Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Review

I was one of those devastated Harry Potter fans who vowed revenge on Warner Bros. back in November of 2007 for delaying the release of Half-Blood Prince some nine months.

Did I follow through on any of my threats to: a) boycott the movie; b) send some rather disturbing hate mail to the movie execs; or c) upload a crazed and teary YouTube video, ala Chris Crocker? No, I did not.

What I did do was haunt the various Harry Potter fansites for the smallest glimpse of anything that could be deemed as Half-Blood Prince news. I downloaded all of the trailers (and there was a bunch of them), I stared at all the press shots and movie stills for longer than was probably healthy – I basically stalked the movie, ok.

So what was my mood like on July 15 when I finally walked into that movie theatre, box of popcorn and jumbo Pepsi in hand, knowing that Half-Blood Prince, the film I’d dreamed about since its postponement was announced, was going to be rolling in just a few minutes?

Well, if I squealed like a fangirl every time I saw the Half-Blood Prince trailer, you can imagine my delight – scratch that, euphoria overload.

I was practically floating on cinematic-induced cloud 9.

Having read the book (more than once) I was more than a little familiar with the plot, so I was gasping and giggling and – yes – squealing well before the moments that garnered such responses had even appeared on screen.

Some of the funniest moments came, not from the film’s leading man, Daniel Radcliffe, but from lesser-known characters and actors, some of which were making their debut appearance in the sixth installment. Freddie Stroma’s Cormac McLaggen provided some stellar comedic moments, not in the least of which was his slightly stalkerish finger-suck-and-wink over a bowl of ice cream at Slughorn’s party.

I have to admit, I was a tad concerned at David Heyman’s decision to pair high doses of humour and teenage romance with the level of darkness and angst the sixth novel held. I was even more fearful of what the movie would entail when producer Heyman described the film as “fun” and all about “romance and relationships.”

Where’s the darkness, I wanted to scream; where’s the dramatic depth of the Sectumsempra scene?

Thankfully, and surprisingly, I guess I should say, the balance between darkness and the lightness of humour and romance really worked, and I wasn’t left under-whelmed in any way. In particular, the aforementioned Sectumsempra scene was another highlight, albeit an ominous one.

The movie’s only real downfall was the portrayal of Harry’s budding relationship with Ginny Weasley. Throughout their scenes together, Radcliffe seemed stiff and awkward, while on-screen partner Bonnie Wright appeared monotonic and downright bland.

The big kissing scene was actually uncomfortable to watch, and despite the fact that I wasn’t thrilled about Harry and Ginny as a pairing to start with, I was left feeling pretty disappointed by the end of the two-second smooch. All I can say is, thank God it was only two seconds long, and not a full on pash, or I might have gagged into my box of popcorn.

The stand-out of the entire film was definitely Draco Malfoy.

The actor behind Harry Potter’s arch nemesis, Tom Felton, did a brilliant job in capturing the right level of emotion required to really makes fans of the series feel sorry for a character they have previously never sympathized with.

His journey from schoolboy to a soldier of Lord Voldemort’s was a key theme in the movie, and Felton’s acting was spot-on where it should be, over-the-top where it should be, and other times utterly heartbreaking in its authenticity.

Truly, Felton really stepped it up a notch or two in this film, leaving me feeling that he – and not Radcliffe or Grint or Watson – is the shining light at the end of this very long Potter tunnel. I think I can safely predict that the 21-year-old has a bright and lucrative career ahead of him.

That being said, I can’t leave off without admitting how adorable I found Rupert Grint (who plays Ron Weasley) in his Quidditch uniform. If it was up to me, Grint would appear in every single scene, and he would be decked out in tight, yet totally adorkable, Quidditch garb the entire time.

Hot.

And with that emission of fangirlish hormones, I think I’ve come full circle.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is in cinemas worldwide from July 15.

Pattinson is a Better Sex Symbol, Says Radcliffe

Daniel Radcliffe isn’t quite sure why girls find him attractive, especially not when they could turn their attentions to a more worthy candidate, in the Harry Potter actor’s view – his onetime co-star and Twilight hunk, Robert Pattinson.

