Review : Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince (2009)

And so we have the sixth Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince, staring the usual and directed again by David Yates. Like the books, with every new installment, the franchise grew darker and so is the film.

If you play the first movie and the latest side by side, if you don't already know they are related, you will be surprise to find that they are of the same series. Gone is all those vibrant, warm color. The visual is grim and cold, regardless if it is in the muggle world, or wizard world. You'll see a lot of gray and green and you will like it.


The film starts with random attack by the Death Eaters to various spots in both the muggle and the wizard world to show the coming back of Voldermort and the destruction he is bringing. It waste no time showing how Harry suffers in his aunt's home again, but it go straight to the more important aspect of the story, Dumbledore using Harry to lure Slughorn into going back teaching in Hogwarts.


Like all HP films, a lot of plot has been omitted for pacing and somehow the story is simplified. But the filmmaker never forget what the fans want and like. The Weasley twins are shown briefly, in their newly open toy shop and we got to see another small part of the train's journey, a piece of wide plain not seen in previous film. Don't know what is the intention, but certainly something new and different.

Nothing much to say about the overall plot, but for me, it is kind of like a warm up show of what going to happen next in the next two films. Every single scene gives us information that we may or may not need in the current film, but certainly means something in the whole franchise or for the next two films. The sad thing is, the relation between Harry and the Half-Blood Prince has not much screen time. If one miss the revelation at the end, which is just a line of dialogue, one may not even know who the hell is Half-Blood Prince. The role and characteristic of the Prince is so well developed and written in the book that when the revelation came, I can't help but smack my head and "Of course....how dumb I am...".


Thus, although I like the film especially how it is craft to really have an artsy, abstract feel in it, which reminds me of most post modern European film, with nice blend of spookiness in a highly sophisticated way, I can't help but to think this is more like a collage of various important scene of the book. The filmmaker try to squeeze in as much as possible the elements in the book but end up each elements can only have a pathetic portion of screen time. For those who read the book before, following the story is not a problem, but for those who have not, they may not know the direction of the film, for the direction of the book has already been contaminated.


The book, I think serves largely to tell us about the rise of Voldermort. It is loaded with a lot of scene about flashback concerning Tom Riddle. If it is not talking about the past, the book will focus on the atmosphere in Hogwarts, Harry's suspicion on Malfroy and Harry's relation with the Half-Blood Prince. Sadly, throughout the film, there is no one single element or plot device that stand out that tell the audience what exactly the main purpose of episode six. It doesn't even show what is the effect for Snape to take over the role of teacher in Defence Against The Dark Art. Still, I like the film.


I like the film because the series is getting more and more matured. Harry has more confident now, he is more outspoken is no longer the shy sissy. Downside is he will be more activist and sometimes act without a proper dose of brain work. Ron has finally make it and become famous and welcome not because he is a friend of Harry but because he is a magnificent Quidditch player. It is good to see Hermoine not being the best in class and a teacher's favourite and it is such a fun side story about her relationship with Ron. Draco Malfroy has finally officially evil, though he is not totally evil, yet.


Somehow, this film gives more opportunity for the young actors to try on wider range. There are performances that not typically seen in previous HP movies. Harry's super confident persona after drinking the liquid luck, Hermoine's sadness and disappointment when Ron choose the other girl, Ron under the love potion's effect, Ginny being a girl who can take charge, with confident (I like her better than Harry and Hermoine) and yes, Malfroy complication, uncertain and fear that he experience after being assign with a task by Voldermort. Malfroy is in his coolest form in this movie, and I really happy there is a significant amount of screen time dedicated for him.


As usual the senior talents performs beautifully, Maggie Smith despite being ill of cancer, is still the strict but caring McGonagall, Gambon's Dumbledore is always my preference although I'm think his performance during the mind-altering liquid scene is a little lackluster.

Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange is always my favourite Death Eater and finally, the great Alan Rickman's Snape. Like all previous film, his screen time is not much, but steal every scene he is in.

One pleasant surprise is the performance of Hero Fiennes-Tiffin and Frank Dillane as Tom Riddle and 11 and teenage respectively. As the name suggest, Fiennes-Tiffin is the nephew of Ralph Fiennes who played the adult Voldermort. Fiennes-Tiffin's performance as the cold, cruel and moody Riddle perfectly and Dillane is superb as the teenage Tom with charm, wit and spookiness.


As a conclusion, Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince, is not the usual HP films with a lot of wand fight. Being a part of a series that already have an end, it will sure suffer a few cuts that cannibalize the source but still saving the basic vital elements that will in sync with the final films. Nevertheless, it is a solid entry with mature performance and film making. Although the film itself, has blurry direction, but we can see where the whole franchise is going, and it is good. I think, a recap of the previous 5 films and a brief scan through the books will prepare you better to enjoy this darkest HP film till date.