I wanted to love this movie – I really did. I have been a great fan of the Harry Potter novels and movies since they first came out. When the book Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince was released, I was one of the many who pre-ordered my copy, waiting anxiously for the UPS man to deliver it and then spending an entire night reading so that I could finish the book by the next morning. I loved the richness of the book, the way the characters developed and matured into glimpses of their future selves and the way even the minutest of details came back as a useful part of the story’s resolution.

Unfortunately, I was somewhat underwhelmed by this latest installment of the Harry Potter saga. While there are many aspects of the film to be praised, I was disappointed in the glaring omissions – missing characters and whole sections of the book. I missed seeing the Dursleys at the beginning of the film. I missed seeing the development of the romance between Lupin and Tonks. And where were Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour? Why was Percy Weasley not even mentioned in the film? I admit that some of these characters were not pivotal to the unfolding of events in Half-Blood Prince but their absence makes me wonder what changes will have to be made to the final two films. We will lose some of the more touching and dramatic scenes Deathly Hallows has to offer without these characters. But obviously, I’m way to ahead of myself.

Despite the title of the film, one of the most jarring aspects was the lack of on-screen involvement between Harry and the potions book that was the property of the Half-Blood Prince. We see only one lesson where Harry uses the scrawling of the Prince to concoct a potion with the expertise usually displayed by Hermione. We are told that Harry spends most of his time with the book, and we see him carrying it around, but don’t get to see the book in action.

We totally miss the lesson on Golpalott’s Third Law, so that when the trick that the Half-Blood Prince revealed to Harry in that lesson is actually put into practice, someone who had not read the book might wonder how did Harry know what to do when his professor could only stand by idly, looking lost and confused.

Article Author: CindyC

Cindy's interests include books, music, charitable work, musical theater, the arts, Hugh Laurie, and House. She is now a member of the Connecticut Critics Circle.

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