Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: A Movie Review

Yesterday was great. I spent the entire day getting things ready for what I thought would be the best of the Harry Potter movies. I arrived at Harkins Cine Capri at 6:00 pm for the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The first 3 hours of waiting were not fun at all. Finally, at 9:00 some relief came when my friends began to arrive. At 10:00 they let us enter the theater and find our seats. I was about the 30th person in line (the people in the very front arrived at 8:30 in the morning....now that's dedication.) I was able to pick almost any seat in the house I wanted. So, of course, I chose to sit at the very top in the very middle. (Great choice on my part by the way if I do say so myself.) The last 2 hours of waiting went by quickly (not to mention it was a lot more comfortable). The closer it got to midnight, the more excited (and hyper) I got. By the time the previews started it was all I could do to not bounce out of my seat. We got to listen to some guys dressed like Fred and George do a rap about Harry Potter. It was really awesome. No lie. I wish I could describe it. Everyone in the audience cheered. Finally, they began the show. The New Moon trailer (Twiligh's Sequel) was TO DIE FOR. I seriously thought I might hyperventalate before the movie even started. I sat by 2 non-twilight-fans who, after seeing Jacob "half-naked" turned to me and said "We have GOT to see that movie with you." So...I think we may have a couple new Twilight Fans on our hands now! (just what the world needs right? Lol!)

THE GOOD: All in All I found the movie VERY entertaining. I seriously think I laughed through the entire thing....up until SPOILER!!!!!! Dumbledore dies....where I started crying. Ron, oh my beloved Ron, really is a clueless oaf....How he can be so clueless is beyond me! Lavender is pretty hilarious, but nothing like how I imagined her. Weasley's Wizard Weezes was fun. I wish we could have seen more although I know, for times sake that would have been cinematic irresponsibility...Ron's Quiddich was fun. Him "falling in love" with Ramilda Vane might have been the funniest...that or when Harry takes the Felix Felices.

THE BAD:Now on to the movie. In one word: Amazing. In many other words: could have been better but all in all I was very pleased. There were a couple of things which weren't in the books that definitely should have been left out. When Bellatrix shows up at the Burrow and blows it up, that whole scene is unneccesary. What are they going to do for the next movie? The Burrow does not get destroyed at all in the HBP book. They still go there in DH if I am not mistaken...well, I guess that is just another thing that they are going to have to change. Another complaint is there wasn't much about the book which, if you read the book, knows it plays a larger role than the movie shows. Snape is present, as always, but he doesn't really get his shining moment as I would have hoped. There is no Bill, Charlie, Fleur stuff (darn I was looking forward to them calling her Phlegm...) and I was very disappointed that there was no Fenrir Greybeck (or whatever his name was, the warewolf who bit Remus Lupin and countless other children.) I was sad to see Luna being the one who finds Harry on the train in stead of Tonks. Although, I do Love Loonie Luna Lovegood! Lol! (say that 3 times fast!) I would have liked to see more of Neville. Felix Felices wasn't golden like it was supposed to be, it was clear, and Harry drank the whole thing instead of leaving some for the rest of the DA while they patrol the corridors while Harry and Dumbledore are out looking for the Horcrux....because they didn't show that part....or any of the Hogsmeade section.

THE UGLY: There was one really nasty lookin' Death Eater who was always with Bellatrix.

ALL IN ALL: I had a great time, I look forward to seeing the movie again (and again and again and again, etc...) I will know in the future to take me paper bags for hyperventalation for the New Moon trailer and those first few minutes of the movie when it hits you (HalfBloodPrince!HalfBloodPrince!HalfBloodPrince!) This was my favorite of the books. That being said, I was expecting disappointment at first. I will probably mull things over for the next few days, see it again and do a follow-up review when I work through my disappointment in the lack of a fight scene.

Fear not fans: If it were me, I would leave out the funeral scene too. I would put it at the beginning of the next movie. It seems to make more sense to do so. I expect they will work it in over the summer...They need the funeral fresh in your minds for Deathly Hallows....if you've read it, you know why.


DEATHLY HALLOWS QUESTION: In DH we find out that Harry's cloak isn't just an invisibility cloak, it is one of the deathly hallows along with the elder wand and the resurrection stone. It says that the cloak has powers where if you are under the cloak, you can't be hit by curses and hexes and what not am I correct? Because if I am, how is it that Draco Malfoy is able to use Petrificus Totalus on Harry on the train in HBP? What's the deal? Am I mistaken or is it a flaw in the writing? Let me know.