There's not much different when it comes to the three leads other than Daniel Radcliffe as Harry, who gets to do a bit more heavy lifting than he has before, which is not a surprise considering this requires more dialogue and character interaction than it does magic-filled wizard battles. Emma Watson has always been enjoyable as Hermione Granger and she continues to deliver on that here, and Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley provides (amongst other things) his usual comic relief moments, only this time in greater numbers.
The ending to the film has reportedly been changed quite dramatically from the book. To Harry Potter purists this may be the gravest of sins and infinitely infuriating to witness, but anyone who only knows Mr. Potter from the movies will not bat an eyelid. To even hint at any specific details of what concludes the Half-Blood Prince would completely waste it for those who want to remain in the dark before they see it fall themselves. But needless to say it's shocking that they have the guts to actually go ahead with something like it, with it leaving you questioning what the next movie will be like.
The fact that they're splitting the last instalment in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, into Part 1 and 2 perhaps takes a bit of the juice out of the Half-Blood Prince in that it's no longer the penultimate movie. But nonetheless it showed be viewed on its own, and as it is it's the technically best movie of the franchise so far. Never is it a boring watch, and it's always a compelling one with a doze of everything from fantasy and magic to playful character interactions and the inclusion of dark and mature themes that go beyond the world of fantasy and resonate in real life.
Who knew when we started off at the Philosopher's Stone some eight years ago we'd get to such an interesting, grown-up point as the Half-Blood Prince? This is a franchise that should have grown tired long ago, but by them making it consistently this good, it's no wonder audiences keep coming back for more.
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!