"Official Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince Post" Mon Jul-13-09 10:57 PM by Frank Longo
comes out this week so i think its a good idea to start this now. i'm excited for this one, but it doesn't come out on IMAX till the end of the month so i may have to wait. that being said, if you see it and post a review don't forget to put SPOILER in the title in consideration of other folks. don't assume everybody has read the books.
up to now RT has 98% with 41 reviews in. looking good.
2. "RE: Official Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince Post" In response to Reply # 0
I liked it...thought it was pretty good...had some of the best character development/moments of the film series so far IMO.
At times the pacing seemed a little off/slow and the ending was a bit anti-climatic but I think that is because I read the books.
It definitely felt like the penultimate film though. I'm interested in seeing how they do Deathly Hallows.
I liked the fact that this movie didn't feel the need to be loud and "WOW" you with explosions and other bells and whistles. I feel like this is film that will get better the more times you see it and is pretty effective as a stand-alone.
This will probably benefit from the Academy's expanded ten best picture slate. It has the pedigree...solid/great acting (Broadbent was awesome), lovely cinematography, score and directing and great special effects.
its 1 AM so i don't want to go into a lot of detail, but i was really disappointed in this film. as also mentioned above, i tend to view #3 as where the meat of the story begins and sort of disregard the first 2. anyway, that being said, of the last 4 movies i would rank this dead last with Azkaban being at the top and the other two interchangable in the middle.
i don't have a problem with movies not being 100% faithful to the movie, nor did i have a problem with the shorter runtime (sort of). i just felt that overall the material and the movie was poorly executed. it just felt like a skeleton of a movie in which the ideas and dialogue weren't fully fleshed out and realized. because of this i had no emotional attachment to any of the characters or situations. scenes that should have been tense and scary i felt no tension, when i should have been awed i wasn't, if i should have felt pity or happy for a character there was nothing. much of this could have been fixed with a line or two of dialogue or maybe a different edit.
anyway, i'm tired and i'll try to be back with specific examples to see what you guys think.
4. "aka the movie that was killed by "TWILIGHT"" In response to Reply # 0
As a fan of the books, the "Half Blood Prince" was one of my favorites out the series. But, in typical Hollywood fashion, all of the heart and soul of the book was sapped out...and all that was left...was a fucking episode of Degrassi Junior High
Okay, yes...the interplay between Ron and Hermione and Harry and Ginny is a part of the book...but WAS IT THE MOST IMPORTANT PART?
Think about "The Goblet of Fire" or even "The Prisoner of Azkaban"...didn't you feel like you were really deep in Hogwarts? Weren't you invested in the action...like the events of Hogwarts affected the lives of the characters?
In my opinion...this whole movie could have taken place at the damn coffee shop Harry was sitting at in the beginning. There was just nothing distinguishable...its like they stole all of the magic out. Especially considering that, for the vast majority of DH...our main characters will not be at Hogwarts.
I expected this movie to show signs of a final "farewell" to the relative normalcy of Hogwarts...because lets be real...this book paints the last full picture of the school that we readers will ever see.
JungleSouljah Member since Sep 24th 2002 14987 posts
Fri Jul-17-09 10:56 AM
5. "Add me to the Zoo and Frank Crazy Crew" In response to Reply # 0
Because I thought that was the best Potter movie by far. I'd take it 6 > 3 > 5 > 4 > 1 > 2.
But this movie brought the WHOLE package. A tight, wonderfully paced story that brought out all the elements I loved about the series overall (and especially this book): it was funny, sad, touching, scary/tense, etc. It really spanned the entire emotional gamut.
I don't understand people complaining about the Horcruxes. I haven't read the book in 3 years and I think we came away pretty well of understanding what was going on. They hit all the important flashbacks. Maybe one extra flashback to explain the ring would have been cool, but we'll live.
There's also the possibility that with 5 hours of movie coming for Deathly Hollows they may go back and do the funeral or the ring flashback. Or not. Who cares? The movie worked wonderfully well without it.
I can dig the complaint that there was no fight scene at the end. Even a 5 minute scene would have been dope, but honestly I sort of like how they handled Dumbledore's death for the screen.
At least this movie was faithful to the themes of the book. Feel free to holla at Zac Synder and Watchmen if you'd like to see a movie that's at times overly faithful to the contents and actual goings on of a books plot while COMPLETELY MISSING the damn themes.
