Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

I’m not sure what to think about Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

On the one hand, everyone has really grown into their roles and the acting is some of the best in the series. As a whole, the movie is well put together, if not a bit too by the book, and works just fine as a piece of cinema.

On the other hand, a lot of the magic is missing. I’m not just talking on-screen, either. Half-Blood Prince was moody and dealt a lot with raging teenage hormones and the concept of loss, making for a two-and-a-half hour trip down Melancholy Lane in the middle of Depressoville.

I kind of miss the days of rampant magic, crazy creatures and wild adventures. Then again, it’s fitting that, as the characters grow older, the magic (both literal and figurative) will fade in their lives, giving way to more real-life issues and serious subject matter like love and friendship and what it means to…Ah. Who am I kidding? I miss me some dragons and Whomping Willows.

With so much drama going on, it felt more like everyone was in mourning through the entire film rather than going to school in a magical freaking castle.

Also, though the main plot points needed to carry the viewer into the final film were hit, tons of material pertaining to the Half-Blood Prince was left out. It’s the title of the movie, for crying out loud. I think a bit more time could have been spent on the film’s namesake rather than being like:

Ron: “Wow, Harry. Who is this Half-Blood Prince fellow?”

Harry: “I don’t know, but he sure knows his magic!”

(Three hours later)

Name omitted for spoiler-related reasons: “Hey, you remember that Half-Blood Prince guy you were so interested in for five minutes at the beginning of the movie? I’m totally him.”

Harry: “Who? Oh, right. Um…yeah. That’s cool, I suppose.”

While Half-Blood Prince, as a book, did give some fantastic insight into Voldemort and what makes him tick, I think it was probably my least favorite of the series.

When it comes to the movies, nothing has changed.