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HBP on the Silver Screen, *at long last, love!*
HBP on film
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Hagiographer13
post Jun 30 2009, 03:14 AM
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The film version of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is without a doubt, the most-anticipated film release in recent memory. This is partially due to the fact of the film having it's release date moved back a full eight months to ensure the company will have a "sure-hit" for 2009. Warner Brothers has had to endure nearly a year of the fans crying "foul" and the cynics wondering if the film was in trouble and needed extensive post-production revision. Given the economics of last November versus the rebounding summer season, do you think that the choice to move HBP was good for the potential success of the film?

Early previews and reviews seem to indicate that HBP is not only a "sure-hit" but even Oscar-quality, vis-a-vis the final LOTR film. As the penultimate tale in Harry's saga, it is also a film which promises dazzling special effects, romance, intrigue, and the loss of one of the most important characters in the series.



As usual, faced with the task of paring-down one of Jo Rowling's massive and intricately-wrought stories, much had to be cut. There will be no visit to the Gaunts through Bob Ogden's memory, for example. In fact, it would seem that we will probably only see two visits to the pensive-past: young Tom Riddle at the orphanage meeting Dumbledore, and a teen-aged Tom Riddle asking Professor Slughorn about horcruxes.



Do you think the film adaptation will suffer due to only seeing these two memories? Which other scenes do you think SHOULD have been left in the film, and why?

As some scenes went out, others were added to help the dramatic flow of the film, which is a very different medium from the printed page. This includes an added-scene taking place at the Burrow while Harry is there, in which the house is attacked by Death Eaters. This scene was approved by Rowling and was done to point-up the fact that everyone is "in mortal peril" (as the Weasley clock tells us) and that NOWHERE is safe.



There is also a scene at the beginning of the film in which Harry chats-up a pretty coffee-shop waitress, setting up the film's undercurrent of burgeoning teen hormones. biggrin.gif How do you feel about added non-canon scenes in the films?

In spite of being such a dark tale, HBP is also a very funny book! The filmmakers have tried to keep this sense of wit and fun, since it is one of the hallmarks of Jo's writing. The director, David Yates, has noted in many of his interviews that this is important as it serves to remain true to the characters, and also to help catch the viewer off-guard with the tragic ending. Most notably there is the (unspoken) love-traingle of Hermione, Ron and Lavender Brown.



Do you think that HBP will, despite the tragic ending, be the funniest HP film of the series?

The Potter films are HUGE effects films, and much of the work that has been done on them has helped advance the science and art of film effects in general. To enhance the impact of the effects in the IMAX ultra-huge screen format (70mm film--extreme hi-def) there will be 3-D scenes as well, as was done in the OotP film. Doubtless the cave scene will be the highlight of this.



What other special effects from HBP are you looking forward to?

In short, do you think HBP will live up to the hype and be worth the wait? Personally, I do. smile.gif


This post has been edited by Hagiographer13: Jul 4 2009, 01:14 AM


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horas1
post Jul 6 2009, 11:02 AM
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If the ending and chasing of Snape is as it is in the book. Not, with Snape sneaking up the stairs with Harry just standing their, I will not be happy. It would be fantastic.

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Hagiographer13
post Jul 15 2009, 01:39 PM
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Having seen HBP very early this morning I have to say they pulled off a wonderfully warm, funny and poignant film with lots of great canon bits and some terrific effects and amazing acting. I really think this is the HP film that could see some acting awards as well as the usual crafts nominations.

One of the best HP films yet, imho--maybe THE best in many ways. thumbup.gif

What did YOU think of the new film? Inquiring minds want to know! reporter.gif


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Gregorian
post Jul 15 2009, 03:36 PM
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I saw the film this afternoon and cannot wait to see it again ... I think it is outstanding, probably my favourite and definitely award winning potential...

There was an excellent balance of drama, suspense, humour and poignant tragedy. I feel it was better that the funeral was not included in the circumstances, the climax of the film was maintained.

The scene where we first meet Horace Slughorn was brilliant ...

The scene on the island with Harry & Dumbledore heart wrending, it was superbly done without going over the top ...

When Dumbledore died, you could hear people in the cinema sobbing ...

The scenes with Ron and Lavender were very funny .... also Ron with the love potion ....

I really loved it .... how soon can I see it again ????