Was I the only one pleasantly surprised by the comedy of this film? And these kids are all maturing nicely as actors.
6. "RE: Add me to the Zoo and Frank Crazy Crew" In response to Reply # 5
>Because I thought that was the best Potter movie by far. I'd >take it 6 > 3 > 5 > 4 > 1 > 2. > >But this movie brought the WHOLE package. A tight, >wonderfully paced story that brought out all the elements I >loved about the series overall (and especially this book): it >was funny, sad, touching, scary/tense, etc. It really spanned >the entire emotional gamut.
i felt none of these emotions, or at least very very faintly. the movie moved to quickly through scenes to develop any of these emotions.
>I don't understand people complaining about the Horcruxes. I >haven't read the book in 3 years and I think we came away >pretty well of understanding what was going on. They hit all >the important flashbacks. Maybe one extra flashback to >explain the ring would have been cool, but we'll live. > >There's also the possibility that with 5 hours of movie coming >for Deathly Hollows they may go back and do the funeral or the >ring flashback. Or not. Who cares? The movie worked >wonderfully well without it. > >I can dig the complaint that there was no fight scene at the >end. Even a 5 minute scene would have been dope, but honestly >I sort of like how they handled Dumbledore's death for the >screen.
the fight scene for me was a problem for one reason. IT MADE NO DAMN SENSE. in the context of the movie you can't tell me that they kill dumbledore, throw up the skull in the sky, walk thru all of Hogwarts making a ruckus and destroying the great hall in the process, then walk out the front door and all the way through the grounds, blow up Hagrid's house and NOBODY, NOT ONE PERSON, is there to put up a fight or confront them??? where were all the aura's at that they made a point of in the beginning of the movie?? i mean Hagrid's house in on fire and he doesn't even come out and suddenly in the next scene he's standing next to dumbledore like it ain't no thing. that scene was terribly done and there are others that i'm mad at too. namely the cave scene.
and dumbledore's death made me mad too. it was really anticlimatic. i hated how they showed it from the view of harry because that hole in the floor and that structure in the middle of it obscurred his final moment and him getting hit with the curse. you barely saw a glimmer of him and then it just shows him falling. the scene lacked any drama to me.
>Was I the only one pleasantly surprised by the comedy of this >film? And these kids are all maturing nicely as actors.
this was a plus. i did appreciate the comedy and one liners.
8. "To bring up Dan Radcliffe for a sec" In response to Reply # 0
He may not be a great actor...yet, but he did show some moments of brilliance this film. The canary scene and the Felix Felicis/Aragog's funeral scene come to mind (the best part about it was that Dan was just acting like he does in real life, mad spastic and shit, lol).
It's like, every three films there's this paradigm shift in his acting ability. Azkaban was when he started coming into his own, and now with some theatre under his belt, he's starting to show even more maturity.
And even if you hate his acting, you can't help but root for the kid, Hes the richest mofo his age in the UK, but he's got a really good head on his shoulders. I don't forsee any spending of Neverland proportions in his future.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Stern, firm, and young with a laid-back tongue.
9. "Definitely stands out from the first 5, in the sense that it's just diff..." In response to Reply # 0
They didn't really spend much time doing anything that wasn't related to the main plot. They just got right to Harry and Dumbledore and their mission. In the previous movies, more time was spent in the development of the story. It kind of felt like it was just a bunch of set up for the next one.
It was cool, I enjoyed it, and it didn't feel like 2 & 1/2 hours, it flew by. It was just different than all the others. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't a big fight, especially after that dope-ass one at the end of 5. But I'm sure there'll be plenty of that in the next two (I think).
but they could've cut that darn bird scene at the end out. it didnt feel like 2.5 hours to me, i was sitting there thinking the next scene was coming up and the darn credits started rolling lol
11. "I really enjoyed it but....." In response to Reply # 0
they should of made it 3 hours long and included the last fight scene after Dumbledore dies and the funeral. Overall a very good movie. Now I just wish the next one would come out tomorrow
12. "Maybe you needed to read the book to appreciate this one" In response to Reply # 0
I was really bored. The structural formula for these things is getting really tired. I don't think anyone cares anymore about quidditch matches or potions classes or train rides into school. And I guess the death of SPOILERdore was supposed to be the big climax, but since everyone already knew about it, it needed something else, a nice fight or something, instead of Harry getting his ass handed to him with the quickness. Less romance, more Voldemort flashbacks.