At Thursday’s NYC premiere of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Radcliffe told Usmagazine.com: “Rob Pattinson is a sex symbol. Rob Pattinson is a genuine sexy guy. He’s got the height.

“If girls like short and nerdy, then I’m a sex symbol!”

While Radcliffe is keen to sing Pattinson’s praises on the attractiveness front, the 19-year-old admitted that he hadn’t spoken to his former Potter co-star in years, but had high hopes for a reconciliation at a premiere or two somewhere down the track.

“I’ve said probably three words to him in the last three years and that was before Twilight all kicked off,” Radcliffe said. “But I wish him well. Hopefully, I’ll see him at some point. He’s bound to turn up at one of these [premieres] at some point.”

Sounds to me like Radcliffe has got himself a bit of a man-crush! If he’s lucky, maybe Pattinson will stop by for coffee when he moves back to the U.K. (which, given his dislike for all things screaming-fangirl, could be pretty soon).

[Source]

Emma Watson: “At Least I’m Wearing Underwear!”

When David Letterman brought her recent wardrobe malfunction to light during an interview promoting her latest film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Emma Watson had only one thing to say on the matter: “At least I’m wearing underwear!”

The 19-year-old actress was embarrassed at the U.K. premiere of Half-Blood Prince when her flowing vintage gown was ripped open during a large gust of wind, exposing her skin-coloured underwear to the waiting photographers and fans.

During the interview last night, Letterman produced a photograph of the upskirt incident, and asked a blushing Watson, “Tell us what’s going on here.”

“Um, this was a small wardrobe malfunction… that happens,” Watson explained.

“I don’t actually remember it happening,” she continued. “At least I’m wearing underwear!”

The rest of the interview was spent discussing her reprising role as Hermione Granger in the sixth Harry Potter film (released in Australia this coming week) and her plans to study at University next year.

“I’m doing a liberal arts degree,” Watson told Letterman, “and I’ll hopefully focus on humanities.”

The British national has previously said she plans to study abroad at an American University, but has not yet revealed which one she’ll choose, as she wants to limit the amount of paparazzi interest for as long as possible.

To watch Watson’s appearance on Letterman in full, click here.

[Source]

New Half-Blood Prince Trailer Released

Warner Bros. has released yet another trailer for the upcoming Harry Potter film, Half-Blood Prince, the sixth installment of the blockbuster series.

The film’s premiere is still months away, but those wonderful people at WB are keeping the fans salivating by releasing a new trailer every few weeks, and today’s latest sneak peek doesn’t disappoint!

Available in HD format, the new trailer proves that the nine month delay has been well worth it, with special effects a stand-out, and awesome action sequences to boot. If the sixth film does its literary counterpart justice, it should be the best of the series so far.

To check out the latest trailer in high definition, click here.

Alternatively, you can view screen caps of the trailer here.

Half-Blood Prince Delayed Until July 2009

In a move that’s sure to anger fans of the Harry Potter series, Warner Bros. Pictures has today announced that it has moved back the release date of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to July 2009, because of the writer’s strike earlier in the year.

Following is the official press release by Warner Bros., explaining their decision for delaying the film another eight months.

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Half-Blood Prince Trailer Online

Finally, something more exciting than the 23-second teaser that was released on IMAX a few weeks ago!

Warner Bros., the production company behind the Harry Potter franchise, has given fans a real taste of what to expect when the sixth installment, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, is released across the globe in November.

The trailer focuses on Dumbledore’s pensive memories of a young Tom Riddle, one of the more darker aspects of a film director David Yates said would be “lighter” than the other five already produced.

To view the trailer, click here.

For those of you who can’t view the trailer, a few screen caps are available after the jump, courtesy of Mugglenet.com.

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New ‘Half-Blood Prince’ Promo Shots

Warner Bros. have just released a brand new set of much-anticipated promotional shots for their upcoming film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Even though there’s still no teaser trailer (and no official word on when it will come), these new shots should quench the thirst of die-hard Potter fans for a little while, at least.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opens in theatres across America on November 21, and in Australia on December 11. For a full list of the release dates across the globe, check out the film’s IMDB page.

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