Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Jim Broadbent, Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Gambon, David Thewlis
Directed by: David Yates
Rating: PG
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy
2009

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermoine (Emma Watson) return to Hogwarts for their sixth year. Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) now relies more heavily on Harry to uncover the truth about Voldemort's past, as they search for a way to destroy him.

Review:

Tim: I was a bit disappointed in The Order of the Phoenix, David Yates' first turn in the director's chair for the Harry Potter franchise. I say a "bit" because I have to admit that the fifth movie in this franchise is still really good- just not great like most of the other movies. In this film, the sixth in the franchise, Yates once again returns, and once again, I can't help but feeling a small amount of disappointment. Truly, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is a very good movie- however, it falls short of the greatness we have come to expect from these movies.

As I have not read any of the books, I only have the movies upon which to base the merit of each installment. I did enjoy seeing the return of now familiar characters. As I have said previously, it is pretty fun to watch these characters (and actors) grow up on screen. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are now quickly approaching adulthood. I was a bit surprised that there wasn't more character development between these characters- the first several films all felt like the relationship between Harry, Ron, and Hermione grew and developed by leaps and bounds from movie to movie. Lately, though, it feels like their relationship has plateaued. I wanted more focus on their growing friendship, and I didn't think this film addressed that nearly enough.

One of the other complaints I have about this movie is that the whole story feels overly complicated without progressing quickly enough. I doubt this same problem is apparent in the books, but we seem to get an endless stream of new professors through Hogwarts, but they are somewhat forgettable and seem only a convienent way to progress the story. I understand that the big climactic battle between Harry and Voldemort has to come at the end, but I wish the story would progress more from movie to movie. The last two films have felt a bit redundant- almost as if we aren't in a very different place at the end of the movie than we were at the beginning. Yes, this movie does feature a pretty shocking development in one character's life (and cessation of it), but not much else felt like it really happened. I'd like to see some more forward momentum in these movies.

Part of the problem with the Harry Potter franchise is that it set the bar so high, that it is almost unrealistic to expect the films would continue to live up to those expectations. If you look at most franchises, the quality of the films drops off from movie to movie- especially by the time you reach the sixth film in a franchise. The Harry Potter movies have held up remarkably well- every film in the franchise has been quite good. There hasn't been a single failure or major disappointment. Yes, The Half Blood Prince might not live up to the best films in the franchise, but it is still a very solid, very enjoyable movie. There might be a bit of a question about the direction these films are headed (it has been a very slow, but downward trend since the tremendous third film), but I believe that now that the franchise is gearing towards its end, the final two movies should be pretty good.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince might not be a great movie, but it is a very solid entry in one of the most dependable franchises of all time. At this point, we know what to expect from these movies, and barring the tiny disappointments from time to time, this franchise has delivered time and again.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix