Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

[Darth McBain]

Interesting casting info from imdb...



Oscar winner Jim Broadbent is set to become Harry Potter's latest teacher after signing on to play Horace Slughorn in Harry Potter And The Half-blood Prince. In the Potter books, Slughorn is Hogwarts' potion master and the brains behind the fictitious magic school's Slug Club. The British actor tells DarkHorizons.com, "Slughorn is drawn back out of retirement because he's got some secrets Harry and (headmaster) Dumbledore need in the battle against the Death Eaters. He's quite star-struck as a teacher, and he's drawn back into the fold because he likes to notch up celebrity students."


Broadbent's not exactly how I envisioned Slughorn, but I could see it working.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Huh.

At first, that seemed like an odd choice, but the more I think about it the more I like the idea.

[Ryan Pode]

I envision Slughorn being a bit more round, personally.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I was rooting for either Bob Hoskins or John Rhys-Davies but I am okay with this call. He is a very good actor.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Anybody see the Sneak peaks that came with the new DVD? They were up on You Tube but I bet they been taken down by now. The movie looks very good. They showed some scenes with Harry and Ginny about to kiss. I am looking forward to their romance. Talked about Quidditch being back and Ron and Lavender's funny relationship.

Edit I saw one on You Tube. Who knows how long it will remain up
http://youtube.com/watch?v=e3e-P8lJXqc
It also looks like WB is finaly taking a play out of the Lucas playbook with DVD Rom features. I think they will put the trailers up on there first.

[Darth McBain]

Just saw some new stills this morning.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0417741/mediaindex

Personally, I'm not too blown away by any of these -- I'm definitely not liking Broadbent as Slughorn. I don't know what it is - I like Jim Broadbent, I just don't see him as Slughorn. And I never got the impression from the book that Slughorn was such a major character to warrant bringing in big starpower. Oh well, there's only so much you can tell from a picture, I'm sure he'll give a good performance.

[Dasquian Belargic]

None of those are particularly amazing, no, but nice to see nonetheless.

Tom Felton (Draco) is growing into his body, finally!

BTW, have they changed the Quidditch uniforms or am I just imagining that?

[Quenn Yeartel]

Broadbent's never been what I pictured Slughorn to be. I always thought Ian McNeice would have been much better...

Something like this (well, except for different clothes and hairstyle):

http://www.nyahalcyon.net/misc/slughorn.jpg

And yeah, apparently they changed the uniform because now these are older players who move in more powerful ways than when they were younger so they changed it.

[Darth McBain]

Yeah, the Quidditch uniforms do seem different.

[Dasquian Belargic]

I like the new uniform look. Very nice.

As for Slughorn... I can't even remember what happens in this book, to be honest, so I don't know who I would have cast :uhoh

[Quenn Yeartel]

I used to have a whole forum dedicated to finding the perfect HP cast.... that was fun.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Honestly, I think they have done a pretty good job with the majority of people they've chosen!

[Jedi Master Carr]

They have done a great job with most of the cast. I guess with Slughorn they just picked the best actor. They could have chosen John Ryhs-Davies or Bob Hoskins both are fatter but Broadenbent is a better actor. The pictures are good, the best one to me is the one with harry looking at Dumbledore's wand. Really hints at what happens in Deathly Hallows. About the quidditch uniforms I think the difference is the extra protection they are wearing. I don't have a problem with that since they haven't had quidditch in the last two films.
What stinks is we still haven't gotten a teaser. There are rumors of one coming out in front of Clone Wars now and a strange rumor of one coming in front of the new mummy movie. I don't believe that one since WB wouldn't put a trailer in front of a rival film.

[jjwr]

I'm thinking back to Half Blood Prince and I really can't remember much about Slughorn at all...anyone have a quick re-cap of what he did and if he is worth remembering? :)

[Jedi Master Carr]

Well quick recap, he liked doting on the smartest and most accomplished students. Dumbledore brought him to the school though because he was in possession of memories involving Voldemort and the horocruxes

[Jedi Master Carr]

The teaser trailer is up
http://www.moviefone.com/movie/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince/27063/main

It is a very simple but I like it. I like how it concentrates on Voldemort's past.
There were some creepy moments which I really think are nice touches.

[Ilias Nytrau]

Gave me a few goosebumps. Looks good. Now, really.. I just have to get around to reading ALL the books. I've only read the first two or three. :lol

[Dasquian Belargic]

:eee oooo was that Fenrir Greyback I spied in there? God, I'm such a sucker for a werewolf...

[Rutabaga]

Definitely has the creepiness factor throughout. I approve :dance.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I liked it a lot, speaking of someone who's been under a rock and has no idea what the book is about. :)

Well, obviously its about Harry Potter and some sort of half-blood Prince. :rolleyes

[Dasquian Belargic]

But who is this Prince :o





I know, cos I read the book :D

[Tri'ahna Zylary]

Ohhhhhh... can't wait.... looking good!

[Rutabaga]

But who is this Prince :o





I know, cos I read the book :D

:lol That's one reason why I like this trailer, because they give you no hint whatsoever. I hope the full trailer keeps it that way.

Although, of course, the millions of us who have read the book know already. :angel

[Atreyu]

Well, obviously its about Harry Potter and some sort of half-blood Prince. LOL - I still fondly remember back in 2005/2006 and all the online debates about the Prince's identity. Some actually got it right (no surprise, I think nearly every character that ever featured in a HP novel was scrutinised) but the actual reasoning of his/her title threw everyone I think. :)

Good trailer. Particularly loved one blink-and-you'll-miss-it scene at 0:58 - Dumbledore putting on the Gaunt ring - clearly an added scene as we never actually got to see it in the novel, only the aftermath.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Well, obviously its about Harry Potter and some sort of half-blood Prince. LOL - I still fondly remember back in 2005/2006 and all the online debates about the Prince's identity. Some actually got it right (no surprise, I think nearly every character that ever featured in a HP novel was scrutinised) but the actual reasoning of his/her title threw everyone I think. :)

Good trailer. Particularly loved one blink-and-you'll-miss-it scene at 0:58 - Dumbledore putting on the Gaunt ring - clearly an added scene as we never actually got to see it in the novel, only the aftermath.

I liked that too I have read the Gaunts won't be in the film. So I think that is how they are going to deal with the ring in this movie. I am okay with that. And it works fine to me

[stevenvdb]

Can't wait..but as I rarely get to go to the cinema, anymore, the imagery is fairly dark and i'm not sure how great it would look at the cinemaplex I tend to go to (who always project with the bulb at the dim setting) < Iwill probably wait for home release.. It will probably look stunning on Blu Ray. :)

I actually got the 5 disc gift set in HD DVD before the format went the way of the Dodo. Probably won't get those, again, on Blu Ray, unless they do something rather special in terms of extras, etc, but will grab the new movies on BR as they are released, even if I won't bother to get a BR player until sometime next year. :P

In that trailer, did anyone else have a Fellowship of the Ring flashback for a second or two during one scene? :D

[Jedi Master Carr]

This sucks for us Potter fans
http://mugglenet.com/app/news/full_story/1810

They are doing this because they don't have a big picture coming out next summer. They were suppose to have Justice League for July but the writers strike killed that (thank god for that favor). I hate having to wait till next summer but I understand why they are doing it.

[Rutabaga]

That's BS, because the Potter films that have been released at Thanksgiving have done boffo box office, thank you very much. :shakefist

So we have to wait a whole year now? Not good, not good at all. :shakefist

[Droo]

I'm a hardcore fan of Harry Potter but I can't say I'm really bothered by the delay, I can wait for the film, the teaser left me very cold and I didn't think much of the director's work with the last film.

[Jedi Master Carr]

That's BS, because the Potter films that have been released at Thanksgiving have done boffo box office, thank you very much. :shakefist

So we have to wait a whole year now? Not good, not good at all. :shakefist

well I think it is because WB has nothing coming next summer. With The Dark Knight doing so well they figure this year is set so they can move it and make a ton of money with it next year.

[Rutabaga]

I know, but it's still not fair :p

[Dasquian Belargic]

This is stupid :( I want my harry potters.

[Darth McBain]

meh - I'm not too put off by it. I probably wasn't going to see it in the theater anyway, so waiting a little longer doesn't bug me all that much...