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Hyperactive
post Jul 15 2009, 04:04 PM
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I also went to see the film this afternoon and thought it was fab. The comedy aspect very well timed, and Ron and the love potion very funny indeed. His comic talents really shone through. It does differ from the book, but it makes an impact. I also began to feel very sorry for Malfoy!! Which wasn't quite what I was expecting, but it would be hard not to.

I was dreading the end of Dumbledore; didn't cry, but wanted too, it was so well played.

Truely and excellent film - one I'll have to see again very soon.


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misskitty
post Jul 16 2009, 07:34 PM
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I went to see it yesterday morning at 9.30 - the earliest time possible in Dublin - and loved it. I'll go watch it again soon.

While it was a very good film there were somethings I'd like to have had differently
- the meeting between the Muggle and the Magic ministers could have been shortened
- I think the scene where Dumbledore picks up Harry from the Dursleys should have been left as in the book, it just made more sense than the one in the film -and is also a lot funnier;
- the Death Eater attack on the Burrow at Christmas: first of all it's not in the book and it doesn't do much for the story (except the Harry-Ginny plot and to show that it's getting more dangerous by the minute, which we know anyway) - I'd rather have liked the fight at Hogwarts when Harry and Dumbledore were away and have the scene as it was in the book (but if it was approved by Jo it's ok with me). The problem about the fight would have been that the kids wouldn't have had much of a chance with Harry having taken all the Felix potion to get Sluggy's memory;
- the whole Harry-Draco plot should have been there more including Harry's setting Dobby and Kreacher on him;
- Harry's hiding of the potion's book after he'd used Sectumsempra on Draco: there's going to be a problem with him finding the Diadem in DH now that he doesn't know where the book is, because Ginny has hidden it (unless they let her find it, or Harry has seen it on the way in/ out with her)
- Dumbledore's death again should rather have been like in the book, because Harry could have done something about it, even at great risk the way it was done in the film (I'm not sure who disarmed Dumbledore though).

The biggest problem however was that Harry, like in the other books, spends quite a lot of time under his invisibility cloak which of course is difficult to do in a film - but as long as there's somewhere to hide for him it doesn't really matter.

The fact that they only look at two memories for me isn't a big problem because the ones they look at are the most important - and since we know the rest anyway it doesn't matter that much.

I think the film needed the funny scenes, like Ron and the love potion, to counterpoint all the danger and to show that no matter what - life goes on, you still have to study hard, people still fall in love and plan their futures (e.g. Bill and Fluer) etc. All the films had their funny moments (like Hermione hitting Draco in the Prisoner or Ron coughing slugs in COS) but in this one they're probably more important as it gets more serious all the time.

I couldn't help feeling a little bit sorry for Draco because he was so scared that all his family was going to be killed if he couldn't pull off his mission - which Dumbledore had foreseen, he knew that Draco wouldn't kill him - and he knew he only had to do it because his father had messed up at the Ministry in OOTP, and hiding his fear behind his arrogant mask. But Tom plays the part very well, which is probably one of the more difficult in the whole seires - apart from maybe Snape, who of course is played perfectly by Alan Rickman (exactly as I imagined him to be).

Knowing what we know from reading DH makes it somewhat difficult to see things as if the film had come out before the release of DH - as the revelation of Dumbledore and Snape's plot in DH changes the whole course of everything. I found this also while I was watching and reading the previous books/ films again - now we now that Snape had always tried to protect Harry and teach him better behaviour, even though it not always seemed this way. He always was 'like a red wave at the traffic lights' always around when you didn't need him. I wonder what would have happened if Harry had acceoted being sorted into Slytherin - I think we;d have had a lot more fun with the whole Harry-Draco-Snape story. But most of what happened would have been nearly impossible so I think he was better of in Gryffindor. After all I couldn't imagine Harry and Draco ever becoming best friends even if they'd been in the same house - or Harry and Snape liking each other.

I think the film is very well made and I wouldn't pay 2€ more just to see a few scenes in 3D as it's good enough the way it is anyway.

It's certainly worth every cent you pay for it.


This post has been edited by misskitty: Jul 16 2009, 07:43 PM
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Mona-momo
post Jul 16 2009, 09:24 PM
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I won't lie I was a bit upset when I saw the movie at midnight in chicago. While the acting was very good, it seemed like the focused more on the relationships instead of some of the other important things to me. And if they were going to focus so much on relationships then they should have kept in Bill and Fluer. Like I had no idea why, until now, they did the burrow scene. I wanted to see the fight at the end of the book, and the scene where Snape just up and kills Dumbledore without warning. In true reality, I don't think that Harry would have just stood around no matter what he told Dumbledore if he wasn't in a body bind like in the book. They also left out the entire explination of horcuxes, which is explained to Harry so that he will go and destroy them in the next book.

