Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Can someone summarise in spoiler tags what's been added to the book?

I also think it's the weakest book so I'm not in the slightest bit fussed about seeing the film (although the last book comes close to being rubbish, what with its weird gooseberry fool attempt at a road movie that goes on faaaaaaaar toooooooo loooooooong - it's only saved by the final third).

Harry Potter's future wife Bonnie Wright throws off geeky Hogwarts look as she poses in magical fashion shoot




Bonnie pictured (L) at the London premiere of the Halfblood Prince in a Miu Miu frock and (R) for the New York opening dressed in a Prada outfit

She looks completely different, amazing what make up can do!

NGE wrote:Can someone summarise in spoiler tags what's been added to the book?

I also think it's the weakest book so I'm not in the slightest bit fussed about seeing the film (although the last book comes close to being rubbish, what with its weird **** attempt at a road movie that goes on faaaaaaaar toooooooo loooooooong - it's only saved by the final third).

Kanbei wrote:

StayingDead wrote:For the first time I think I finally see why people go on about Emma Watson.

Her at Slughorn's Christmas Party

This.

Watched this last night. Wasn't bad, wasn't great, best Potter adaptation yet imo because it actually added to the book instead of just taking it away but it didn't make much sense for them to draw everyone out of the burrow before destroying it.

Madness wrote:but it didn't make much sense for them to draw everyone out of the burrow before destroying it.

The extra scene annoyed me.

Am I the only one who has read the book and still really likes the film?

Rubix78 wrote:

Madness wrote:but it didn't make much sense for them to draw everyone out of the burrow before destroying it.

The extra scene annoyed me.

Am I the only one who has read the book and still really likes the film?

I haven't actually seen it but I reckon I'll enjoy the film! I like all of them. And the fifth one is my favourite film so I have high hopes (same director, right?)...

I loved the film. It's been ages since i read the book(when it first came out) so i don't remember enough to list everything they didnt include!

Although i was dissapointed by the lack of a last battle with the Lucky Potion.

Saw this Monday night. Big fan of the books, and have always enjoyed the films whilst never finding them amazing. This is by far the best film so far, very well done. Plenty of humour this time round. Only bad thing is the missing out of some good scenes (fight at the end, Dumbledore's funeral etc.), but otherwise very good indeed.

Don't see it if you haven't read the books, you won't enjoy it. If you do go, then kindly don't post in this thread about it.

I am going back through the book now and so far the right bits have been removed from the film.

If anyone forgot there is also a wedding in the book

I think there was an oppurtunity to address a lot of what was wrong with the novel, in that it was very explicitally set-up, went at a meandering pace and was ultimately a very indulgent exercise that needed someone other than Rowling editing it.

I can't help but feel that the film needed someone other than Yates editing it. 160 minutes is far, far too long for a children's film.

If I remember correctly, there aren't many fight scenes in the novel, and for whatever reason, someone made the decision to cut the biggest of them completely in favour of far less dramatic fare. What was a fairly bloody skirmish became a bizarre scene in which Malfoy spends an entire movie (read; a school year) preparing for a Death Eater hit-squad to turn up and do nothing. To be fair to Malfoy, his performance was one of the film's better ones (after all, Radcliffe staring moodily into space sadly doens't make particually compelling viewing), but the way the story was told, his role, and the consequences of his actions are diminished considerably.

I'm thinking in particular of the werewolf villian, Fenrir Greyback, who was one of the novel's most compelling antagonists (I've a copy here I'm flicking through), in that he was genuinely something of a beast, and a nice foil to the smooth supervillian style of Snape, Voldemort, and Malfoy, and the bumbling henchman style of, well, most of the other villians. Greyback is basically reduced to a walk-on part and no lines. One wouldn't even be aware he was a sociopathic, crazed werewolf if one hadn't read the novel.

Performances on the whole were very acceptable, Broadbent being a particular highlight. The kids continue to suffer from being outshined by the veteran-actor adults around them, but at least everyone seems more comfortable in their roles. As they should be, given six years in the same roles, ost giving, more or less, the same performance.

The much hyped 'raging hormones' of the movie were pretty varied. The girl who played Lavender gave a delightfully demented performance, but the Harry-Ginny romance was handled with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer, and was about as exciting as a bank statement. Given it was made such a focus point of the film, it jarred as one of the weakest storylines the series has yet done.

Ultimately, the film suffers from many of the same flaws as the novel- they're both structureless, a bit messy, very reliant on character rather than story, and as a result feel slightly indulgent. Sadly where the novel did succeed, giving an interesting insight into the series' main antagonist, and conveying a growing sense of fear and panic, the film fails. I appreciate that perhaps there was not time to do all of the Voldemort flashbacks, but, for the most part those scenes were done very well, and it's a real shame to see them left out, when additions such as the frankly bizarre attack on the Weasley's house are thrown in. Fact is, they formed a background to the character to go into the final novel with and leave that out, along with the very rushed and nonsensical explanation of the Horcrux's, (the focus point of what will be the final two films) and the developing atmosphere of fear and paranoia that characterises the final stage in the Potter stories, feels a very strange way of interpreting the source material and to tell the story.

