Enjoy the movie Andrew!
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I have NOT read the books.
I liked/enjoyed the movie overall.
I did feel it was missing things throughout the movie. It seemed like I was supposed to know something many times during the movie but I had no clue. After talking with the wife and friends afterwards it seems like that is the case.
It was worth the matinee price for sure.
Also the new GI Joe preview was shown!
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I just watched it this afternoon.
Visually stunning.
Ably enacted.
Not much of a plot, nor were the "romantic" subplots of any interest to me, and I think they should have been. This was very much of a "filler" movie as far as I'm concerned, plot-wise. Nothing really happened, except
I haven't read the books, either. I've enjoyed all of the movies until this one, which left me saying "Ok, looks like I have to wait a year or two more to actually see something happen again."
I have to say, I was kind of disappointed in parts...
I really missed the big fight at the end. I was really hoping for a huge F/X spectucular.
I know it would have been hard to incorporate Dumbledore's backstory, but I found the lack of it made the drinking of the poison kind of lacklustre...it seemed much more poignant knowing that the pain Dumbledore was experiencing was due in part ot his own past and his own regrets.
Dumbledore not using the invisibility cloak and the petrifying charm on Harry before the end at the top of the tower. It was a perfect explanation of why Harry did nothing to prevent what happened. The movie just made him seem kind of a chump.
I wished they had explored the bit between Snape and Harry at the end. The book expressed how much more pained Snape was over what happened.
That being said, there were parts that I loved. I found the Quidditch scenes some of the best they've done. I loved Slughorne as well.
I can understand why they skipped the funeral, as it would be a great opening piece to the next movie
I would give it 3 out of 5...
more disappointed than I thought I'd be.
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I had no issues with this film--I loved it. However, if you're unfamiliar with the story-line, haven't read the books, the movie probably meant a lot less to you. Especially
Great adaptation. First two thirds of the film gets rid of the tediously long development of inessential elements (Weasley's Quidditch problem, who could the Half-Blood Prince be?) while still giving the payoff. Very strong humor, even funnier than the third film. Definitely worth your money.
It does, however, feature the same problem as the books: Ginny has no chemistry with Harry. She's basically a narrative reward without a personality of her own. Fanficcers have it right: the series would be much more interesting with a Harry-Luna pairing or even (gasp!) a Harry-Draco pairing. And Snape's crowning moment of awesome could have used more time.
I haven't read the books yet, and I enjoyed the movie.
The movie strained a bit by dividing itself between the "relationship" plots and the main plot. I understand that both needed to be there to be as faithful to the book as possible, but it made for some rushed and awkward scenes.
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...the score, while exceptional for the series, contained no tear-jerking musical cues.
I couldn't help but notice, because I'm a dork with a musicology background, that the music at that part combined the descending tetrachord characteristic of a baroque lament with the tonal color of Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings. Overall, very highbrow, but given that 98% of the audience has never heard a baroque opera or anything by Samuel Barber, the symbolism was probably lost.
Great adaptation. First two thirds of the film gets rid of the tediously long development of inessential elements (Weasley's Quidditch problem, who could the Half-Blood Prince be?) while still giving the payoff. Very strong humor, even funnier than the third film. Definitely worth your money.
It does, however, feature the same problem as the books: Ginny has no chemistry with Harry. She's basically a narrative reward without a personality of her own. Fanficcers have it right: the series would be much more interesting with a Harry-Luna pairing or even (gasp!) a Harry-Draco pairing. And Snape's crowning moment of awesome could have used more time.
I would have to disagree with the part about the Half-Blood prince's identity...
The impact that Snape, the person Harry has spent his whole time since arriving at Hogwarts hating, is the person he had just spent the entire school year admiring was pretty important (IMO) to Harry's developement as a character. Harry has slowly been learning that his Dad (and his friends) were more like Draco and his cronies, and that that Snape was not as bad as he seemed to believe.
Great adaptation. First two thirds of the film gets rid of the tediously long development of inessential elements (Weasley's Quidditch problem, who could the Half-Blood Prince be?) while still giving the payoff.
I haven't seen the movie, but I think that book 6 was one of the better ones of the series, and I dispute the idea that Ron's Qudditch problem was inessential. That subplot was about Ron's self-esteem, a subplot that had been running since book 1, and which becomes integral to book 7, when...
...Ron has to help destroy the horcruxes. When he's afraid to destroy the locket, I can just imagine him hearing Slytherins singing "Weasley is our king" in his head. Harry, having been his Quidditch captain, knows what Ron is capable of doing, and just how to push Ron's buttons. Consequently, Ron finally develops the confidence he needs to help Harry in his mission.
Great adaptation. First two thirds of the film gets rid of the tediously long development of inessential elements (Weasley's Quidditch problem, who could the Half-Blood Prince be?) while still giving the payoff.I would have to disagree with the part about the Half-Blood prince's identity...
** spoiler omitted **
I would quote that for truth, if it weren't concealed under a Spoiler button.
I know it would have been hard to incorporate Dumbledore's backstory, but I found the lack of it made the drinking of the poison kind of lacklustre...it seemed much more poignant knowing that the pain Dumbledore was experiencing was due in part ot his own past and his own regrets.
I wished they had explored the bit between Snape and Harry at the end. The book expressed how much more pained Snape was over what happened.
Neither of these are in book 6, but instead show up in book 7. So I wouldn't get too disappointed until movies 7A and 7B come out.
