Subject: Re: Half-Blood Prince movie.
Author:
Posted on: 2009-08-02 00:59:00 UTC
I did want the inferi to be more typical zombie-like with rotting bodies instead of the more dessicated look, but it's marketed as a family/kid movie, so meh.
I think this was actually one of my favorite HP movies. I really like how Bellatrix got more screentime. And omg, Luna!!! I think she's my new fave character.
Wot thinke ye? I was definitely happy with the increased Luna content, but all the Inferi looked like Gollum!
I went to see it with my sister, and while we both thought it wasn't a ''bad'' film, it really wasn't that great either. I know it's impossible to stuff everything in a book that long into a two-hour film, but they could've at least ''tried''.
they did try to follow the book more closely this time, even though they did cut out a lot of the later stuff. That, and they destroyed the Burrow for no apparent reason. Good up to halfway, meh after that.
Okay, I haven't been to see the film yet, I've not read reviews or anything.
I didn't need to be spoiled for that. Thanks a lot.
I actually really liked it. They managed to concentrate the content of the book into it very well. Also they made the upcoming romance with Ginny a bit more noticeable - you know, more than Harry's offhand thoughts. I just thought it was odd at the end of the book when he wound up with her after thinking about how pretty she was all of three times and having the same thoughts about other girls.
I did want the inferi to be more typical zombie-like with rotting bodies instead of the more dessicated look, but it's marketed as a family/kid movie, so meh.
I think this was actually one of my favorite HP movies. I really like how Bellatrix got more screentime. And omg, Luna!!! I think she's my new fave character.
I don't tend to get worked up about changes, unless they're hugely major (see: The Seeker; see also: most of Disney, though I try to be fairly quiet about that), although I second the wondering about how he'll find the rest.
I have never spent so much of a movie facepalming or muttering trope names, though. Honestly, the heavy-handed romance was a bit excessive, no?
Luna was wonderful, as usual, Slughorn was at least passable, and Alan Rickman was astounding. 'course, I have a vague idea that he's got more acting experience than any half of the rest of the cast put together.
I was unhealthily amused at Harry's line that "I know what I'm doing. Or at least, Felix does." Yes, I know it was straight from the book, but I first read the book well before a Felix moved into my head (at the Livejournal roleplay Milliways_bar).
My friend and I made a pact: if he ever acts that stupid with his girlfriend, I will slap him. And if I ever act that stupid with my (currently hypothetical) boyfriend, he will point and laugh.
...and I blame Bad Slash for the fact that for the entire movie, I was shipping Harry/Slughorn. Because some of Dumbledore's lines really sounded like he was sending Harry to seduce Slughorn.
And word on the Gollum thing.
In the Beginning was the Word, and the Word was Yo.
Pervy minds FTW...
It amused me, actually.
I only read the book once, and that was when it came out, so I can't really remember it. I spent most of it thinking with all the slash potential in it, why hasn't the Internet exploded yet? And the rest of it wanting to mother Malfoy, who is very clearly the best actor out of the kids. Some of his scenes actually seemed /too/ emotional, because he was along side Potter who was boring as hell.
There were some shots that were absolutely stunning though, so a thumbs up to the cinematographer, and to the composer, because the music was better too. But I think they were just trying to get it out of the way so they could get onto Deathly Hallows.
I wondered when this thread would happen.
The movie got mixed reviews from me and my fiance. I like it very much from an artistic standpoint. The balance between plot and fluff was quite good, I thought, and they did some wonderful things with the camera.
However, as usual, they did some fairly unforgivable things to the story. I don't remember personally, since it's been a long time since I read the book, but my man assures me that the attack on the Burrow did not happen and was a waste of film time that could have been used for other things, like showing more of the collection of Voldemort memories. Also, the rule about no Apparating in or out of Hogwarts applies equally to everyone, including Dumbledore. He was very disappointed that they didn't include the remnants of Dumbledore's Army and the Battle of the Astronomy Tower. Also the lack of the Order of the Phoenix doing anything at all. I was personally annoyed that they didn't give Snape his line at the end. "Don't call me coward!" Very important character moment.
