Quick review: HALF-BLOOD PRINCE
07/31/09 12:07
First, happy birthday JKR! And happy birthday, Harry.
Here’s to squished cakes from the inside pocket of a
giant coat and 4200 pages of crazy beautiful story.
Second, just know: HERE THERE BE SPOILERS. But it’s been 2 weeks, so there are spoilers everywhere on the web.
Third: I went to the midnight showing of HALF-BLOOD PRINCE, and didn’t absorb as much as I’d wanted to, of course, so my review had to wait. I had a very tired ten-year-old talking in my ear, and I was pretty tired myself. Since I got to re-see HBP last night, I finally feel qualified to give a more clear opinion.
To be simple, I’m going to make lists, keeping in mind that BOOKS AND MOVIES ARE NOT THE SAME GENRE, SO THEY CAN’T BE THE SAME. I’m not sure if I’m convincing myself or other people when I say that, but it bears repeating.
OK, so. Here’s what I liked:
1) this shot:
Add in the reference to OOP and Voldemort in the Undeground, plus the words from the billboard behind Dumbledore, and you’ve got visual perfection. Sometimes a picture is truly worth 1000 words. No, this like is not in opposition to my #1 dislike (see below). This is a strictly visual thing.
2) the humor--gotta love it
3) the fact that Ron got to be his goofy, wonderful self more than he has in other films
4) the emphasis on Dumbledore using Harry. Yes, I said USING Harry. JKR takes this up in both HBP and DH (remember that conversation w/ Aberforth?), and the filmmakers used the idea very well. It’s a hefty one to think about.
5) the unfolding of Ron/Hermione’s romance
6) the fact that there was NO natural lighting in the entire film except after Dumbledore died (when HRH are on the Astronomy tower, talking about what comes next). The surreal lights/shades/shadows are perfect for the mood of the story.
7) the echo of the Burrow-destroying ring of fire in Dumbledore’s scare-away-the-Inferi ring of fire
8) the London scenes, esp. the twisted Millennium Bridge--I walked over that bridge in May!
Here are the things I disliked:
1) THE ASTRONOMY TOWER SCENE. Holy cats, people, be true to the spirit of the story! Dumbledore should be WEAK, SICK, and READY TO DIE. The film Dumbledore could have taken every single Death Eater and Draco on and thrown them all off the side of the tower! The film Dumbledore has disagreed with me since Movie #3, so it doesn’t surprise me I didn’t like this scene, because I don’t like Michael Gambon as Dumbledore, and I think his characterization is about 50% wrong. Even so, we want to understand that Dumbledore wants to be released from his agony of the ring curse and the agony of the potion, and it didn’t happen here. BOO. And it’s so damn pivotal! I was pissed. I also wasn’t sure about the “let’s raise our wands together” thing, because it almost sent me into hysterics the first time I saw it (because I was tired, and because I was thinking about lighters and “Freebird”), but I *did* like how the light destroyed the Dark Mark. That symbolism worked for me.
2) Dumbledore’s hand. It should have looked like a torched marshmallow, not a hand with shadows on it.
3) the lack of conversation about where the Horcruxes could be, or what they might be. Poor Harry now has to search the entire Wizarding world. One again, film people, be true to the book and give the kid a chance at having a clue! The film is plenty long--would 5 more minutes of dialogue between Harry/Dumbledore have killed you?
These fillmmakers (and Steve Kloves, the screenwriter) have had one of the most difficult tasks in the history of telling stories, and they will never satisfy everyone. They gave it one hell of a go, that’s for sure. As you can see, my likes outweigh my dislikes. That wouldn’t have been true had I written this review the day after I saw it the first time.
More than anything, I think fillmmakers who adapt books need to be true to the spirit of the characters and the spirit of the story at hand. If they can do that, well, go for it. That doesn’t always happen for me in HP films. Grrr...
There are lots of EMPHATIC CAPITAL LETTERS in this post, aren’t there? : ) And it’s long. Sorry.
Second, just know: HERE THERE BE SPOILERS. But it’s been 2 weeks, so there are spoilers everywhere on the web.
Third: I went to the midnight showing of HALF-BLOOD PRINCE, and didn’t absorb as much as I’d wanted to, of course, so my review had to wait. I had a very tired ten-year-old talking in my ear, and I was pretty tired myself. Since I got to re-see HBP last night, I finally feel qualified to give a more clear opinion.
To be simple, I’m going to make lists, keeping in mind that BOOKS AND MOVIES ARE NOT THE SAME GENRE, SO THEY CAN’T BE THE SAME. I’m not sure if I’m convincing myself or other people when I say that, but it bears repeating.
OK, so. Here’s what I liked:
1) this shot:
Add in the reference to OOP and Voldemort in the Undeground, plus the words from the billboard behind Dumbledore, and you’ve got visual perfection. Sometimes a picture is truly worth 1000 words. No, this like is not in opposition to my #1 dislike (see below). This is a strictly visual thing.
2) the humor--gotta love it
3) the fact that Ron got to be his goofy, wonderful self more than he has in other films
4) the emphasis on Dumbledore using Harry. Yes, I said USING Harry. JKR takes this up in both HBP and DH (remember that conversation w/ Aberforth?), and the filmmakers used the idea very well. It’s a hefty one to think about.
5) the unfolding of Ron/Hermione’s romance
6) the fact that there was NO natural lighting in the entire film except after Dumbledore died (when HRH are on the Astronomy tower, talking about what comes next). The surreal lights/shades/shadows are perfect for the mood of the story.
7) the echo of the Burrow-destroying ring of fire in Dumbledore’s scare-away-the-Inferi ring of fire
8) the London scenes, esp. the twisted Millennium Bridge--I walked over that bridge in May!
Here are the things I disliked:
1) THE ASTRONOMY TOWER SCENE. Holy cats, people, be true to the spirit of the story! Dumbledore should be WEAK, SICK, and READY TO DIE. The film Dumbledore could have taken every single Death Eater and Draco on and thrown them all off the side of the tower! The film Dumbledore has disagreed with me since Movie #3, so it doesn’t surprise me I didn’t like this scene, because I don’t like Michael Gambon as Dumbledore, and I think his characterization is about 50% wrong. Even so, we want to understand that Dumbledore wants to be released from his agony of the ring curse and the agony of the potion, and it didn’t happen here. BOO. And it’s so damn pivotal! I was pissed. I also wasn’t sure about the “let’s raise our wands together” thing, because it almost sent me into hysterics the first time I saw it (because I was tired, and because I was thinking about lighters and “Freebird”), but I *did* like how the light destroyed the Dark Mark. That symbolism worked for me.
2) Dumbledore’s hand. It should have looked like a torched marshmallow, not a hand with shadows on it.
3) the lack of conversation about where the Horcruxes could be, or what they might be. Poor Harry now has to search the entire Wizarding world. One again, film people, be true to the book and give the kid a chance at having a clue! The film is plenty long--would 5 more minutes of dialogue between Harry/Dumbledore have killed you?
These fillmmakers (and Steve Kloves, the screenwriter) have had one of the most difficult tasks in the history of telling stories, and they will never satisfy everyone. They gave it one hell of a go, that’s for sure. As you can see, my likes outweigh my dislikes. That wouldn’t have been true had I written this review the day after I saw it the first time.
More than anything, I think fillmmakers who adapt books need to be true to the spirit of the characters and the spirit of the story at hand. If they can do that, well, go for it. That doesn’t always happen for me in HP films. Grrr...
There are lots of EMPHATIC CAPITAL LETTERS in this post, aren’t there? : ) And it’s long. Sorry.