Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Director: David Yates

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint



The shear spectacle of the annihilation of brockdale bridge, the arcanus work that Malfoy does to abet Voldemort, the way each antagonists flock the screen with their style rather than their terrorizing acts (excluding the abstruse Snapes with his acerbic nature), the glorified and magnified portrayal of magic as something chimerical for us – muggles contrast to the book, the beautified and uncurly Hermione - all intended to glamorize the movie and provide a visual spectacle doesn’t make the eyebrows rise. Instead the way Harry adulates Giny at the party, the amazing reactions that Hermoine gives whenever Ron romances Lavender, the bravade that Ron shows in Quidditch field assuming he had all the luck he needed, the gentle humour that Slughorn fuses into his conversation especially in the opening sequence – in short the lighter moments that plays around the fantasy makes the attenuated screen version of the 606 page novel work, covering up the lack of depth and the intricate details into a 2 ½ hour movie resulting in just a rich - gloomy film(more so for the dark hue). In few sequences like when Malfoy walks over to the room of requirement or the confrontation with Tom, the screen is packed with many a detail which will be appreciated even in second viewing; but these sequences are very few.


Harry potter movies are famous for the grandeur and HBP stays true to it – a testimony to that is the climactic endeavour. More mature acting is visible here but the young Tom Riddle is the show stopper with his aberrant pronunciation. HBP has the best cinematography yet in Potter series, but the background score is not elevating and many sequences have blunt ends thanks to editing.


But who cares if all the movies don’t have any connections and they on the whole don’t tell the story that JKR wanted to tell; as long as there is enough laughs and fantastic graphics to keep the muggles agape and the know it all recollecting the books and make us long for the Deathly Hallows. Hope it justifies JKR’s work like Narnia is doing after 50 years to C.S.Lewis’ work.