I’m gonna file this under SPOILER ALERT! and encourage those of you who’ve already read the book and seen the film (that’s at least $22 millions-worth of you, if I understand the math) to join me after the jump, read about my quibbles, and contribute your own in the comments…
1. The Burning Burrow Nonsense Can somebody explain to me what on earth that was except a gratuitous chance to show Tonks prematurely referring to Lupin as “sweetheart” in public, after she was already swapped out in favor of Luna Lovegood on the Hogwarts Express? Or perhaps it was a contractual thing regarding Helena Bonham Carter’s screen time? Either way, it was pointless and did nothing but irritate me, and also remind me of the first X-Files movie for some reason.
2. The Room of Requirement Did Not Fulfill Its Requirement Yes, we know the R.O.R.’s main function in Half-Blood Prince is to give Draco a way to let Death Eaters into Hogwarts, but in all the soul-deadening “romance” between Ginny and Harry while they were up there hiding the Prince’s potions book, one very crucial detail got completely glossed over: If Harry doesn’t put the diadem of Ravenclaw on top of the cabinet where he hides the book, how does he know the diadem of Ravenclaw is in the Room of Requirement when it comes time for collecting Horcruxes? This is a dopey mistake and/or decision (assuming it was conscious) that could have been easily avoided if they’d only…
3. Let Harry and Ginny Kiss How They’re Supposed To! I hate to be that girl, but the first Potter-on-Weasley action, as Rowling wrote it, qualifies as one of the best literary kisses of all time: He’s been stuck in detention and misses the final Quidditch match; she subs in as Seeker and grabs the snitch, giving Gryffindor the win and the cup; he enters the victory party and sees nothing but her; cue the tonsil hockey. Is it so wrong that I was looking forward to this moment in the movie? Instead, we get one slow, awkward, mumbled scene in the R.O.R. with a lot of blank staring that also serves to undermine future plot points and make the sexual tension between Luke and Leia in Star Wars look almost porny. Snore.
I’ve got other gripes — why hasn’t anyone bothered to write a melody for “Weasley is Our King” yet? — but I’d rather hear from you in the comments, PopWatchers. Bring the noise, bring the funk.
The Movie Critics: EW’s Lisa Schwarzbaum and Owen Gleiberman talk pop-culture touchstones in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince:
How about how the events at the end of the movie were either out of order or completely changed?
I think that this is still the best adaption yet, but there were still some things I had a problem with. Like the beginning for instance. Since when does Harry hang around London picking up waitresses? Especially while reading The Daily Prophet? Also, the whole point of HBP is to learn about Voldemort’s past and find out what the Horcruxes are. I thought that they could have cut the length of the awkward Harry-Ginny kiss in the ROR and made it another memory. I’m ok with the battle at the end being cut (they better compensate in DH Part 2 with the final battle) but once again, a scene involving a memory, like the one about Tom’s mother, should have been in.
What about Dumbledore telling Harry to leave the astronomy tower instead of Dumbledore immobilizing him underneath the invisibility cloak? Harry watching from underneath goes completely against his character and he wouldn’t simply stand there when Snape kills him.
Also the sheer lack of mystery behind whether Snape is good or evil.
The Advance Potion Making book falls completely by the wayside. And when Snape triumphantly announces that he is indeed the half-blood prince, he says it as if he’s telling Harry that he’s late for lunch.
The movie itself is very well made. Beautiful cinematorgraphy and art direction. However, the adaptation is completely subpar. They are going to have their work cut out for them for Deathly Hallows.
While I agree with all of the points mentioned in the blog, I also think the changes to the ending were the most jarring.
How about how they completely took out the huge battle between the order and the deatheaters after Dumbledore’s death. Thats were Fenrir attacks Bill so he becomes a werewolf and doesn’t George lose his ear? That scene could have been excellent after the majority of the movie is basically actionless. Other then that and a few minor things, i was content with the movie.
No Fred George doesn’t lose his ear thats in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows when he is one of the seven Potters
Oh, and agreed that Snape’s announcement that he’s the HBP leaves one with the reaction, “yeah, so what?” And yeah, would’ve liked more Tom memories.
I was infuriated when they butchered the whole Barty Crouch Jr story in GOF. since then I’ve kind of cooled down and just learn to accept the movies for what they are. I still think this was the best movie/book of the series. I do wish they would have included the funeral though. That was absolutely heartbreaking.
This post doesn’t even begin to list all the fuk-ups they made in this movie. Just a few:
1. No explanation for “half blood prince” which is the title of the darn movie!
2. No battle at the end. So why did Draco bother repairing the Vanishing Cabinet for the Death Eaters to come thru?
3. Dumbledore doesn’t stun Harry. Instead, Harry watches him get killed and does nothing. Like a coward!
4. No explanation for how Dumbledore knew of the cave.
5. Most of Voldemort’s backstory removed. Including the Gaunts.
6. Harry wanders around London by himself despite that the Death Eaters are kidnapping people.
how can harry going to find out that the cup and nagini are horcruxes.
well nagini is from Snapes memory in the Deathly Hollows and as for the cup im wondering about that myself really tryin to figure how there going to fix that
honestly i felt that in the book, by the time we find out who the HBP is, it doesnt even matter. The scene in the movie was the same for me in the book… I believe they removed the end battle for fear it would seem repetetive in the next movie… but then it just seems like they were able to leave the school with no interruption which is kinda lame… Fenrir was a waste in this movie! no Bill and Fleur means no wedding in the next movie which was one of my fav parts of the book. Also wouldve loved to have seen something of Voldy’s parents. I enjoy this franchise alot but I do know that ever since part 3, its been a guessing game of what will be cut which is fine because really those books are detailed… I am looking forward for when BBC does a t.v. show of Potter in about 10 years- every season is a book- everything gets put in and we’ll all be happy… I still loved this movie- better than the last 2 IMO… David Yates seems more confident and i am grateful
The ending, the reveal of Snape, especially Harry and Ginny (though I think her obvious tenderness towards him was well done)…
But I have to say what bugged me the most was at the end, with Harry standing below a platform with enough cracks in it to see people’s faces clearly, yet none of them could see him… and somehow, none of them saw him on the way up or down the stairs.
Ally, George loses his ear in Book 7 when they transport Harry.
The climax was handled terribly. We are supposed to believe that Draco has been working hard fixing the cabinets to bring death eaters to hogwarts so…they can watch snape kill dumbledore? Completely pointless. Agree that harry would NEVER stand by unless magic forced him to do so. Why would he watch dumby die then go crazy after snape?? And fenrir, bellatrix etc waited 9 months to get into hogwarts to…break some windows?!?! Felt absolutely no emotion at the death and agree that HBP identity reveal was anti-climactic (its just the title after all). Finally – more memories! House of Gaunt! Also dumby’s reactions to Slug’s memory – why was he STUNEND about horcruxes?? in the book he had is figured out at that point and why didnt they explain the cup and nagini?
So I didn’t mind that they cut out the Hogwarts battle, only because the 8th movie will have a huge one, but what the hell were the Death Eaters doing in the castle then? Draco’s entire plotline of fixing the vanishing cabinent to bring them there was entirely pointless.
And I also have a huge issue with them not having Dumbledore freeze Harry. Harry never would have stood by and let him die without a fight. And I know Dumbledore was weakened, but it made him seem like he wasn’t even trying.
I didn’t even think about the diadem situation! I guess Neville or something will have a random line being like “Oh, I saw some old tiara in the ROM once” or something ridiculous.
I agree MOST about the diadem. That was driving me crazy. And that ties into my biggest beef: no memories about how Tom tracked down items belonging to the founders of Hogwarts. How is Harry supposed to even have an INKLING of what to look for without that memory?
I feel bad for people who love the movies but never read the books – because they will be totally lost in this film. There is no explanation of who Fenrir is (the best they can do is to assume he’s an ugly looking Death Eater) and they have no idea of the significance of the ring or the locket. I usually think the scripts do a good job of cluing the audience in to what’s going on…but there were a lot of scenes that required that you read the books before you see the movie. However, the biggest problem is that the script totally left out the fact that Snape delivered the prophecy to Voldemort-ultimately causing the Potters’ deaths. I was really looking forward to that scene…oh well. Oh – and how pissed off were all of you that Harry’s declaration that the horcrux was a fake was promptly followed by Hermione’s out-of-place comment that Ron was ok with Harry dating Ginny??? They’re supposed to break up at the end of HBP – not just get started!!