[Rutabaga]

To top it off, I got the new issue of Entertainment Weekly today, and it's the fall movie preview edition. Guess who's the cover boy? That's definitely an unintentional oopsie.

Oh, I also read online today some speculation that Warner Bros. did this on purpose, since Daniel Radcliffe will be on Broadway doing Equus at the time the movie was supposed to come out, and they didn't want the movie out at the same time while he was on stage in all his nekkid glory. That's kind of a silly reason, if you ask me (and even if you don't :p). But maybe there's some truth to the speculation.

[Jedi Master Carr]

To top it off, I got the new issue of Entertainment Weekly today, and it's the fall movie preview edition. Guess who's the cover boy? That's definitely an unintentional oopsie.

Oh, I also read online today some speculation that Warner Bros. did this on purpose, since Daniel Radcliffe will be on Broadway doing Equus at the time the movie was supposed to come out, and they didn't want the movie out at the same time while he was on stage in all his nekkid glory. That's kind of a silly reason, if you ask me (and even if you don't :p). But maybe there's some truth to the speculation.

Well they went through this before when he did it in London. Although, I think there is a greater chance of nude pics leaking on the net of him now since NYs have more cameras and are bolder than those in london. I don't think that is the reason. And oh big opps by EW, it shows that WB kept this pretty secret.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Personally I think that is a pathetic reason. How much cross-over is there really between Broadway audiences and the viewers of Harry Potter? I can't imagine much. It's not like the little kids (who I'm guessing they don't want to offend) are probably even going to know that 'Equus' exists!

[A'na]

I heard this and I didn't believe it. :( I was really looking forward to watching this in November. They'll probably get away with this because its Harry Potter and the fans are still going to see the movie, no matter how long they're forced to wait, but it sucks. Its a terrible move, IMO.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Personally I think that is a pathetic reason. How much cross-over is there really between Broadway audiences and the viewers of Harry Potter? I can't imagine much. It's not like the little kids (who I'm guessing they don't want to offend) are probably even going to know that 'Equus' exists!

Well I doubt that is the reason. I think it is more likely just because of the Strike and WB dropped the ball by only getting Terminator 4 done for next summer. They are using Potter to fill the void.

[Jedi Master Carr]

New International trailer
http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/harry-potter-and-half-blood-prince/feature-trailer

I like this one better than the teaser. Shows off some of the cool scenes of the movie.

[Dasquian Belargic]

"But I am the Chosen One!" :lol

As always, I got goosebumps all over from watching that.

[Jedi Master Carr]

"But I am the Chosen One!" :lol

As always, I got goosebumps all over from watching that.

I loved when Hermione hit him when he said that.

[Rutabaga]

Great trailer! :eee

Considering the fact that there is a lot of heavy sadness in this particular part of the story, I like the fact that they put something quite goofy and charming in the trailer.

[Razielle Alastor]

The delay in this movie coming out should qualify as one of the unforgivable curses. :verymad

[Jedi Master Carr]

I don't care that they did it either, although, I know it is for financial reasons. It makes it worse when the movie does look good.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Some new pictures

Greyback man he is scary
http://i33.tinypic.com/s2xpu8.jpg

Dumbledore and Harry
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa51/captainc22/harrydumbledoreunderground.jpg

Ron and Hermione
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa51/captainc22/ronhermione.jpg

[Dragon]

I love Greyback's shirt. He looks like a roadie. :lol

[Jedi Master Carr]

lol yeah I saw that. It actually fits him.

[Dasquian Belargic]

:love Greyback

[Jedi Master Carr]

Another trailer
http://wbads-47.vo.llnwd.net/e1/wbmovies/halfbloodprince/trailer/Champion_D_480.mov
This one was great, the ending of the movie looks incredible.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Oh wow. This just gets better with every trailer.

[Atreyu]

That trailer was SWEET. :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool:

[Hartus Kenobi]

Definitely looking forward to this. All the sneak peeks looks pretty good so far.

[Rutabaga]

Another trailer
http://wbads-47.vo.llnwd.net/e1/wbmovies/halfbloodprince/trailer/Champion_D_480.mov
This one was great, the ending of the movie looks incredible.

OMG.

That was one awesome trailer. These movies just seem to be getting better and better...wow. Although I now know and fully understand the reasons and explanation behind what happens during the climax of this story, I have no doubt I'll still cry like a baby during it. :cry

If only WB hadn't changed the schedule...we should have been seeing this next weekend, darn it! GGGRRRR!!!! :shakefist

[Jedi Master Carr]

I saw this on Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ugf5Z6iz9A
I can't wait for the movie it looks awesome :)

[Lykaios]

Yes, yes it does. I can't wait!

[Nya Halcyon]

*drooooooooooool*

When is it coming out exactly?

[Dasquian Belargic]

Looks epic! Fom the variety of locations in that clip, it feels like it's going to be really fast paced.. lots of action. :D

Oh, and it's due out 17th July.

[Nya Halcyon]

YES!!! I was afraid it would come out while I was in Turkey, but the 17th will be my last day at school so.... wheeee.... I'll treat myself to a sort of graduation present.

They'll most likely show it a minute past midnight on the 16th over here, like they did the last time.... hehehe

[Dasquian Belargic]

Ohhhh where in Turkey are you going?

[Atreyu]

Like the preview - a few extra little scenes here and there. It looks great. :)

Still a bit peeved about having the release date pushed back - from what I've read they're not adding anything or doing extra work on effects etc - the film's basically sitting in the vault waiting until July. :\

[Jedi Master Carr]

I heard they added one scene but that was it. Really this was just WB wanting money for this year.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Final trailer here
http://pdl.warnerbros.com/wbmovies/halfbloodprince/trl4/Harry_Potter_4A_Large.mov
and in HD
http://pdl.warnerbros.com/wbmovies/halfbloodprince/trl4/Harry_Potter_4A_720.mov

It looks really great, especially the scenes at the cave and the ones with Snape. I am really looking forward to it now.

[Dasquian Belargic]

:ohno sweeeeet. Feels like we've been waiting for this forever!

[Aree Ankarta]

Oh gods.... I am SOOOO going to be the first one in line...

[Droo]

I really hope I'm not going to regret saying this: if the films lives up to that trailer it will be the best of the series. Better than Azkaban. And if it delivers, then I'll take back everything I've said about David Yates since the last film, because after seeing that trailer, what a finale he will give us. I'm really excited and now really nervous: please don't disappoint us! :ohno

[Jedi Master Carr]

I really hope I'm not going to regret saying this: if the films lives up to that trailer it will be the best of the series. Better than Azkaban. And if it delivers, then I'll take back everything I've said about David Yates since the last film, because after seeing that trailer, what a finale he will give us. I'm really excited and now really nervous: please don't disappoint us! :ohno

It does look great, have to admit the Potter trailers are normally top notch so not sure what that means. I have a feeling it will be better than Order so we have to remain hopeful. One question I do have, how did this get a PG rating? This looks darker than Order with Katie's scene and the Inferi. Either WB bribed the ratings board or the ratings board has lowered their standards.

[Aree Ankarta]

No Idea - it certainly looks dark enough. Maybe the ratings board was full of Harry fans who swooned at the bits of him and Ginny kissing and didn't take in the rest of it.... :lol

[Jedi Master Carr]

No Idea - it certainly looks dark enough. Maybe the ratings board was full of Harry fans who swooned at the bits of him and Ginny kissing and didn't take in the rest of it.... :lol

Well they have been giving some movies an easier time of late. I think 5 year ago Watchmen would have got NC-17 with male nudity.

[Lykaios]

Holy...!!!

I can't wait, it's been a long time coming!

[Jedi Master Carr]

This comes out Wednesday and so far it is getting great reviews Variety and the AP has called the best Potter film to date. Here is the AP review
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090709/ap_en_re/us_film_review_harry_potter
I can't wait got tickets for midnight Tuesday.

[jjwr]

I've got my midnight tickets for Tuesday night...can't wait! A group of 7 us are going and we've been to all the midnight showings and are psyched. This looks awesome!

[Jedi Master Carr]

I am going to midnight as well, I can't wait. The reviews are looking good is it at 98% at Rotten Tomatoes right now with only one rotten review out of 42.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Only a few more hours for the midnight shows. Who else is going at Midnight? The reviews are still great it is looking like the best reviewed Potter film so far.

[Rutabaga]

I won't be going until Sunday. As usual my mother will be accompanying me, and this time a co-worker will also be joining us. I have already warned my mother that my co-worker and I will be bawling at a certain point during the climax, so she'd better beware! :cry ;)

The reviews are absolutely glowing, it seems like a lot of them are saying that this is the best Potter movie so far.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I saw it last night and I loved it. I actually think I liked it better than GOF. It was the funniest movie of the series but the end was still very epic. I thought the acting was top notch especially Gambon, Broadbent, Rickman, and Grint. Rupert is a very funny actor and I think he will have the best career of the trio once these films are over. I really thought this movie did a good job setting up the next two films. One thing for sure I need to see it again to get a better grasp of how I feel about the movie.

[jjwr]

I agree 100% with JMC, lots of laughs but just as many serious solemn moments. Grint and Broadbent really stood out and the one that plays Malfoy was very good as well. Casting HBC as Bellatrix looks like a smarter move the more screen time she gets, she's incredible.

I didn't mind a lot of things getting cut out, I wouldn't have minded seeing more flashbacks with Tom Riddle especailly the one where he comes back as an adult to talk to Dumbledore and try and get the teaching position. The bit with Dumbledore's black hand and injuries was a little rushed and at the end when he was killed he seemed a lot more capable than he should have where in the book he was hardly going to make it as it was.

I wish they had included the fight in the school, I'm guessing they felt it was redundant considering the fight at the end of Deathly Hallows but I was looking forward to it. I can live without that change but didn't like how the Harry vs Snape "fight" played out, in the book you got a very good sense that Snape was trying to teach Harry one final lesson and in the movie its more him just sparing Harry and protecting him from the others.

The crowd I saw it with was quite vocal but was dead silent at the end when the school emptied and raised their wands for Dumbledore...his death was well done and ending it the way they did gave more weight to him dying. Unlike the previous movies where they have hope at the end it was a decidedly dark ending with the three of them.

[Jedi Master Carr]

It was the Empire Strikes back of the series. It ends on a cliffhanger wanting you to know what happens next. I really like that emphasis making you want to come back to see what happens next. I also liked Fawkes flying away at the end it gave it a good ending. Okay about the fight well, I didn't mind it wasn't included since the big battle happens in DH 2. I agree about Snape would have liked a few more lines there. Although, Rickman was amazing in every scene. My only other complaint was I wish Ron had said something during the end sequence instead of looking depressed.

[Dasquian Belargic]

I had the surreal experience of walking into the cinema, wearing a Star Wars t-shirt, and hearing the Star Wars soundtrack playing... seemed like an odd way to get the crowd warmed up for Harry Potter :lol

All in all, I enjoyed this movie. I did feel as though at times it was a little long, and somes things made me :huh since I haven't read the book for a while (Dumbledore's hand for instance) - but other than that, I don't have many complaints. The beginning and end were particular highlights for me, and I really loved getting to see the Death Eaters doing what they do best. The fight in the Horcux.. cavern was pretty epic. I think Dumbledore was channelling Gandalf for a moment there!

[Kale]

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[Darven]

I say it Wednesday but so far haven't really made up my mind whether I like it or not. It felt a little more disjointed than usual, but maybe that's because I'm so familiar with the book. I did leave the cinema feeling quite emotional so it certainly was moving but I'm not going to say more without spoiler tags and those my cellphone doesn't manage :p

[Rutabaga]

I was disappointed. :(

I'm usually very forgiving of what they end up cutting out from the books, because that's just the nature of the game. It's really hard to take an 800 page novel and turn it into a 160 minute movie. But in this case, I was astounded by what they cut out. They eliminated some really vital stuff, which for me inflicted a really serious wound on the movie.

I also thought the pacing was really really bad...there was no sense of energy to move the story along, it just kind of meandered and wandered up until the big climax.