I would have to disagree with the part about the Half-Blood prince's identity...** spoiler omitted **
Larry's spoiler - quoted here:
I agree that the half-blood prince's identity is important. But I don't necessarily agree with Larry's view. I haven't seen the movie yet so I don't know how much got conveyed on screen compared to the book - so with that caveat in mind...
And, once again, we learn that another major player, Voldemort's most consistently trusted hand, is a half-blood like Harry and Voldemort himself. Another case of Voldemort instinctively respecting the half-blood while espousing pure blood virtue?
Anyway, to get away from the rambling, some of this foreshadows a bit in book 7, in which Harry again benefits from an unknown benefactor (the same benefactor, in fact) - and is able to accept the help without prejudice though it comes from Snape.
the mystery never took any primacy in the story.
If you look at book 6 alone, I would agree that is true. But I don't think taking primacy is the purpose.
Books 1 through 4 all say "Who is the mystery traitor at Hogwarts? Hint: It's not any of the people you suspect!"
This element was sadly missing in book 5, although I can understand why: it got too corny after four times.
Still, some sort of mystery was called for. So Rowling introduced the whole half-blood prince subplot. It wasn't bad, and if it had been a terribly important point, as in the first four books, it would have gotten BEYOND corny.
If I were to criticize the whole "Who is the prince?" subplot, it would have been on the grounds that...
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Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4, Legendary Games
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the mystery never took any primacy in the story.If you look at book 6 alone, I would agree that is true. But I don't think taking primacy is the purpose.
Books 1 through 4 all say "Who is the mystery traitor at Hogwarts? Hint: It's not any of the people you suspect!"
This element was sadly missing in book 5, although I can understand why: it got too corny after four times.
Still, some sort of mystery was called for. So Rowling introduced the whole half-blood prince subplot. It wasn't bad, and if it had been a terribly important point, as in the first four books, it would have gotten BEYOND corny.
If I were to criticize the whole "Who is the prince?" subplot, it would have been on the grounds that...
** spoiler omitted **
And, in doing as you say in the spoiler, she did precisely what you DIDN'T expect - you had gotten so genre-savvy to her writing and style that you thought you could predict where she'd go, but instead she turned it all the way back around. :)
And, in doing as you say in the spoiler, she did precisely what you DIDN'T expect - you had gotten so genre-savvy to her writing and style that you thought you could predict where she'd go, but instead she turned it all the way back around. :)
Heh. Actually, in a way, that is really, seriously true - in regards to a different plotline in book 6. I'm referring to...
...Harry's absolute certainty that Draco was a serious threat. And surprise - Draco actually was! In fact, when Trelawney said that someone succeeded in the room of requirement, but couldn't be sure who it was, and Harry's insisted on assuming that it was Draco, that may have been Rowling trying to make the readers think it was not Draco, but someone else. But it WAS Draco!
And this was more than just a cheap plot twist. This was a major step in Harry's character development. In book 5, Harry's conviction that he was right, and his refusal to listen to other, wiser people (such as Hermione and Dumbledore) actually resulted in his godfather's death. Ouch! If I were Harry, I would have hid my head in the sand and said "Obviously, I don't know what I'm doing. I'll just blindly obey Dumbledore and let him decide whether my theories have any merit." But no, he never doubted himself. No one else - not even Ron and Hermione - would take Harry seriously about Draco, but Harry kept up his crusade, and was proven right!
Now THAT "double-bluff" on the author's part was darn impressive!
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I was somewhat disappointed in this movie in comparison to the others.
Moving on to the director's style, I couldn't help being distracted by all the things I would have done differently. Snape's revelation seemed like such a footnote, it lost much of its potential impact. Dumbledore had no apparent initiative or survival instinct, and his roundabout method of getting information from the old Professor seems reckless at best.
Lastly, there were a couple things I actually liked. Liquid Luck and its associated scenes were fully entertaining. The visual effects were quite often excellent. Despite the film's shortcomings, I'm sure I'll eventually see the final film in the line.
Allow me to clarify on the Half-blood Prince issue:
I'll also point out that no one's disagreed on the Harry-Ginny issue, which interests me.
I'll also point out that no one's disagreed on the Harry-Ginny issue, which interests me.
If it makes you happy, I'll disagree on one small point, anyway.
EDIT: Oops. I just re-read your post, in which you imply that fan fiction HAS been written on the subject. I haven't seen fan fiction like that. I hope I didn't insult anyone...
But I do hope you were kidding about the Harry-Draco thing.
But I do hope you were kidding about the Harry-Draco thing.
Not at all. Many intense romances start with hatred. Rhett-Scarlett, Taming of the Shrew, screwball comedies, Xander-Cordelia... At least with Draco-Harry, we'd have an INTERESTING romance for Harry, although I recognize that would never happen in mainstream children's literature... hence the Harry-Luna "opposites attract" comedy pairing. I mean, face it, Harry could use a little levity in his life by book 5.
Harry/Luna site: http://sane.thepensieve.net/
"Why I Became a Harry/Luna Shipper":
http://www.mugglenet.com/editorials/madampuddifoot/edit-jenna04.shtml
Harry/Luna vid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hyS_7mXNeI
Harry/Draco: just one of the list of lists
http://hdslash.saranya.net/fics.php
And one vid list:
http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en& q=harry%20draco%20slash&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv#