I am, in fact, a living, breathing Potter Almanac full of trivia, facts and fathomless depths of wizarding knowledge. From the books to the films, I am your go-to gal. So, for Potterphiles, like me, 2008 was a tough year. We had just faced the ending of our beloved series the previous year and had only the films to look forward to. Especially Half Blood Prince, the sixth and my favourite book, which was due to be released that November. However, shortly before the release, studio big wigs pushed the release date to July of this year turning 2008 into a dry, boy wizard-less year. We protested but it was to no avail and the end of 2008 up until now has been filled with a slew of video clips, trailers and photos from the film stolen from us.
It was a long wait but was decidedly worth it. This film, by far, is the BEST Potter film to come out. I went into the film with a relatively clean slate as I have been avidly avoiding any reviews. I wanted a fresh start and to give Steve Kloves (writer of five out of the six films) a chance to redeem himself after butchering the fourth film into an almost unrecognizable state. The man did not let me down. From the first five minutes I knew this one would be like its novel counterpart -- my favourite.
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince picks up right where Order of the Phoenix left off. The film focuses on Harry trying to procure an important piece of the puzzle that is the life of Lord Voldemort from his new Potions Professor, Horace Slughorn. Not only has Harry been bestowed this daunting task but he’s also having to deal with the drama typically associated with 16-year-old high schoolers: falling in love, watching friends fight, saving lives and nearly getting murdered. Yes, just another normal year in the life of Harry Potter.
From beginning to end, I was spellbound. Each moment was reflected almost perfectly from a book to film point of view and I was pleased. Though they did take more than a few liberties with different angles of the story, for the most part I was not disappointed. Despite the theater feeling like a hot afternoon in Taft, I got chills. There were so many parts that were spot on, that were just like I imagined when I was reading the story. Especially Michael Gambon as Dumbledore. I have been a staunch Anti-Gambon campaigner since the death of Richard Harris after the second Potter film. Gambon never seemed to quite embody the ancient wizard like his castmates have in their respective roles (particularly Alan Rickman as Professor Snape and Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall). In this film, I saw Gambon as Dumbledore for the first time. He had the quirks, the demeanor, he lacked the half-moon spectacles but everything else was how I always imagined Dumbledore.
Gambon was not the only one who shined in this film. Jim Broadbent’s portrayal of Horace Slughorn was superb. I was a little skeptical after seeing a few clips from trailers but he exceeded my expectations. He personified Professor Slughorn, from his fondness for a stiff drink to the jovial air about him, Broadbent hit the nail on the head. The kids who play the Golden Trio have also really come into their acting chops. They deliver their lines with ease and believability which seemed somewhat deficient in the previous films. Rickman, as mentioned before, is fantastic. Professor Snape got much more screen time in this film which was a treat. His sarcastic, dark and mysterious mien was ever present throughout the film adding to each tension building scene.
Whether you’re a Potterphile or not, this movie is a great watch. It’s got a little bit of every element...drama, romance, comedy and thrills around each scene. I give it a standing ovation.