Summary: Finally a HP Movie that captures the same magic as the books
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
Before I review the book I'll tell you that I am a huge...huge Harry Potter fan, and that The Half Blood Prince was my favorite HP Book (until Deathly Hallows of course), all of my hype and love of the stories aside, this is the first Harry Potter movie that captures the same feel of the books, and is technically stellar at the same time.
Premise: The movie opens with Bellatrix Lestrange's almost inaudible voice shouting "I KILLED SIRIUS BLACK!", and Dumbledore taking Harry by his arm, and escorting him past the reporters. That moment sets the tone for the whole movie.
This year Harry faces more than the Dark Lord, death eaters, and exams. He faces the inner conflict about how he is in love with his best friend's sister. Meanwhile Dumbledore is giving Harry all the information he needs to know to once and for all defeat Voldemort. Harry spends the majority of the school year trying to learn what Professor Slughorn told Voldemort, and how he can tell Ginny how he feels about her, without his best friend cutting his throat. While this happens,Ron and Hermione are drawing ever closer, until Ron falls for a really crazy girl named Lavender Brown. Hermione becomes insanely jealous, which makes for one really amazing scene, where Emma Watson becomes Hermione and really pours out her heart.
Review:
Directing: Best so far I liked what I saw from David Yates in the Order of the Phoenix, but I thought there was a lot more potential from him. He really gained confidence this time around. He is not afraid of CGI's boundaries, and is very good at what to keep in the film (for the most part.) Even in interviews, he is much more outgoing and confident about the film.
Acting: Best yet
Thinking back to 2001, if you look at the three kids Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, and look ahead to 2009 where they have grown tremendously, and have really evolved into the characters that they were cast for, then you realize what a brilliant job Chris Columbus and David Heyman did at casting these kids. Well "the kids" are back, and they are all very good in this installment. Daniel Radcliffe has really embraced his role as the sarcastic and funny, yet selfless and loving Harry Potter. He delivers his comedic lines very well, and is much better this time around in the emotional parts, though I feel he could be a tad better. Emma Watson is best out of the three, as the brilliant, beautiful, and kindhearted Hermione Granger. She has really grown into one of the prettiest teen celebrities alive today. One of my few issues with this film is that Rupert Grint, a very talented actor, possibly the most talented of the three; who plays the funny, ambitious, but goodhearted Ron Weasley; seemed to really only be along on the ride for comic relief. They still all did a commendable job.
The other actors are even better. Tom Felton, who plays the big talking and pompous brat Draco Malfoy. Felton finally gets his chance to shine in this movie. Although a lot of his acting consists of him not talking, and him just sneering, he does a good job. Bonnie Wright, who plays Harry's new love interest Ginny Weasley, is very good, and has grown a tremendous amount as an actor, since having that one line of "Good Luck" in the Sorcerer's Stone. Evanna Lynch is mystifying as Luna Lovegood. She does an awesome job of playing a very interesting character. Michael Gambon achieved something in this film, that I thought he would never be able to reach. Until this film my mental picture of Dumbledore, was of the late Richard Harris. But after seeing Gambon's heart rendering performance as the old, wise, and loving Dumbledore in this movie, he will always be the one I think of. Alan Rickman gives his best interpretation of the sinister , secretive, and deceptive Severus Snape. He uses these wonderful pauses in between lines, and captures the secretive nature of Snape, that the books convey. Helena Bonham Carter, who plays the seductive, twisted, and demon-like Bellatrix Lestrange is again excellent. At the end of the day though, Jim Broadbent takes home the Oscar for this film, and should get a real one come March. Broadbent plays the greedy, self centered, but kind Professor Slughorn. The facial expressions he creates are truly excellent. His interpretation of Slughorn is bar none the best any actor has done in the Harry Potter movies, and even better than Imelda Staunton's Umbridge.
Cinematography: Truly Oscar worthy Bruno Delbonnel, the new director of photography, has created a visual masterpiece. The camera angles, the lighting, the shadows, the tones, everything is perfect.
Visual Effects: Top Notch Again. Why haven't any of these movies won Oscars for visual effects. The CGI is breathtaking, and extremely convincing, especially the opening scene where the Muggle bridge comes down.
Score: Original and well done. Nicholas Hooper has improved open a score that was a little lacking in Order of the Phoenix. Very little remains of John Williams original score for the first several films. Hooper creates a funny, chilling and epic score for the entire film.
Issues: Few but there are some:
One: Rupert Grint never seems emotionally in touch with the rest of the cast, and it is almost like his character doesn't realize the gravity of their situation.
Two: They really should have shown Dumbledore's funeral. That was the most emotional part of the entire book, and I thought the movie ending seemed very lacking, because Ron sat on a step as Harry and Hermione over looked the Castle and talked about their journey.
This was the first Harry Potter film that was real and believable. Hogwarts seemed like a functioning high school, with kids making out in the halls, and gossiping during meals. Yates has made all the right choices, and finally makes a HP movie that is able to cast the same magical spell as books.
9/10
Well I'm back from Europe, and it was pretty damn fun!
Anyway...
Happy gaming. I'm just playing Battlefield 1943 (Reviewing it soon)
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