On the other hand, I thought the scene at the underground lake was very well done. I cried the first time, especially when Dumbledore got up and torched all the Inferi. It was so awesome and so awful, knowing he was going to die soon. {= (
~Neshomeh
I found myself sort of indifferent, actually - possibly because it's now been so long since either a book or movie came out and I've moved my fannish madness to other fandoms. There were moments I liked (Draco was very well done), things I really got sick of seeing (Ginny was an utter disappointment), and some "Why?" moments (The Burrow attack, mainly), but...
I guess I just didn't have the energy to be angry at all they left out. Actually, what I most wanted to see was Merope, but I never expected them to manage that in the first place.
You're not the only one who's fairly apathetic about it. Remember the good old days of PoA and GoF, when we were so young and full of hope that we actually bothered to be incensed by the myriad pointless changes? I kinda miss those days.
I should have known better to expect backstory in it, really. But how Harry thinks he's going to find the rest of the Horcruxes, given the only information he has in that film is "there were seven, and one of them's a locket"...
Loved Malfoy though. It's been obvious since the first one he's the only one of them who can actually act, and he we get to see a bit more of that. Though he could still have done with more screentime. And it's been a while since I read the book, but didn't Harry spend quite a bit of it actually stalking Malfoy? Mind you, my inner slasher was clearly impressed anyway. I was savaged by plotbunnies during the film.
I felt the same way, really. The Snape thing bugged me, but it did occur to me that not only would I have noticed more years ago, I would have cared more. This is the first time I've been on the receiving end of an annoyed fan-rant. It was very interesting, really, but it makes me sad because it means I'm getting old. ... The Lord of the Rings movies still make me angry, though, so there is hope.
Good question re. Harry and the Horcruxes. {= P
I also thought Malfoy was very good in this one. I wanted to hug him, but he would've cursed me into oblivion. {= (
~Neshomeh
I was able not to notice all the problems - and I didn't re-read the book in preperation, either.
As for the Horcruxes, I expect either Harry will talk about something Dumbledore said offscreen, or find a letter or something like that. Some kind of shortcut. I find this doesn't really bother me either...
You forgot one of the most important scenes in the book. Dumbledore's Funeral.
I was enraged by the fact that they cut the funeral out of the movie. Seriously, what were they thinking? That would have been the most powerful scene in the movie, easily. I might have even been able to forgive the fact that they cut a lot of characters and side-stories if they had kept the funeral.
Also, Snape saw Harry in the Astronomy Tower, gave him the sign to keep quiet, went upstairs, killed Dumbledore and Harry did nothing? He doesn't trust Snape, and yet he lets him go right past him. Totally out of character.
The attack on the Burrow was probably transposed here from Deathly Hallows, as in that book it was heavily dependent on a plot point (Bill and Fleur being engaged) that doesn't seem to be in the movies.
That said, I liked it a lot. It was a shorter book, which means more stuff could be left it (though I wonder how they'll explain the cup) and it definitely looked great. Also, I'm so much of a geek, I could tell which Death Eater was which on the tower, even though they're only named in the book. Bella continues to amuse, Aragog's funeral actually was rather sad, and Slughorn was spot-on even without his mustache. The interaction between Harry and Ron was fantastic. Also, I think this director ships Harry/Luna.
They changed some bitz. I WANT THE BAT BOGEY HEX!
(Not on me personally, of course...)
None whatsoever.
while I'm not paying money to see crap (I'll wait for the DVD), I'll going to pre-order some sort of happy-making hex (or mind-erasing. Mind-erasing will do) to blank HBP's horror when I do see it.
It's pronounced "Accio Absinthe."
The spell is "Accio Bleepsinthe."