Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Aug. 15th, 2009 12:10 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
quaggy
So my youngest brother and I went to see Harry Potter this past weekend. (You know, that makes him sound about 9 rather than 22.) We’ve seen all the movies together so far. It’s going to be a little difficult with the last one seeing as they split the damn thing into two parts. It’s tough enough trying to find the time to see one movie when you’re in separate cities, let alone TWO!
As for the movie itself, I really enjoyed it. Possibly more than the book. Not that it was better, per say, just easier to get into. That said, the movie did have its flaws and I suspect it wouldn’t be nearly as good for people who hadn’t read the books.
They made some weird adaptation choices. I’m not sure what the point of the was of the running the marshes and setting the Burrow ablaze. It didn’t have anything to do with the plot and it wasn’t in the book. On the other side of things, Snape being the Half-Blood Prince felt like it was just thrown in at the last minute just to explain the title. They would have been better off to spending more time explaining that one, rather than creating pointless action scene.
Speaking of book to movie changes, I didn’t mind that it was Luna who found Harry on the train and not Tonks. Luna needed to be in the film at least twice as much as she actually was. I really adore her.
Not sure if I like that Tonks and Lupin’s romance was presented as already established in movie. (Which had to be confusing if you didn’t read the books, because the relationship would have come out of nowhere.) I guess, they cut it for time (along with the related Bill/Fleur subplot… though I assume we’re going to have the wedding in Movie 7 anyway), but it’s a shame because I liked how those two got together better than any of the other relationship in the series, with the possible exception of Fred and Angelina.
As for the Trio, those three have really come into their own as actors. I seen a couple of people say that Rupert Grint is the best of the three. That’s not entirely true. He’s the best comedic actor, hands down. But then, we’ve known this since The Chamber of Secrets. There is overacting like the poor girl who played Lavender (there’s a performance that could end your career before it even begins) and then there’s little Rupert Grint freaking out over spiders. He owned it and made it believable even at a young age. This movie gave him so much to work with. He was a joy to watch. He’s not as steady with the more serious stuff, but that matters very little. I wouldn’t be surprised if Rupert Grint has a nice long career hamming it up.
In contrast, over the top acting just doesn’t seem to be Daniel Radcliffe’s style. While, he didn’t slaughter the luck potion scene (I can’t be bothered to look up the proper spelling), it was awkward, especially compared to Ron’s shenanigans. Daniel was visibly more comfortable when the scene shifted into the heavier stuff. It’s not that he can’t do comedy. He’s actually very good a delivering a one-liner, which he been demonstrating ever since the third film (which, by the way, remains my favorite in spite of its flaws). It’s probably why he works well with Emma Watson. She best at conveying her character’s feeling with a look, another more understated from of acting. The two of them have great chemistry together. Someday, I hope some producer is smart enough to cast the two of them in a romantic comedy. They play well off each other. I was always something of a Harry/Hermione shipper and watching the two of them on screen together, so close and such GOOD friends both makes me happy and a little sad for my poor sunken ship. If I weren’t so tired I’d probably go off on some shipper rant, so be glad I’m about to fall asleep. Besides, if you’ve ever heard me talk about how much I like “best friend” ships, you already know what I’m going to say. ;-)
As for the movie itself, I really enjoyed it. Possibly more than the book. Not that it was better, per say, just easier to get into. That said, the movie did have its flaws and I suspect it wouldn’t be nearly as good for people who hadn’t read the books.
They made some weird adaptation choices. I’m not sure what the point of the was of the running the marshes and setting the Burrow ablaze. It didn’t have anything to do with the plot and it wasn’t in the book. On the other side of things, Snape being the Half-Blood Prince felt like it was just thrown in at the last minute just to explain the title. They would have been better off to spending more time explaining that one, rather than creating pointless action scene.
Speaking of book to movie changes, I didn’t mind that it was Luna who found Harry on the train and not Tonks. Luna needed to be in the film at least twice as much as she actually was. I really adore her.
Not sure if I like that Tonks and Lupin’s romance was presented as already established in movie. (Which had to be confusing if you didn’t read the books, because the relationship would have come out of nowhere.) I guess, they cut it for time (along with the related Bill/Fleur subplot… though I assume we’re going to have the wedding in Movie 7 anyway), but it’s a shame because I liked how those two got together better than any of the other relationship in the series, with the possible exception of Fred and Angelina.
As for the Trio, those three have really come into their own as actors. I seen a couple of people say that Rupert Grint is the best of the three. That’s not entirely true. He’s the best comedic actor, hands down. But then, we’ve known this since The Chamber of Secrets. There is overacting like the poor girl who played Lavender (there’s a performance that could end your career before it even begins) and then there’s little Rupert Grint freaking out over spiders. He owned it and made it believable even at a young age. This movie gave him so much to work with. He was a joy to watch. He’s not as steady with the more serious stuff, but that matters very little. I wouldn’t be surprised if Rupert Grint has a nice long career hamming it up.
In contrast, over the top acting just doesn’t seem to be Daniel Radcliffe’s style. While, he didn’t slaughter the luck potion scene (I can’t be bothered to look up the proper spelling), it was awkward, especially compared to Ron’s shenanigans. Daniel was visibly more comfortable when the scene shifted into the heavier stuff. It’s not that he can’t do comedy. He’s actually very good a delivering a one-liner, which he been demonstrating ever since the third film (which, by the way, remains my favorite in spite of its flaws). It’s probably why he works well with Emma Watson. She best at conveying her character’s feeling with a look, another more understated from of acting. The two of them have great chemistry together. Someday, I hope some producer is smart enough to cast the two of them in a romantic comedy. They play well off each other. I was always something of a Harry/Hermione shipper and watching the two of them on screen together, so close and such GOOD friends both makes me happy and a little sad for my poor sunken ship. If I weren’t so tired I’d probably go off on some shipper rant, so be glad I’m about to fall asleep. Besides, if you’ve ever heard me talk about how much I like “best friend” ships, you already know what I’m going to say. ;-)
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no subject
Date: 2009-08-15 10:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-17 01:19 am (UTC)Tonks wasn't bad in this, by the way. Her hair was finally the right length. Not pink, though. :-( Oh, well. Maybe we'll get bubble gum pink hair in the last movie(s).
no subject
Date: 2009-08-16 01:43 pm (UTC)(Also YES to the Burrow burning scene. I don't get it!)
no subject
Date: 2009-08-17 01:53 pm (UTC)To be honest, I think I'd have had an easier time seeing Hermione with one of the twins. Maybe because the twins were older than Hermione, so there was less of the mothering vibe going on. (I can't STAND the mothering thing in my ships.) There were times in the later books that Hermione seemed to be a Mrs. Weasley in training, which was so wrong on so many levels. Harry in the book seemed to view Hermione's disapproval as his voice of conscience, while with Ron she seemed to be just a nag. It was like, even though you knew which was the ship was heading, you couldn't help but help to think that a different direction would be so much better.
but in the films, it feels more possible, or less unlikely...which I think is because the actors work so well together.
Yes, I totally agree. In the movies, Harry and Hermione always seemed to be two halves of the same whole. It made
In this film, even as they were talking about how they were in love with other people, they just seemed so connected. It's not just the romance of the moment, you can see them really working together as a long term couple.
no subject
Date: 2009-08-17 09:52 pm (UTC)There were times in the later books that Hermione seemed to be a Mrs. Weasley in training, which was so wrong on so many levels. Harry in the book seemed to view Hermione's disapproval as his voice of conscience, while with Ron she seemed to be just a nag.