Anyway, it still had lots of nice elements. Better acting from the kids with each movie. Some nice set pieces. And honestly, I always enjoy seeing these wintry ass movies in the middle of a hot summer. But I think if you didn't know this was based on a book, you'd have a huge wtf at the strange pacing of this thing.
Makes me really worry about them being able to split the last one into two movies, without having the first movie end in a real awkward place. Well not REALLY worry. I don't care.
---- I check for: Serengeti, Zeroh, Open Mike Eagle, Jeremiah Jae, Moka Only.
13. "RE: Maybe you needed to read the book to appreciate this one" In response to Reply # 12
I finished the book right before seeing the movie...made me frown at parts as i thought about how they're gonna fix elements in the next movie.
Like the Burrow being destroyed, and the lack of Fluer and Bill, which makes me ask how does the ministry fall in the next movie?
Overall the movie was great IMO, good acting all around, it was visually impressive, and about as well paced as it could be considering the source material.
And I'm willing to bet they end the first part of Deathly Hallows when harry, ron, and hermoine get captured...seems like a fitting place to end...
15. "you read the book to appreciate how detailed Rowling is..." In response to Reply # 12
the movie has to stand on its own. it's quite good, just not like the book. i regret reading the book first. i should have watched the movie first and then read the book. i too was distracted with all of the missing parts. i plan on seeing the movie again, tho.
Frank Longo Member since Nov 18th 2003 86672 posts
Thu Jul-30-09 11:53 PM
14. "Saw it again today. It's now my favorite movie of the summer." In response to Reply # 0 Thu Jul-30-09 11:53 PM by Frank Longo
I underrated it first time around. It's the best of the films. It gets nearly everything right. I kept a list, because from the first frame to the final scene, I love it. It's funny, thrilling, and immensely satisfying.
Some of y'all are really missing out. I thoroughly loved this film, even more than the first time.
17. "much better the 2nd viewing" In response to Reply # 0
first time i saw it was opening day. i've been one of the few in this post that just didn't see what the hype was about. people calling this the best of the series and best movie of the summer was crazy to me. i felt that this film was poorly executed and didn't make the most of the scenes and characters. so i wanted to give myself enough time that upon 2nd viewing i would give it a fair shake and so on saturday i went to the imax, 10:30 pm showing so as to avoid the crowds.
anyway, on 2nd viewing i enjoyed it much much more. the pacing was better than i had remembered. it definitely moves at a pretty brisk pace, but on this viewing the scene transitions didn't seem as awkward as before. also, all the actors did a great job. i particularly enjoyed rupert's scene when he was under the influence of the love potion. not that it was the greatest piece of acting, but he pulled off the comedy well. only person i really don't like much is emma watson. i think i tolerate her more cuz she's grown to be a beautiful woman, but dammit if she doesn't overact like a mutha. plus i can't stand that eyebrow thing she does. the music and score were well done. there were also some great camera shots in this movie.
with that said, the main problems that i had on the first viewing i still have after the 2nd. lots of scenes either just don't make a lot of sense, or i felt that the emotion and wonder were missing. the burrow and the deatheaters escape from hogwarts scenes are two that fall into the "don't make sense" scenes. harry/dumbledores teaching scenes and the cave scene are two examples of where i felt they had no soul, feeling, or wonder.
without getting into much detail i will just say that on first viewing i would have given the movie a 5/10. i disliked it that much. on second viewing its a 7.5/10. a solid movie that for me just lacked in a few crucial scenes.
19. "indeed (SPOILERS FOR THREE YEAR OLD BOOK)" In response to Reply # 18
re: the repetition of two battles at Hogwarts...the final showdown in Hallows will be *MUCH* more epic, will have an entire film in between, and won't be shown until 2011. I don't see why Prince's ending had to be altered given these circumstances.
readers were expecting that climax and were left down; non-readers already knew Dumbledore died and were just bored.
otherwise, I liked it, but if you haven't read the books than I can see why this one was a downer. there's no clear narrative to be condensed into two hours like Azkaban or Goblet; it's more of a transition into the grand ending.
so I don't think I would've liked it much had I not read the book before.
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