Harry Potter Sets Out on a Grave Task
Warner Brothers latched on to a cash cow with the Harry Potter films.  Based on the incredibly popular books by J.K. Rowling, the series has followed the exploits of young Harry from his freshman year at Hogwarts Wizards School through his maturation into both young man and wizard, wary of his powers.  The film series has kept the same three principal actors throughout the series; they have literally grown up before our eyes.  "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" is the latest installment.<br /><br />We first see Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) in a subway eatery, perusing a newspaper that questions whether Harry Potter is the Chosen One.  Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) mysteriously appears to enlist Harry's assistance in convincing reclusive Prof. Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent), once a teacher at Hogwarts, to return.  His memories about a former student, Tom Riddle -- who grew up to become the dreaded Voldemort -- are needed to help determine how to defend against and banish the evil entity once and for all.<br /><br />The film spends a lot of time on flirtations between Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) and Harry and Ron's sister, Ginny (Bonnie Wright).  Lavender Brown (Jessie Cave), fellow Hogwarts student, also has eyes for Ron.  These tepid romances don't really go anywhere and are tossed in out of deference to the novel and the fact that the Hogwarts trio are beginning to look pretty old not to have an interest in romance, however chaste.<br /><br />As with the previous Potter films, this one is visually stunning, even though director David Yates has gone for a more somber palette.  With its combination of spectacular vistas and dazzling CGI work, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" is one of most beautiful-looking films of the year.  Though we've seen  Quidditch matches before, the one in the current film far surpasses them in terms of energy, excitement, humor, and sheer visual splendor.  It's one of the film's highlights in terms of pure exhilaration.<br /><br />Mr. Radcliffe, who's spent half his life playing Harry Potter, is OK but doesn't have a heck of a lot of razzle dazzle this time around.  He's not as much fun to watch as in earlier installments.  This may have to do with the movie's darker nature, but the script does have opportunities for lighter moments that never materialize.<br /><br />I was disappointed that Hermione has been relegated practically to an extra.  She interacts very little with either Harry or Ron, and plays her romantic scenes awkwardly and unconvincingly.  Mr. Grint fares better with screen time, but Ron is never involved fully in the adventure at hand.  He's there for scenes in which Ron and Harry talk about their respective infatuations, but contributes little more.  The romantic -- if you can call them that -- interludes become tedious and slow the action considerably.<br /><br />Mr. Broadbent is a welcome addition to the new film.  This is an actor who effortlessly conveys the essence of whatever character he's portraying.  His Prof. Slughorn is intelligent, absentminded, guarded, mysterious, troubled, and fearful, as required.  It's fortunate that Broadbent is portraying a major character, since he commands our attention whenever he's on screen.<br /><br />Many characters from the earlier films chime in with a few bits of dialogue here and there but are otherwise unnecessary to plot.  Prof. McGonagall (Maggie Smith) shows up halfway through as the voice of caution when Harry becomes increasingly involved in elaborate intrigues.  Prof. Severus Snape (Alan Rickman), filmed mostly in close-up, delivers his menacing lines with dramatic pauses you could drive a train through.  Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) pops up, only to fall asleep for most of his screen time, and Prof. Flitwick (Warwick Davis) ambles about more as set dressing than plot ingredient.<br /><br />Tom Felton's Draco Malfoy has a larger role than in previous Potter films and is seen lurking in dark corners, traveling to cryptic locations, and secretly plotting.  Mr. Felton has the knack for looking evil at all times, playing his role with little dialogue and a disturbing sneer.  The actor who really makes a commanding impression is Frank Dillane as 16-year-old Tom Riddle.  Shot mostly in close-up, Mr. Dillane conveys a maturity and intelligence mixed with malevolence that comes through perfectly.  He appears in only one scene, but he's one of the best things in "Half-Blood Prince."<br /><br />The major problem with "Half-Blood Price" is that it's a transitional film, promising but not yet delivering the good stuff.  It is often ponderously talky in an attempt to keep the viewer up to speed, but memories are short.  The script assumes an awful lot of knowledge on the part of the viewer, and only a devoted reader of the books will easily recognizes nuances and foreshadowings.  I was reminded of "The Empire Strikes Back" and how disappointed viewers were at the inconclusiveness of that "Star Wars" installment.  The same holds true for "Half-Blood Prince."  The final scene is really a setup -- even a commercial -- for the upcoming two-part finale, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," to be released in 2010 and 2011.  Don't expect all plot points to be tied with a neat bow.<br /><br />"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"  is far too long at two and a half hours plus.  Though it is always visually remarkable, it will likely confuse those who don't know Potter lore, chapter and verse.  For Potter fans, it will be a delight, as they will fill in the blanks left by the screenplay.
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 {"Genre": "Science Fiction & Fantasy, Drama, Drama/Love & Romance, Mystery & Suspense", "Format": "Blu-ray, Special Edition, Color, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen", "Contributor": "Rupert Grint, Bonnie Wright, Emma Watson, David Barron, Jim Broadbent, J.K. Rowling, Lionel Wigram, Oliver Phelps, Maggie Smith, David Heyman, Tim Lewis, Daniel Radcliffe, Elarica Gallacher, Bruno Delbonnel, David Yates, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Rickman, Michael Gambon, Steve Kloves, James PhelpsRupert Grint, Bonnie Wright, Emma Watson, David Barron, Jim Broadbent, J.K. Rowling, Lionel Wigram, Oliver Phelps, Maggie Smith, David Heyman, Tim Lewis, Daniel Radcliffe, Elarica Gallacher, Bruno Delbonnel, David Yates, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Rickman, Michael Gambon,\u2026  See more", "Language": "English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby TrueHD 5.1)", "Runtime": "2 hours and 15 minutes", "Aspect Ratio": "2.35:1", "Is Discontinued By Manufacturer": "No", "MPAA rating": "PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)", "Product Dimensions": "0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 2.72 Ounces", "Item model number": "1000027459", "Director": "David Yates", "Media Format": "Blu-ray, Special Edition, Color, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen", "Run time": "2 hours and 15 minutes", "Release date": "October 2, 2012", "Actors": "Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Jim Broadbent, Elarica Gallacher", "Subtitles": "English, French, Spanish", "Producers": "David Barron, David Heyman, Lionel Wigram, Tim Lewis", "Studio": "WarnerBrothers", "Writers": "J.K. Rowling, Steve Kloves", "Number of discs": "1"}

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