Yes! I really hated whenever the Mrs Weasley comparisons came up, they really bugged me. I think the idea that I really liked in the Harry/Hermione relationship was that they both sort of...challenged the other, and focused each other - like if it wasn't for Hermione, Harry wouldn't have done the DADA group, and if it wasn't for being part of Harry's cause, Hermione wouldn't have started saying Voldemort's name. That kind of stuff. With Hermione and Ron, there was lots of we're-attracted-to-each-other bickering (which, you know, I'm totally all over in some other ships!) but here it just...didn't seem to go anywhere - except in endless circles of bickering. It kind of made me tired to read! (I used to want to write a post-war Harry/Hermione fic, that sort of said that, but without demonising Ron).
In this film, even as they were talking about how they were in love with other people, they just seemed so connected. It's not just the romance of the moment, you can see them really working together as a long term couple.
Yeah - that was such a lovely moment...they really do play off each other very well. I have my fingers crossed for the snow scene in Godric's Hollow in the seventh book - that was one of my favourite scenes in the whole series...I hope they keep it in.
*needs HP icon. Why don't I have a HP icon?*
no subject
Date: 2009-08-18 02:46 pm (UTC)I didn't have much use for Mrs. Weasley since the fourth book, when she chose to passive-aggressively punish a 14 year-old-girl that she had known for years because an article in the newspaper. She never apologized for it either. Just pretended it never happened.
With Hermione and Ron, there was lots of we're-attracted-to-each-other bickering (which, you know, I'm totally all over in some other ships!) but here it just...didn't seem to go anywhere - except in endless circles of bickering.
I am too, as you known. I've thought about this a lot in terms of which ships I'm into and which I can't stand and think you really nailed it. I don't like bickering love/hate ships. I like challenging toe-to-toe ships. The ones that the bickering doesn't come from personality conflicts, but because they both like the challenge of it all. LWD would just be another annoying show about blended families and sibling rivalry if it wasn't obvious that Derek and Casey were enjoying all their fighting. Nobody would have thought much about Josh's bantering with Donna (since everyone had witty exchanges with their assistants on The West Wing) if they both weren't having such a good time.
I think the idea that I really liked in the Harry/Hermione relationship was that they both sort of...challenged the other, and focused each other
And that's the key. If Hermione had the same bantering relationship with Harry as she did with Ron, it would still be different because they brought the best out of each other. Plus they had that deep bond of (not-exactly romantic) devotion that I always have a weakness for in all my ships.
(I used to want to write a post-war Harry/Hermione fic, that sort of said that, but without demonising Ron).
I'd love to read fics like that! They are very few and hard to find (especially considering how big the fandom is). I only wrote an actual Hermione/Harry fic once and in it Ron died. :-( I was overly influenced by cannon. I think that's why the desire to write anymore HP fic as dwindled down into nothing.
no subject
Date: 2009-08-18 06:21 pm (UTC)I didn't much care for that either. What bugged me though, is this kind of 'You can be a Mrs Weasley, or a Professor McGonagall' type thing. Which -Hermione is Hermione, and not either of them!
ITA about the challenging toe-to-toe kind of ships. And I must look up your Harry/Hermione fic! I've actually never found a H/Hr fic that quite worked for me (which might be because I was never that involved in that part of the HP fandom).
no subject
Date: 2009-08-20 04:11 am (UTC)Oh man, don't get me started! Because then I'll have to talk about what happened to Tonks and then I'll be all depressed.
And I must look up your Harry/Hermione fic! I've actually never found a H/Hr fic that quite worked for me (which might be because I was never that involved in that part of the HP fandom).
That's because the fandom is too big and there is a whole lot of rubbish out there to slog through. I dipped my toes in, but nothing really tempted me to venture further. I did like this one here enough to track it down again.
As for my stuff, I originally started my LJ as a place for all my fic so it's all here. (I let my ff.net profile slide a LONG time ago, though LWD is tempting me to bring it back.) All my Harry Potter stuff falls under the Non-West Wing/Everything Else category. Only one of them is Hermione/Harry though. Now I'm kind of regretting never writing an out and out Harry/Hermione fic, because I don't think I'll ever will. Damn that stupid Epilogue!