One would think that by the time we've gotten to the sixth instalment in a fantasy series that basically has the same formula each time, that we'd have gotten bored by it now. But somehow they find a way to compel and enthral each and every time with Harry Potter. For the first four movies it was all about the wonders of the magic and action, showing off the different spells and wondrous creatures that inhabit the world first created by J.K. Rowling on page and successfully translated to the big screen.
But just these last two movies, the Order of the Phoenix and the Half-Blood Prince, it's been more about the characters and how they deal with the things going on around them. Even if the sixth movie isn't my personally favourite of the bunch (that would be the Prisoner of Azkaban), it's probably technically the best. An utterly compelling and engaging fantasy tale with gorgeous visuals, but most of all it shows that the series has grown since its big-screen inception, and matured into a film that adds real drama to the fantasy.
As always, this instalment in the Harry Potter franchise picks up with the titular character a short time before he and the rest of the young witches and wizards return for yet another year at Hogwarts. Once there, in a potion lesson with the newest professor at the school, Horace Slughorn, Harry finds an old book that has a mysterious written note inside that reads, "Property of the Half-Blood Prince." This allows Harry, with the help of Professor Dumbledore, to learn more about Lord Voldemort's dark and mysterious past.
What may surprise a lot of people about Harry Potter's latest instalment is how lacking it is in the action department. There are certainly a few instances of this, one in particular that appears so early on it's practically a substitute for opening credits, but for the most part this is a character-driven film, those which just happen to inhabit this wondrous world of magic. But this isn't something that should be viewed as a negative, quite the opposite, in fact. It's just one of the many aspects that proves that this isn't magical child's play any more. This is a realistic (as realism goes within a world filled with witches and wizards) and what feels like a very sincere movie. It's also the least showiest film of the six so far, where it's less about the chaos going on and more about how that chaos affects the people involved.
Article comments
1 - tink
Love your review and find it especially interesting in light of the fact that you have not read the books. I think your point of view on this goes a long way in explaining why the book purists get up in arms about portions that didn't make it into the movie...and why, rightly so, the makers of this film series have a firm grasp on all aspects of their vision(s).
Thanks!