RacsOview: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Now after all the Cinemalaya fiasco, I am temporarily on leave for Pinoy Indie films and will be screening other foreign movies. But before I got so hyped up with the Pinoy indie vibe, I was able to sneak in a screening of the new Harry Potter movie. And for the first time in the franchise, I have not read the book before I saw the movie. I am bound to read it soon, but for now the movie will do.

Personally I think that Yates had improved after the last Potter film he added a lot in to the movie that made it more current than his last work. But what sets this movie apart from the other Potter films is that this movie is more mature. In fact so mature that there were lotsa talkies parts in the movie more than the action and the magic. Yates somewhat replaced the magic with love and lust issues which I think was not that atune to what the environment should be set. The magic and teen angst should be in sync for this movie to work, unfortunately the movie got a little angsty.

My main dilemma about the movie was that it felt a little like a space filler, more so, a preparation movie for the final movies to come. In fact I had the feeling that nothing much is happening, there are only less scenes that are new to the franchise. They are probably saving TOO much of the bests for last.

But nonetheless, I still can say that the movie was entertaining for what it was. The visual effects were miles over than the previous Potter film. The new lenser, Bruno Delbonnel did a superb job creating a creepy, dark and ominous feel to the movie. But of all its technical magic, Stuart Craig seems to be the most powerful of them all. The movie would have easily be crap or lunchbox looking if the set and production design would not be top notch. Craig continues to add beauties to the Potter world, all exceptional, all beautiful.

As for the acting. Let me just say that Michael Gambon peaked in this movie giving what could be his best performance in the franchise. Given more screen time, Gambon magically fascinates in every scene he was in, not to mention that Moses like power in that underground place with lotsa Gollum like creatures. Another star of the show was the latest addition as Slughorn, Jim Broadbent continues to prove that he is one of the best veteran actors on screen, working. Ditto Alan Rickman, who continues to shine as Serverus Snape. And let me just say that this is the most relaxed performance I have seen from Radcliffe. I think that he is gearing up for the end of the franchise.

Despite its flaws, I really liked the movie and I think that this is the second best Potter movie in the franchise, miles away from "The Prisoner of Azkaban".

B+