‘The Half-Blood Prince’ is a Return to Glory for the Potter Film Franchise
-----‘The Sorcerer’s Stone’ was excellent. It captured the magic of the books, and remains perhaps the most faithful of the films in the saga, thanks to the lesser size of the original Harry Potter novel. The second film followed suit, and remains a classic. With ‘Prisoner of Azkaban’ however, the trouble started. No doubt a solid and fun film, ‘Azkaban’ was good with the exception of leaving out a few of my favorite elements of the series, like Quidditch for example. Then came the worst film in the franchise yet, ‘The Goblet of Fire.’ While the enormous size of the source material made this one difficult to translate into film, that’s no excuse for a pace that goes at light speed and skips numerous elements of the novel altogether. Next up was a new director in David Yates for ‘The Order of the Phoenix.’ It was good, and while not capable of capturing the magic of the first two films, it certainly took a step in the right direction. And now, after waiting two years, including a sudden swap from a Fall 2008 release to a summer 2009 slot, Director David Yates returns for ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.’ It was well worth the wait.
-----“The Chosen One”-this is what Harry finds himself labeled as in the collective struggle against the evil tyrant Voldemort. As he returns to Hogwarts for his sixth year, Harry has a lot to deal with. Voldemort’s strength is steadily increasing, his death toll is rising, and even muggles are starting to feel the effects of his return to power. Despite this potentially devastating environment however, Harry and his friends find themselves distracted with other matters, namely those involving the opposite sex.
-----Daniel Radcliffe returns as Harry Potter, continuing his transformation to adulthood in front of our very eyes. This is of course the case with him and his costars Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, as Ron and Hermione respectively. The infamous trio’s chemistry is undeniable, and how couldn’t it be. Just as they’ve grown up in front of the world’s eyes throughout the last decade, so has their friendship. They are the life blood of the always entertaining franchise, and their brilliant chemistry should not be taken for granted. Also returning are the perfectly cast Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall, Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid, Oliver Phelps as George Weasley, and July Walters as Molly Weasley, not to mention far too many others throughout the franchise to properly list. And while this is of course not the entirety of the numerous returning cast members, I’ve always felt the above were brilliantly cast and their consistent, if small contributions to the stories make ‘Harry Potter’ a memorable and finely tuned film franchise.
-----Michael Gambon is also back as professor Dumbledore, and unfortunately I once again find myself asking, “what if?” What if Richard Harris, who played Dumbledore in the first two Potter installments, had not passed on, and could still portray the Hogwarts Headmaster. Gambon is adequate, but Harris was perfect. With Gambon, I feel that Dumbledore has lost much of his lighthearted, calm and collected air about himself, and is instead quick to anger. While this is only occasionally notable, one might question whether or not someone like Sir Ian McKellan would not have better suited the role after so brilliantly playing the wise old wizard Gandalf in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy. To Gambon’s credit however, he has his moments, and certainly remains apart from being a simple mirror of Gandalf, becoming his own character in the Potter franchise. He also avoids mimicking Harris take on Dumbledore, and provides more than adequate action with intense scenes displaying his character’s vast power. He’s also notably fitted into the role considerably more with each go round, just in time to give an ample performance here. And ultimately, comparing Gambon to Harris is like comparing the Potter movies to the books; there will always be room for improvement, so for now lets just be glad that they are improving.
-----Newcomer to the franchise Jim Broadbent leaves his mark as Professor Slughorn. Perfectly capturing a balance between lighthearted and serious, Broadbent leaves nothing to be desired in his pitch perfect portrayal of one of the few teachers at Hogwarts who does not wear his mood on his shirt. What goes on behind his eyes lends to his past confrontations and moral dilemmas about good and evil, as a character who finds himself somewhat neutral in the impending war. I was also impressed with Hero Fiennes-Tiffin as young Tom Riddle, aka young Voldemort. Not only does he perfectly look the part, he also carries a silent intensity in his few short scenes. His resemblance to grown up Voldemort is only naturally aided by his relation to the actor who portrays Voldemort in the series, Ralph Fiennes. Also performing at an exceptional level are Alan Rickman and Tom Felton. As for Rickman, he once again shows just how perfect he is for the role of the sour Hogwarts Professor Snape, walking the line between good and evil without revealing where his loyalties lie. Rickman has primarily been a minor supporting character up to this film, and he finally has a chance to refine his skill, and explore Snape in three dimensions as the mystery that is his character continues to unravel. As for Felton, he truly surprised me at how capably he displays Draco Malfoy in this newest entry. He’s never had much to do except look angry and/or wimpy, but here he shows he can act with the best of them. So dark and desperate is his portrayal of Malfoy’s mandatory descent into darkness that he adds some much needed tension to the film. He does something that I find many actors struggle with as protagonists, not to mention antagonists, and effectively makes us sympathize with him. Among the many laughs and distractions, his performance is key in reminding us of the ultimate peril and dire state of the wizarding world; a theme that resonates throughout the source material.
-----‘The Half-Blood Prince,’ as I stated early in the review, revives the franchise. It is the first film to garner proper hype for the series since ‘Chamber of Secrets,’ and it’s also the first film since ‘Chamber of Secrets,’ where I didn’t spend the whole movie considering the changes made from the source material. It works as its own film, and reestablishes the film franchise as standing on its own two feet, rather than providing adequate entertainment that only vaguely reminds us of the source materials excellence. I’m not suggesting that the book is not superior, but by and large this film is a memorable and fully satisfying adaptation of the exemplary novel. There’s a moment here, and a scene there that I wish could have been included, but it does not detract from the story as an experience, and brilliant display of filmmaking. Throw in the fact that everyone from the all-star cast consistently returns, and all of the dots that Rowling has scattered throughout her books are starting to connect almost as well as they did in the novels. Suffice it to say, the two part final chapter of the franchise, ‘The Deathly Hollows,’ should make easy work of bringing the story full circle.