In the film's favour, they nailed the visuals. It looks great, and they contrasted the differant character motifs and settings well- Draco in the room of requirement is my highlight. But it's such a shame that it feels like style over substance- who cares how it looks, if the characters and script cannot draw you into their world?

Bit of a wasted oppurtunity.

I didn't mean to write this much.

Just got back from the cinema and I thought it was superb. Up there with Azkaban as the best in the series in my opinion. It was like two hours of pure immersion with the characters and world.

I won't say anymore than that through fear of spoiling it, but I absolutely loved it.

Hexx wrote:Just watched this (didn't get to finish marathon first).

What a crock of gooseberry fool. I thought 6 was the weakest book, and it's by far the weakest film. So much taken out, so much wierd stuff left/added.

If you'd only seen the film I don't think you'd understand lots, or miss loads (so? Half Blood price? etc). And the changes are horrid. I didn't even care about Dumbledore because the actor portrays him so....wrong.


It doesn't even have a climax. Pure set up for the next.

What a turd.

Thank God someone else thinks this. I saw it last night and i was extremely disappointed after all the rave reviews it was getting in here. I've liked all the films up to now but this was just boring and cringeworthy, the worst one so far. I couldn't believe the jokes that people were laughing at in the cinema, i actually wanted to facepalm.That said, i thought Slughorn was great and i got some genuine laughs out of him, but that was it. Now i'm not sure if this is because it's been so long since i've read the books, i'd be tempted to give it another go whenever i reread it. I thought the most lolworthy moment was at the end when Snape reveals, "I'm the half-blood prince", and then that's all the explanation you get. They could have added a bit of drama and backstory to it, as i couldn't have cared less.

Saw it yesterday, it was pretty good. Lots missed out or changed; but the ending definitely benefitted from knowing what's in the final book. Not that much action but still some great set pieces. Some very dodgy bits too, what with Ginny bending down to tie Harry's shoelace like that (there was a laugh in the cinema then).

Plus right at the end as soon as the credits came up after a shot of the three, one of the people I was seeing it with just said quite loudly, 'oh I bet she's well tight'. Yes it's immature but it was unexpected.

Wiggles wrote:

Hexx wrote:Just watched this (didn't get to finish marathon first).

What a crock of ****. I thought 6 was the weakest book, and it's by far the weakest film. So much taken out, so much wierd stuff left/added.

If you'd only seen the film I don't think you'd understand lots, or miss loads (so? Half Blood price? etc). And the changes are horrid. I didn't even care about Dumbledore because the actor portrays him so....wrong.


It doesn't even have a climax. Pure set up for the next.

What a turd.

Thank God someone else thinks this. I saw it last night and i was extremely disappointed after all the rave reviews it was getting in here. I've liked all the films up to now but this was just boring and cringeworthy, the worst one so far. I couldn't believe the jokes that people were laughing at in the cinema, i actually wanted to facepalm.That said, i thought Slughorn was great and i got some genuine laughs out of him, but that was it. Now i'm not sure if this is because it's been so long since i've read the books, i'd be tempted to give it another go whenever i reread it. I thought the most lolworthy moment was at the end when Snape reveals, "I'm the half-blood prince", and then that's all the explanation you get. They could have added a bit of drama and backstory to it, as i couldn't have cared less.

Actually I suppose you raise a point there as there was no explanation as to how he got that name.

I still think it was the strongest film of the series though after Azkaban.

strawberry floating Terrible

I love the way there's people here who love it and those who absolutely hate it. Doesn't seem that there's a happy medium

Kanbei wrote:I love the way there's people here who love it and those who absolutely hate it. Doesn't seem that there's a happy medium

There's not much of a middle ground between right and wrong

Nook29 wrote:Saw this Monday night. Big fan of the books, and have always enjoyed the films whilst never finding them amazing. This is by far the best film so far, very well done. Plenty of humour this time round. Only bad thing is the missing out of some good scenes (fight at the end, Dumbledore's funeral etc.), but otherwise very good indeed.

My thoughts exactly, this was by far the best adaptation of the lot, they got everything spot on apart from the ending scenes. Radcliffe was a bit shite initially but he picked it up. He's still unable to act seriously without looking flustered and constipated, but in the lighter moments he was brilliant. Jim Broadbent was the highlight of the film by far

Ario wrote:

Nook29 wrote:Saw this Monday night. Big fan of the books, and have always enjoyed the films whilst never finding them amazing. This is by far the best film so far, very well done. Plenty of humour this time round. Only bad thing is the missing out of some good scenes (fight at the end, Dumbledore's funeral etc.), but otherwise very good indeed.

My thoughts exactly, this was by far the best adaptation of the lot, they got everything spot on apart from the ending scenes. Radcliffe was a bit shite initially but he picked it up. He's still unable to act seriously without looking flustered and constipated, but in the lighter moments he was brilliant. Jim Broadbent was the highlight of the film by far

The scene in the cave with the horcrux gave me chills, seeing Dumbledore so weak was genuinely scary . Even when the hand grabbed Harry from the water, which is something I knew was about to happen, I jumped.

I jumped at that part too. And now you mention it, the cave scene was very well done. Definitely Gambon's best bit of acting in the Harry Potter films.