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:
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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.
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.
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!!
They butchered it! Halfway through I just wanted to leave…I cannot believe that J.K. Rowling apparently “gave her blessing” after viewing it. I guess fidelity to the book wasn’t high on their list of priorities…After two years of waiting–what a weak attempt!
Thank you!!! Your #3 gripe about Harry and Ginny was really the only thing that bothered me! Why oh why would they change that? The build up to it in the book was great, with detention and all, then Ginny winning the game (which is so something she would do, ie she’s amazing) and they needed to show that. Especially since that was the only scene they showed of them being together, make it memorable! I’m now worried for when movie 7.1 comes out because I fear they are going to change/get rid of Harry’s bday present from Ginny (a great moment!)
For some reason I was really okay with everything else they changed/added/left out…however I would have liked more explanation on the horcruxes- there was a whole chapter devoted to that in the book!
Luke and Leia were brother and sister, y0. She liked Han Solo!
Luke and Leia were brother and sister, y0. She liked Han Solo.
I actually really enjoyed the movie though I was sad that the Ginny-Harry kiss was different than the way it was written in the book. I guess my biggest annoyance was the beginning. While I liked the idea that Harry had been trying to get away from his life by traveling everywhere on trains isn’t that a little reckless? It seemed a tad unrealistic to me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m one of those Harry Potter fans that loved the movie but there were a couple of parts I would have tweaked here and there.
THE ROOM OF REQUIREMENT THING HAS BEEN BUGGING ME SO MUCH. And I missed that kiss too! But they also wrote themselves into a hole regarding the Elder Wand and Dumbledore letting Draco disarm him, the wand has to be taken by force and that’s a HUGE part of the final battle in Deathly Hallows.
Also, why did Draco go to all the trouble of getting the Death Eaters into Hogwarts when all they did was run away with Snape? What was the point of that? Why even show it if you weren’t going to show the confrontation?
I enjoyed the movie even with the changes. BUT I wonder how they will explain certain things in the next movies. Bill and Fleur? We haven’t even seen them but their wedding is a major event. And without at least a couple more of the Riddle memories how will they explain how Harry knows to look for certain things are horcruxes?
I guess we just have to take the movies separately than the books.
No funeral?! We are supposed to say goodbye to one of the greatest characters of the series, nay, all of literature (a biased opinion, I’m sure) by getting emotional at a faux-lighters-at-a-concert recreation? I DID like that the wands lit at least served the purpose of dispelling the Dark Mark, but still. No funeral? Really?
You touched on some of my key gripes about the movie. It really does bug me when directors try to change things TOO MUCH. Let the story unfold like it was meant to! I mean, he completely left all quidditch out in the last movie and it played a pretty important setup for this one.
Then he goes on to consider killing Dobby off for this flick but is forced to reconsider by Rawlings. Stop screwing with the plot. We know you’re an artist. We know you’re a good director. Just stop trying to add too much of your own flare to it!
The ending was a mistake too. My wife has NOT read the books. She likes the movies. But now she misses out on a great deal of what took place at the end of this story. Not every HP fan are readers.
Again, stop screwing with things too much.
Now, to give him some defense, other than putting out a 6 hour movie, he does have time constraints. I get that. I just hope Hallows is true to the story with two movies being made for it.
I completely agree with “Stephanie”’s comment. I said the exact thing while exiting the theatre. No battle=no point in Death Eaters in Castle. My other gripes include the exclusion of the Fleur/Bill plot line. I love the end scene in the book with her at his bedside. I also thought they needed to explain the Horcruces better. By the end of book six readers know how many and which Horcurces Harry must look for. Finally, they never explained who Greyback was, they just showed him. Annoying.
The way I read it, Yates opted to do the Burrow scene as opposed to the reports of attacks the characters only hear about, rather than experience. I rather liked the idea, but torching the house was definitely too much.
They didn’t show a huge climactic battle, but they did take out a few of the Aurors, which seemed to be the point. They would not have assumed Malfoy could do it by himself, so they sent backup to do the job and get him and Snape out alive. Simple as that.
As to the Diadem, I was angry until I realized all they need to do is make Ginny recognize it, instead of Harry.
And people who complain about the big reveal at the end clearly have not read the book in a while. The whole point was that in light of recent events, it didn’t much matter.
Overall, I think this was far and away the best movie from Yates, and the best since Chris Columbus.
I was so dissappointed in this movie. I agree with the points made in this article, but I think most dissapointing was how they changed the whole death scene of Dumbledore. Where was the ORder of the Phoenix protecting Hogwarts? The deateaters just walked in, then killed him, them walked out??? I just don’t understnad how they made the most exciting sections of the book so simple.
i enjoyed the movie but was also bummed to see that they cut a lot of parts i would have like to see…. the the sotry of voldemorts parents and marvolo… the fleur and charlie storyline, and i really felt like they downplayed the whole “half-blood prince” thing which was supposed to be huge. And i understand without the fire scene at the burrow the movie would have been completely actionless, but doesnt this mean in movie 7 the WEaselys will have no house (or a new one?)
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I didn’t mind the fire at the burrow, although it was a little odd. I was tolerant of the replacement of Tonks with Luna. Hated the Harry/Ginny kiss. The book scene would have been so much better. I almost liked the under the stairs scene with Snape telling Harry to remain silent, but I totally object to it b/c it deviated SO FAR from the book. Harry would have NEVER just stood there unless he was forced to. I was hoping for a better battle scene at the end…one that was existent at least.
Oh, rats, do you mean to tell me they totally re-wrote that sweet moment with Ginny and Harry first kiss? HOW COULD THEY! JK, why would you let them wreck what has all along been such a perfect scene that both my kids and I enjoyed (and were able to discuss) for its simplicity????
The sound you hear is that of my once adolescent heart breaking.