Some stuff WAS done right, like Draco's story and Dumbledore's death, although I was stunned that they didn't show his funeral. And considering I would lick Alan Rickman's boots just for a chance to meet him, I was very happy with the Snape stuff.

Let me make this clear...there is NO SUCH THING as a bad Harry Potter movie. But for me, this one is one of the weaker entries in the series.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Well the movie was 2.5 hours. I just can't see how they could have kept the stuff they cut without it being 3.5 to 4 hours long. I didn't mind the funeral being cut because it would have made for a very long ending. It is tough to condense these books and this one was the toughest because most of it was romance which actually did work in the film for me. Also not a lot happens in this book besides the death and the horcrux stuff. Those things are important but it is tough to show that stuff in a film. I am curious how they will do the next book since they are splitting in two. I guess there won't be that much cut.

[Rutabaga]

It took me a while to think of this, but you know, I'm surprised we never heard the name of Eileen Prince. Especially since it explained the title of the book/movie. :\

As for The Deathly Hallows, as far as I'm concerned they can cut most of the camping scenes in the middle and the movie won't suffer at all because of it.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I think the camping scenes will mostly be cut. As for Prince well they probably should have had Hermione mention it but I was okay with it. I really ignore the books when I watch these movies and keep them in their own universe.

[jjwr]

I'm almost expecting the Dumbledore funeral to be near the beginning of Deathly Hallows or possibly handled as a flashback.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I'm almost expecting the Dumbledore funeral to be near the beginning of Deathly Hallows or possibly handled as a flashback.

I could see that happen. They might need a way to introduce the Minister of Magic, Bill Weasley, and Mudungus Fletcher.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I thought it was paced really badly. It was sort of jumpy from spot to spot. As someone who hasn't read the books it was hard to follow, until of course the end where Dumbledore and Draco explained everything just before he got killed.

I mean, I understand not spelling things out, but it seemed to be handled pretty badly. And it was difficult to catch that Harry was using a spell he read in the Potions book, and it seemed tacked on at the end that "Oh yeah, *I* am the Half-Blood Prince, I know you were reading my book because of the spell you used on me". I did love the Snape stuff though.

A few spoilery questions to those who've read the books. Is Dumbledore really dead??? And is Snape a double agent? I'm suuuuuure he is but then... not sure. ;)

[Dasquian Belargic]

To answer your questions: yes and sort of (Snape is a triple-agent, and a good guy... his loyalty is one of the strongest in the entire series, once you understand his whole story)

[Rutabaga]

Snape's revelation of being the Half-Blood Prince was one of my quibbles, I agree that it felt tacked on and didn't make much sense if you haven't read the book. His potions book was almost like another character in the novel, and they did tons of research into who the Half-Blood Prince might be. That's where the Eileen Prince info came in, and that Snape is Eileen Prince's son. With that information lacking in the movie, you're left wondering just why he called himself the Half-Blood Prince.

My favorite single chapter that JK Rowling has ever written is the one in The Deathly Hallows where you realize that Snape is not one of the greatest villains of the Potter series, that he's actually one of its greatest heroes. That part of the story simply MUST be told and told properly in the movie version. If it isn't, they will have blown it badly.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I am sure that part of the story will be told in DH. I just can't see it not being included and they have the time since there will be two films The problem with including such things is time. I think it was tough to get much more into the book about the book without spending 15-20 minutes on it. It would also bore the audience as it was there wasn't much action in this book and including the diary info would have bored them.

[Kale]

Interesting that Rutabaga and some others are complaining about the pacing. I've heard similar complaints about Order of the Phoenix, which I thought was the best of the Potter movies to date.

I'm sure most of you know that OotP and HBP were both directed by David Yates. It seems his solution to the problem of condensing 800 pages into a film has been to progress as quickly as possible from plot point to plot point, rarely pausing for breath. Fortunately, the characters are well-written enough that they don't get lost in the scramble up the side of the plot arc, but it doesn't necessarily make for comfortable storytelling. I think the pacing was better balanced in OotP than in HBP, but I still see a lot of similarities.

There are a few points where HBP slows down and really enjoys itself. Slughorn has some fantastic moments (none better than his reminiscence over Lily Potter and the gift she gave him), and the climax in the cave is brilliant. Otherwise, the film feels generally rushed, like we're reading the cliff's notes, and I can definitely see how non-readers would feel lost.

But I'm not necessarily sure what alternatives you have as a film-maker. I've always thought this would be the hardest of the books to film, since so much of it is essentially exposition and flashbacks, exploring what made Voldemort who he is. That really is the central thread of the book, the title notwithstanding. And, if anything, the cuts there are what really stood out to me.

My brother, who hasn't read the books, pointed out that the flashbacks to young Tom Riddle were pretty one-dimensional. How could anyone fail to be suspicious of someone that creepy? Really, the only nuance at all to Riddle's character as depicted in the movie comes from Broadbent's fantastic performance as Slughorn, both in how he fawned over the boy in the past and how he's haunted by his memories in the present. But it's hard to say this is the story of how Riddle turned into Voldemort.

Yes, in the book, Rowling showed that Riddle always had that sneering, sociopathic pride that is the foundation of Voldemort's character. But we also got to see where that came from, starting with the tragic and hateful state of his mother's family. We see how manipulative he was with Slughorn (and, by proxy, his other teachers - Slughorn was merely the easiest to fool). We see how his interest in immortality grew into an obsession. It takes many more journeys into the pensieve than we saw in the movie, but it makes for a much more complete picture of Voldemort's evil than the one-dimensional caricature the movie shows us.

I think that aspect should have been given more attention - perhaps just one more episode in the pensieve, or perhaps even just more subtlety when we finally see Slughorn's untampered memory of Riddle. As it was, the movie seemed to be dominated by subplots, and, on the whole, they were enjoyable, but they seemed rather disjointed.

I still think this is the hardest book to translate to film. Overall, I think Yates did a good job, and I enjoyed myself. But I can also understand where the criticisms come from. Honestly, I have some of the same criticisms for the book itself, which can be hard to get through.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I do think that Broadbent was wonderful, he was one of the best parts of the movie. Ron's girl drama side story was hilarious, as well. :)

[Jedi Master Carr]

Grint was hilarious as well. He had some of the best lines.

[Darth Turbogeek]

I was disappointed. :(

I'm usually very forgiving of what they end up cutting out from the books, because that's just the nature of the game. It's really hard to take an 800 page novel and turn it into a 160 minute movie. But in this case, I was astounded by what they cut out. They eliminated some really vital stuff, which for me inflicted a really serious wound on the movie.

I also thought the pacing was really really bad...there was no sense of energy to move the story along, it just kind of meandered and wandered up until the big climax.

Some stuff WAS done right, like Draco's story and Dumbledore's death, although I was stunned that they didn't show his funeral.


There was also the completely unnessary additions. As a movie, it's okay. As a movie about Harry Potter..... what the hell is the best description. And I'm not one who says you cant change anything, LOTR took liberties and I didnt lose the plot.... because the changes were done well. These in HP were not.

Most of the adult actors were dialling it in and getting a pay day.

Grrrrrrrr.

[Figrin D'an]

I always thought that Half Blood Prince would be the hardest of the books to translate to film, just because so much of the story is a) the kids researching the nature and former owner of Harry's potions book, and b) Harry and Dumbledore exploring Voldemort's past via the Pensieve. It's great stuff in book form, but it just doesn't seem to translate well to a movie in a way that could keep the story moving along within a reasonable time frame.

I'm not going to knock David Yates and the screenwriter too much over this, but I do have some reservations about the final film (or two films I suppose). Yates needs to come up big in making sure Deathly Hallows gets things right. Hopefully, splitting it into two films will help.

[Tear]

Saw it last night at the Imax. Now I dont dislike 3d but I've never been really eager to see anything in 3d either. I just wanted to see Harry at the Imax for the grand screen and crazy special effect /drool.

The 3d bit only lasts for 12 minutes. When it was over everyone in the audience, myself included, let out an "awww..." because it was AWESOME. Its too bad they didn't do the whole flick in 3d. Hopefully they do more on the next one.

I liked the movie but I'm one of those people who has never read any of the books. The only thing I know about Potter comes from the movies so this one was pretty good in that regard. At least to me. I Enjoyed it.