Review: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

I finally got around to seeing the movie version of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Instead of doing a structured review of either the movie or the book, I have decided to post my thoughts on the differences between the two.

As with all but the first Harry Potter movie, I left the theater feeling that the movie could have been much better. I am not saying that I hated the movie, I did not. I believe that the movie stayed true to the overall mood and intentions of the plot. However, there were some variations that I was not pleased with.

PLEASE BE AWARE, THERE ARE SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT!

The worst variation, in my opinion, was the attack at the Burrow which ended with it being burned down. This was clearly not in the book and I can not imagine how this could possibly move the plot along in the next movie. The first part of the last book took place at the Burrow, which was not burned down.

While the attack at the Burrow was an added attack, there was also a clear lack of fighting at the end of the movie. I seem to remember the good guys fighting back. The whole scene focused on Dumbledore's death, which was a major turning point in the books. But I do not believe it captured the true intentions of the book.

On the positive side for the movie, I thought Draco Malfoy's inner turmoil over being chosen to kill Dumbledore was incredible. I could feel his pain and the acting was spot on. I also thought that the emotions among the main cast of students was well played. I was worried that things would not transition well since so much had been left out of the previous movies, but it worked well.

One horrible sin in the movie was the exclusion of Dumbledore's funeral. Yes, it was a moving scene with the students holding their wands in the air to expel Voldemort's symbol. But the funeral was described amazingly in the book and I am very disappointed it was not in the movie. I am holding out hope that it will be added to the beginning of the next movie.

I am strongly of the opinion that when Hollywood is making a movie based on a book, they should leave the artistic interpretation to the author of the book. I believe actors and actresses should strive to portray the characters as they were in the novel and not how they want them to be. A lot of people disagree with me and that is fine. I just feel that it is a slap in the author's face when a movie adaptation strays from the novel.

Even with all of the differences, I still enjoyed this movie. I believe if I had never read the books, I would have enjoyed the movie more. As it is, the books are far superior and I recommend that you read them if you have not, or even read them again if you have.