The sixth instalment in the top grossing movie and book franchise showcases a darker, more emotional and character driven film. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is full of great art works and effects as well as a cliffhanging story that one would really follow.
The movie has great art direction as well as great cinematography and probably one of the best since Prisoner of Azkaban. It has a great cast ensemble from the original cast returning and to some new faces but familiar characters. Jim Broadbent’s take on Prof. Slughorn is great as he shows us the character’s vanity and regrets. Michael Gambon does a great performance as the head wizard and is one of his great performances in the franchise. And I would also like to praise Helena Bonham-Carter for bringing Bellatrix Lestrange to life fully in this movie as she once did in Order of the Phoenix and for Alan Rickman as Snape. And of course Radcliffe, Watson, Grint, Hunt and Felton close the deal with great performances as well.
This instalment is really different from the rest. Director David Yates really did a different approach in directing this adaptation. He changed the feel of the movie by making everything darker. The halls of Hogwarts are dark and edgy as well as most of the chosen art are Gothic. And he dealt more on the characters rather than only Harry Potter.
Yates and his team focused on the emotional aspect of the story. Really showing us the emotion each of the character is feeling or the battles and fears each are going through. Like Slughorn’s regret of sharing information to a Tom Riddle, Malfoy’s battle in choosing what to do inthe situation that has befallen him or Ron’s love life as well as Hermoigne emotion towards him and of course Harry’s emotion towards Ginny couple that with the mystery of what the Dark Lord is up to.
One of the downside of the film is that it didn’t quite explain the Half-Blood Prince. But the story of the sixth book was mainly about Voldemort’s past and the teen angst of the lead characters as well as Dumbledore’s secret missions. The Half-blood Prince was only a big part in Harry’s excellence in the class of Slughorn.
Though I really would have loved to see the funeral but Yates did a great substitute with the dramatic death and the tribute by the teachers and students by raising their wands.
Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince maybe disappointing to some but for me it’s one of the franchises greatest work. We can see that the franchise has not lost its touch and is still growing. Emotions are beginning to grow and the story is getting darker and the fate of the three friends is beginning to unfold. I can’t wait to see the last two instalments. I give it an 8 out of 10.
