The finale of one of cinema's best-executed franchises in "Harry Potter" comes out next Friday and we are going to continue with our countdown with No. 5 on our list of least to most enjoyed, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. A break from the first two films in the series, this entry offers all the wizardry we would expect thought perhaps not the punch we wanted.
KIERAN:
After the dark tone that David Yates set out
in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, “The Half-Blood Prince” felt like a
step back. Yates made the film lighter and played it more safe, taking away the
stylish visual tricks he used in the previous film. “Half-Blood Prince” is a pretty
decent film, but it was not the best adaptation possible of the novel. The tone
was mixed between darkness and the need to show teenage libido. It is slow in
pacing and some of the key scenes of the book were cut in exchange for more
comic scenes. The action was well made, with the scene with the inferi and
performance by Hero Fiennes-Tiffin as a young Tom Riddle being effectively
creepy. Rating: 7.5/10
MAX:
I don’t know if I would call “Half-Blood Prince” a
step back as much as a sidestep and overall “different” approach to the
“Potter” films. For certain, it was a major shift in terms of tone (one that
didn’t feel very light to me), sacrificing more CGI inspired sequences for
lavish let pieces, flashbacks and lower lighting. Teen angst/hormones and the sacrifice
of key action sequences aside, “Half-Blood Prince” felt like the franchise had
matured towards its climax in terms of characters and dramatic effect. Rating: 7/10
STEVEN:
In my opinion, this book was the most expertly
adapted in terms of best “movie.” I’ll admit there were some flaws, but I think
Kloves finally decided to write a more cohesive Potter film rather than a more loyal adaptation
and thus “Prince” feels like its own film. He works in the Draco Malfoy
“subplot” and Yates creates some compelling transitions to and from it as well
as with the memory/pensieve scenes. Ultimately, it’s the step back to PG that
kept this film from being one of the best of the series, zapping the impact of
the key event in the end and cutting out the battle in Hogwarts. Rating: 8.5/10
SIMON:
“Order
of the Pheonix” in my opinion was not only the best film of the “Potter” series
but by far the most sucessful adaptation, by all odds improving over the
bloated source material. As a follow-up my expectations were high especially
considering this was director David Yate’s second addition to his string of
films. Thankfully “Half-Blood Prince”, while not blowing my mind, reassured me
that the series was headed in a favourable direaction in addition to containing
the deep tone and fostering the many maturing performances. This and the next
movie did feel in some respects like a bridge to the inevitable and firely conclusions, but then again so did
the books. As a stand-alone piece of filmmaking “Half-Blood Prince” still stands
as some of the best this franchise has to offer. Rating: 8.0/10