-----Technically, the film is more brilliant than nearly, if not all of its predecessors. While the castle still isn’t lit as well lit, or done in the wondrous fashion it was in the original two films; for the sixth film, the darker, more down to earth take on it is necessary and worthy. Some of the other sets also continue to stun at how meticulously they mirror Rowling’s original descriptions. They also do a lot for the film’s mood, including a particular shot of Diagon Alley that reminds us of the adversity of the times. The cinematography is also some of the best of the year, as Yates attempts bold new cinematographic strategies for the franchise now that he’s warmed up to it a bit. The opening scene alone sends a message that this will, if nothing else be the boldest Potter film from behind the camera. And thankfully, what goes on in front of the camera is just as deserving. The effects are also excellent as usual, only this time they enter even bolder territory in a few select scenes, while still remaining subtle in all the right places. Throw in a somewhat new musical score that only occasionally calls on the now infamous Potter theme, and you’ve got a darker, more mature film than recent attempts, but not one that takes itself too seriously, or otherwise leaves out the humor of the books.
-----One problem I do have is the rating. And while I was initially upset prior to seeing the film, thinking that the filmmakers had watered it down for mass marketing, it is certainly not a compromise on their part. Indeed, I have no problem with the movie, just the MPAA. I’m confused at how what is arguably, and certainly in my mind, the most violent Potter film yet ends up with a PG rating. The prior two installments of the franchise were definitely not as violent as this one, and yet they both carry the PG-13 rating. Anyone who has read the book will know to prepare their child for what is contained in the movie, and this is why I don’t lay any of the fault on the film, for it did not advertise in a deceiving manner. It presents itself as a dark film, and though light in many instances, is downright dark in the third act. I guess I’m just confused as to whether ratings have been watered down that much, but I honestly don’t understand how ‘Up’ and ‘The Half-Blood Prince’ have the same rating. To support my case, I will call upon events in the film including: a young protagonist causing his enemy to visibly bleed out on the floor (which I initially imagined as a ‘Kill Bill’ gore fest, but it works awesomely in the film as it is), zombies, torture, and onscreen death. Does that sound like a PG rating to you?
-----Despite being a wonderful epic that sets up the closing chapter for the franchise, the film also brings back many elements I thought were missing from that past three entries into the franchise. For instance, the films once again have steady pacing, that is neither too fast nor too slow. It also effectively captures the magic of a common day at Hogwarts, and really puts you on a level of human emotion with the students, much like the books consistently did. After all, they’re teenagers, they have a lot more on their minds than the end of the world, and they still want to have fun. Whether its classroom gags or teen love, the movie never stumbles with any of it, and instead makes this a surprisingly hilarious experience, with an epic story and loads of fun. And of course, they finally brought Quidditch back into the equation. I was absolutely irate when ‘The Prisoner of Azkaban’ excluded Quidditch and the perfectly cast Wood, and when ‘The Goblet of Fire’ set up an epic Quidditch match only to cut out before the game even began. Needless to say, by ‘The Order of the Phoenix’ I’d given up on Quidditch altogether. Mercifully, the newest entry gives fans of wild and fast special effects enough to be satisfied, and even with the subtraction of the book’s climactic battle, manages to satisfy the self-proclaimed action-junkie that is me. In fact, the decision to exclude the final battle of the book actually lends more to a focused story, even if it does make me question the appearance of certain characters.
-----Ultimately, I haven’t had this much fun at the movies in a long time. I was dreading another disappointment in a summer full of movies that don’t begin to live up to their potential. It’s also the first time I’ve been able to completely enjoy a Potter film since the original two, and didn’t spend the whole time questioning creative changes. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll cheer, if only on the inside for the latter two. Even at three in the morning I didn’t once fathom nodding off, nor did I even feel tired. My eyes ached from the early morning, but it was worth the two and a half hours of entertainment gold. ‘The Half-Blood Prince’ may be the most re-watchable movie of the year even with its extended runtime, and it has already established itself as one of the three best films of 2009 with ‘Watchmen’ and ‘Star Trek.’ It was a wonderful experience, and why I love going to the movies. I honestly haven’t been this excited about Harry Potter since the release of the final book. As for the movie, I can’t wait to see it again, and I can’t wait for the final two installments. So what are you waiting for? Go see it!
-----Oscar Watch: Being the sixth film in a series obviously hurts this one’s chances at earning any Oscar gold, but with the newly implemented ten nominations instead of five (courtesy ‘The Dark Knight’ after being ousted in last year’s Best Picture Nominations), this one may have a chance at some of the technical awards (like sound, etc). If it were up to me though, it would surely find its way into the acting categories for Tom Felton and possibly Jim Broadbent and Alan Rickman. But again, seeing as it’s the sixth installment, I’m not placing any bets. Maybe a Nomination for Cinematography, but only time will tell if the Academy recognizes anything from this classic event film.
-----Tidbit: The movie might also find its way to the top Box Office spot for 2009. I predicted that if ‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’ didn’t live up to the first one, and ‘Harry Potter’ exceeded expectations, then ‘Potter’ would have a legitimate shot at the title, despite being a genre film. Maybe releasing in the summer instead of the Fall will pay off for Potter after all. People vote with their money.
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