MOVIE
REVIEW:
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF
BLOOD PRINCE

07/14/09

SYNOPSIS: Fantasy Adventure. Voldemort is tightening
his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and
Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry
suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but
Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final
battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work
to find the key to unlock Voldemort's defenses and, to this
end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the
well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace
Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information.
Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very
different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the
ramparts. Harry finds himself more and more drawn to Ginny,
but so is Dean Thomas. And Lavender Brown has decided that
Ron is the one for her, only she hadn't counted on Romilda
Vane's chocolates! And then there's Hermione, simmering with
jealousy but determined not to show her feelings. As romance
blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to
make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but
tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.
REVIEW: Harry Potter: Did you know, sir? Then?
Albus Dumbledore: Did I know that I just met the most dangerous dark wizard of all time? No.
Ah, the mystery that surrounds Tom Riddle, a.k.a. Voldemort. An unsolvable puzzle, or is it? And that is the basis for this next episode. The kids are growing up fast and so does the content of the movie . . . a little more adult. There is still plenty of mystery, of course, plenty of fun and wizardry, plenty of feelings including love, relationships, attachments and detachments, plenty of thrills, and an okay amount of action. This movie seemed to have a lot more visual detail compared to the others. It’s almost as if the camera was a little more in focus. We see more detail of Hogwarts, the train that takes them there, the quidditch field and the match itself as well. We also begin to see a little more detail of the characters such as Mr. Riddle. As with the last Harry Potter movie, things are becoming clearer and the story told by the film is less and less confusing. It is becoming more evident that the overall story is beginning to wrap up (sad but necessary).
You really can’t go wrong with these Harry Potter movies. Each of them is great and they each have a personality of their own. Even though this one lacks a bit in action and intensity, it makes up for it in emotion and plot. It is more realistic and down to earth if that is even possible for a story about wizards. Of course the special effects are as good as always. It is almost at the point where you start to take it for granted. The cinematography falls into that category as well. It is exceptional but it always has been so you take it for granted. There is good color transitions used throughout the movie. When things are upbeat there seems to be more vivid color and when there is despair and/or gloom there is a lot less color, nearly black and white at times.
The performances are as you would expect and have grown accustomed to, with focus on the “three musketeers” of course along with Dumbledore as your primary screen hogs. It gives me great pleasure to see how they have been able to keep the cast pretty much intact for all these movies. It makes it so much easier to attach and relate to these characters. There are a handful of new characters this time to shake things up a bit. One of my favorites, though, within the smaller roles is Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood. What a character . . . I just want to squeeze her with hugs. Luna is so odd coupled with her odd voice and her odd outlook on things that she is such a joy to watch. I have to admit, however, that as far as the dialogue goes, there were many times that I couldn’t understand what they were saying. Almost all of the actors have strong accents and if you add the fact that most of the time they are talking fast, it’s over . . . I’m lost. But even if you don’t understand, you’ll have a good idea of what’s going on at least. All in all, I think David Yates is doing a fantastic job with the Harry Potter series, this being his second direction of an H.P. movie. Looks like he is the man for the next film too. This is a good thing.
Review By Cine Marcos
cinemarcos@smartcine.com
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