HARRY POTTER &HALF-BLOOD PRINCE review Gary Murray

The Harry Potter franchise is one of the most successful events in movies history. The adventures of the boy wizard have won worldwide fans. The battle between the forces of light and darkness, with good Harry vs. the evil Voldemort have captured the imaginations of both readers and film fans. The latest in the series is Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, easily one of the stronger installments in the franchise.

Mark: Well I was with ya until then. Personally, I found this to be the weakest of the franchise, but I'll get into the why and how in a bit.

The film opens with a roller coaster camera ride. The dark forces have been attacking both the wizard and the Muggle world. A rippling bridge explosion shows the power of the force the 'good guys' have to deal with. Next up is Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) in a cafe being eyed on by a pretty waitress. It is obvious that our young wizard has become comfortable with his celebrity of being 'the chosen one'. Then appears Dumbledore, who takes Harry to meet Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent), a former professor who cherishes the 'special' wizards - the ones with the most power. Dumbledore knows that Harry needs Horace's knowledge for the eventual battle between Potter and Voldemort.

Mark: That opening was pretty cool, I'll admit, and I liked seeing Harry flirting with a girl that had nothing to do with Hogwarts. Jim Broadbent is almost always entertaining, even if he seems to be exactly the same in every role he does. I will say it started with promise.

On the other side of the plot we find that Snape and the forces of evil are hatching yet another plan for Lord Voldemort to ascend to power. Snape takes an oath with these dark beings, showing his assumed sinister side. Another piece of the puzzle is with Draco Malfoy and an ancient box. It seems that Draco is to be a part of Voldemort's rise in the wizard world.

Mark: I was very happy to see Draco (Tom Felton) get so much screen time. I found him fascinating to watch, and he really comes into the evil identity here, made especially interesting with his subtle reluctance in certain matters. I could've used more of Alan Rickman, but only because I love the guy.

Then, the home of Ron Weasley is attacked by the dark forces and Harry gets a bitter taste of what lies in his future. His battle with these black wizards makes another great set piece, with manic dancing fires. The forces of evil have reared their ugly heads.

Mark: This to me was the beginning of a rather unsettling trend in this outing - action sequences that never seem to gain much momentum. This scene starts so promising, but never seems to go anywhere. Where are the grand wizard fights? I wanted more excitement.

Back at Hogwarts, the entire junior class is up to its arms in hormones. Harry finally notices his interest in Ginny Weasley as more than a friend. This is while Ginny is showing interest in Dean Thomas. Ron finds himself the caught in the web of Lavender Brown. This upsets Hermione (Emma Watson), who is trying to confront the new emotion of love she finds she has for Ron. So, she takes up with another to rattle the ire of Ron. This is as all the students are learning of love charms and potions. If all this feels like a teen soap opera, it almost is.

Mark: Yeah, the kids are definitely growing up in this one. In fact I thought (considering this is a kid's film) there was a little bit much of the romance, especially with Ron, whose scenes borderline the idea of teen sex.

Harry gets an old textbook that was used by 'The Half-Blood prince.' It seems this former student wrote detailed notes on changes needed in all the class spells. The Half Blood Prince was very good with Advanced Potion-Making which gives Harry a much needed leg up in the class, impressing Slughorn. This gets Hermione to wondering just who is this former student and why are there no records of him.

Mark: The plot thread of the potion book was one of my favorite ideas in this one, having Harry become obsessed with what it contained, and seeing the danger of a darker side of magic.

The rest of Half Blood Prince is how all of these pieces are put together with the plans of Voldemort to destroy Potter and all that is good. The film is of two themes, unrequited love and good-evil struggles.



These films are a monumental task to take on. Between the Herculean special effects and the burden of the previous work, it becomes almost impossible to make the experience fresh. But, director David Yates does just that. He equalizes the two themes of the work with the delicate balance of a tightrope walker. He captures all of the giant effects with a wide-eyed awe while taking on young love with a wide-eyed innocence. The film goes back and forth between action and longing without every keeping either out of scale.

Mark: It is indeed a great looking film, and masterfully written. I was involved with the characters and their situations, but found myself desperately bored with numerous talky scenes, some of which went on WAY too long. I kept waiting for action, and there was very little here.

The design of the film parallels the first two films. The sets and note of detail give the entire movie a deep lived-in feel. The glittering magic that were in the first two (and lost in the flatness of the rest) is back with a vengeance. The movie just jumps off the screen in a grand display of techniques.

Mark: Well, again, it looked great, there's no denying that. Stylistically this outing is perhaps the most slick in its presentation, but there is such a thing as too much exposition. Personally, I found myself leaving with the thought that I had learned very little "new" information. It was almost as if this whole film was an exercise in just maintaining the story. The fact that there's so little new ideas makes me think once again that the talky and lengthy scenes could've been significantly shortened for pacing.

Over the years we have watched our trio of performers grow from lovable kids to bright eyed teens. Daniel Radcliffe has truly found his acting meter with Harry Potter. There is this almost Superman-like acceptance on being better than everyone else. He has finally taken all the notice in pride. He knows that there is a great destiny in his future and he has accepted it. Emma Watson has developed into the heart of our trio, wearing her emotions on her sleeve. I don't know if she can become a successful actress as an adult, though she does give it her all as a teen. But Rupert Grint has finally found his place as something more than a supporting player. His is the third leg of our triangle, but needed more than ever before.

Mark: Yeah, Grint is the glue holding this one together. He's quite good here. I've always enjoyed Radcliffe as Potter, and Watson as Hermione, but in this outing it seemed like Emma has less to do aside from act like a jilted lover. She's strong for a young actress, and I'm anxious to see her performances in the next few Potter outings. Michael Gambon is (as always) terrific as Dumbledore, and I also enjoyed seeing the Weasley twins getting a little more screentime. And as I mentioned earlier, Tom Felton really gets to shine in this outing. But there were a few actors (Helena Bonham-Carter) that seemed fairly wasted. David Thewlis, who is often brilliant, practically gets reduced to a cameo here, and Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid is given very little to do as well.

The entire exercise of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a cross between The Breakfast Club and The Empire Strikes Back. Like Breakfast the film is about teens trying to figure out the world and like Empire the ending is a bridge to the last book (which will be two movies).

Mark: Interesting comparisons, though unlike the Star Wars films, the effects in this movie are not accompanied by much action, if any at all. I need thrills in fantasy films, and I'm guessing the many kids going to see this will be missing that aspect as well.

Where would I put Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in the series? I'd rank it third. It is not on par with the first two Chris Columbus movies but it is much better than the third outing and a close par with the last one. If you are a fan of either the movies or the books, this is a loving legacy and tribute to all the Potter enthusiasts.

Mark: I may find myself in the minority on this one, but I'd rank it last, only because I was the most bored in this outing. Even the big climactic event at the end seemed underplayed. In a film about wizards and magic, I expect a lot of excitement, and there's so very little here. And I love when folks use the excuse of me not enjoying it because I haven't read the book. Here's my argument - IT'S A MOVIE, I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO READ THE BOOK TO ENJOY THE MOVIE. I have a feeling Joe Moviegoer may feel the same way... but it will still make a crapload of cash. Don't worry Harry, I haven't given up on you yet.

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