of an antagonist (although I also understand that trying to fit a large book into a movie doesn't leave a lot of room for subtlety) and that we had seen a little more denouement after Dumbledore's death, however. Still thought it was a fun and enjoyable movie.

[Ackbar]

I thought it was decent enough for a Potter film, but then again my standards for the series have fallen a lot in the past decade. Yes, the movie spent far too much time on romantic subplots and new superfluous scenes instead of focusing on Voldemort, the Horcruxes, the betrayal of Snape, and well... the impending doom of the magical world. But I thought J.K. Rowling spent too much time on some of the same issues.

I'm actually not sure how anyone watches the movies without having at least read the books once. Although conversely, I start to worry when someone says they've read them over and over. This is one of those series that in my mind begs to be read once and then taken lightly for what it is.

Clearly there are different tastes at work here - I thought that this movie did a good job presenting the important plot points concisely, and while there were a lot of "romantic subplots," I thought those were pretty funny and a welcome addition (although had I felt the plot had been neglected, I would perhaps not feel the same).

Maybe the fact that I've read the books more than once (which by your admission is something "worrisome," perhaps I should be checked in somewhere) colored my viewing, but I enjoyed it moreso than I've enjoyed the past Potter films, which haven't done much for me.

I do wish that Snape had been portrayed as a little more of an antagonist (although I also understand that trying to fit a large book into a movie doesn't leave a lot of room for subtlety) and that we had seen a little more denouement after Dumbledore's death, however. Still thought it was a fun and enjoyable movie.[/quote]

[quote="Maveritchell"]Heh... don't take my worrisome comment too seriously. When I say reading them over and over again I'm referring to the people that are so obsessed with the books they have to purchase every related reference and theory guide, have their rooms decorated with memorabilia and dress everyone they know as the characters, spend hours writing fan fiction about their favored "ships", and hang on every word J. K. Rowling says IRL. And even after all that I don't always think Potter fanatics have a problem; after all, everyone needs interests. I'd just rather avoid them like the bubonic plague when anything related to the franchise comes up. I think what still works best for me in the movies is that Daniel Radcliffe actually feels like Harry Potter.

[Longtime_Sunshine]

Heh... don't take my worrisome comment too seriously. When I say reading them over and over again I'm referring to the people that are so obsessed with the books they have to purchase every related reference and theory guide, have their rooms decorated with memorabilia and dress everyone they know as the characters, spend hours writing fan fiction about their favored "ships", and hang on every word J. K. Rowling says IRL. And even after all that I don't always think Potter fanatics have a problem; after all, everyone needs interests. I'd just rather avoid them like the bubonic plague when anything related to the franchise comes up. I think what still works best for me in the movies is that Daniel Radcliffe actually feels like Harry Potter.

haha says the star wars fan on the fan message board. we're really no better than what you described

[Ackbar]

Wait, not everybody has shelves devoted to Star Wars novels, comics, stamps, legos, and every Lucasarts game ever made? Ah damn

[bearvomit]

watched it again last night with the wife. there's just so much that isn't explained. Like Dumbledore's hand all messed up. I only learned later after reading the wiki page that he was cursed by going after that ring. How did he know about the ring? And that this curse was going to kill him but Snape delayed the affects somehow and made a pact with Dumbledore to kill him to keep Draco from doing it. Shouldn't that be in the movie instead of a Weasley date night and quiddich match???

And the Half Blood Prince book..why is it a big deal? You would think that if you're going to name the movie "the Half Blood Prince" then maybe at some point we'd find out what the fuck that is? Snape's the Prince? what does that mean? is that good, bad, why should I care other than it teaching Potter a shotgun spell to get the coons off the porch of the castle?

And apparently there was a big fight in the end of the book between the Deatheaters and the Order of the Phoenix inside the castle?? Why didn't we see this? Did they run out of money, time, brain cells??

This movie pisses me off.

[Longtime_Sunshine]

I know what a sham.

They did that with Prisoner of Azkaban when they never explained Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs and when the Stag showed up it was like wtf?

According to Heyman, they wanted to "avoid repetition" with the battle inside Hogwarts because the next movie will have a similar ending. AKA they didnt have the cash, which was spent on the bridge scene and burrow scene--events that were either alluded to or never happened at all.

Snape and the Riddle past were explored in the book. Snape is a half-blood and was in love with Lily Potter and Riddle's parents were fucked up--his mom fed his dad a love potion daily (he was a Muggle) for most of their marriage. But see how this could lead the reader to believe that Tom Riddle was the half-blood prince? Great stuff, but not in the movie?

i have a feeling they're going to have to spend a lot of time filling in gaps in the 7th/8th movies

[ETandElliott]

I thought the ending sucked. The last 45 mins or so were fairly poor, actually.

- Where/how did Dumbledore get that ring?

- Where the fuck was everyone when the Death Eaters invaded the castle??

- What were all those things in the cave and what was the significance of Harry not being able to get water?

- I thought Draco's role would be more that just staring at things and looking moody. Harry inflicts a mortal wound to Draco?? You never hear anything about this and it's very off-putting. I also didn't get the significance of the bird.

- Snape joining the bad guys wasn't done well at all. They probably should have left it a surprise instead of starting off with a scene of him with them and Wormtail. Remember in the first movie when they thought Snape was a bad guy and he turned out to be a good guy? His arc in this movie was retarded.

- Wasn't a big fan of the cinematography. You'd think they'd at least attempt to make Professor McGonagall look like less of a walking corpse. She was plain spooky.

[bearvomit]

- Snape joining the bad guys wasn't done well at all. They probably should have left it a surprise instead of starting off with a scene of him with them and Wormtail. Remember in the first movie when they thought Snape was a bad guy and he turned out to be a good guy? His arc in this movie was retarded.

well wait until you see the next movie. Snape was just pretending to be bad the whole time and was a triple agent for Dumbledore! and seemingly killed Dumbledore on purpose because Dumbledore had secretly asked him to!

[Emperor's Prize]

I thought the cinematography was one of the film's strong points. Though, admittedly, it seemed like Yates was trying to emulate Cuaron's visual style. As for McGonagall, I'm not sure what they could have done. Not to be too much of a downer, but during the shoot, actress Maggie Smith was receiving radiation therapy for breast cancer. link

[Longtime_Sunshine]

I too think the cinematography was one of the better parts of the movie, but I didn't like the foggy, soft glow some shots had. Prisoner of Azkaban had the best cinematography I think. It really is the best of the series. It's the only one that can stand on its own as a great movie

[SI]

it really is at the stage now where if you haven't read the books there's not much point showing up at the cinema to watch the movies.

HBP is basically a huge set up for The Deathly Hallows. Nothing of too much import is revealed in Book 6 although it probably my fav book. Everything is answered in TDH..slowly...and then all at once at the end.

This latest movie really needed Dumbledore's funeral...and at least a big of resitance at Hogwarts. In fact Movie #8 could just be an epic final battle at Hogwarts.

[yarq]

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[yarq]

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