I really hope they stick closer to the book for the last two movies!!!


This post has been edited by Mona-momo: Jul 16 2009, 09:35 PM
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laurelfaun
post Jul 17 2009, 01:14 AM
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firstofall, i was so happy they changed the release date! it got to be during summer, it made me more excited for the movie, separated it from Twilight media and such, and i think it really made the movie more successful.

I was quite disappointed they didn't show more of how Harry and Ginny's relationship started forming, like Harry dealing with his jealousy and whatnot.

I wish there was more Quidditch (aka: Luna commentary. That would have been a really great thing to see in the movie). Then they could have perhaps kept the kissing scene between Harry/Ginny the same as it was in the book, because i didn't really like how they did it. There wasn't enough substance in the forming of the relationship to really make the kiss all that great, or have enough chemistry between them.

I can understand why they didn't have Harry body binded in the movie. I think it shows how Harry himself partly trusted Snape to save the situation. Harry's disappointment and shock about Snapes "betrayal" is more amplified. By leaving him able to stop Snape, it shows that he decided to trust him to save Dumbledore and was very much left down. In the end he even felt guilty.

I think the whole Harry flirting with girl scene and the Burrow attack were not necessary, although they were amusing. It would have given them more time to include perhaps more important details if they left them out.

I think the Voldemort memories they chose were just fine. I think it might have seemed like an overload of pensieve usage if they included all of the memories. I loved the memory of him as a child because it shows that anyone can turn out evil depending on the choices you make. It also parallels his childhood to Harry's, who was also an orphan and shows the contrast between them... if that makes sense.

But despite things I wish they'd done, I did really enjoy the movie. It was the funniest movie they've put out, and I think the most complex and best shot. The acting was also pretty superb. The sets and all of the details were just amazing to look at. I think this was the most believable movie out of all of them. Will be seeing it again soon!


This post has been edited by laurelfaun: Jul 17 2009, 01:27 AM
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ShanksForte
post Jul 17 2009, 01:59 AM
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It was great.

Only three things I really missed were left out (The flashback about the ring, the funeral and the escape from hogwarts).

I have to admit I am disappointed that there was no Dumbledore funeral, we got to see a few hundred students do a wand salute, which was nice, but I wanted an epic funeral to make it seem less sudden. The movie pretty much says "Dumbledore is dead. Deal with it."

Also I really missed seeing all the students fighting the death eaters. EVERYONE was in on that fight, and it's strange to see these death eaters going into Hogwarts, wrecking the great hall, and no one noticing!

Especially weird becuase the movie made a particular point of showing us there were security gaurds at the school.

Other than that it was great, a really close adapation IMHO


This post has been edited by ShanksForte: Jul 17 2009, 02:01 AM


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rowena r
post Jul 17 2009, 09:00 AM
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It was simply awesome ! heart.gif I loved it !

I don't understand why they put in the Burrow attack scene either. but if it was approved by Jo, no problem. biggrin.gif

Wanted to see Snape heckle Bellatrix in Spinner's end but they had cut all that out concentrating only on the vow. IMO, 'You don't have to call me "Sir" Professor' could have been worked in too as well as Ron's essence of Insanity comment when Harry takes the Felix Felicis. Dumbledore enjoying the dursley's discomfiture was another scene i'd have liked to see.
Of course, if they had included all thses bits, the movie would have 3 1/2 hours instead of 2 1/2 hours, but hey, would anyone have minded that ? wink.gif

The effects all round were marvellous. The best probably was the cave scene - it was absolutely fantastic ! thumbup.gif From the inferi locking onto Harry's hand all of a sudden to Dumbledore's rings of fire, very, very well done !

The acting was excellent and surprisingly, I actually liked Michael Gambon in HBP - he was more subdued and didn't shout so much. Rupert Grint has done a fantastic job in his portrayal of the effects of love potion and the reversal of the effects upon taking the antidote. And of course, Dan is great as ever as is Alan Rickman.

All in all, an extremely enjoyable experience which I would like very much to repeat. smile.gif


This post has been edited by rowena r: Jul 17 2009, 09:04 AM


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