I told myself I'd stay away from opening week simply because my last few theater experiences with Harry Potter films have been terribly annoying. With uber fans anxiously waiting in line dressed in their latest Hogwarts fashion and being the average age of twelve, it's hard filtering out all the spoiler jib jab that flies around. I should have known better than to wait in line with under-aged uber fans, but who am I to talk. Shame on me as I've done this with the last five Potter films.
Well, my curiosity got the best of me as I saw Harry Potter - The Half Blood Prince last night. By the way, the moment I got in line, a twelve year old girl screamed out loud that Dumbledore dies! Go figure! Luckily the rest of the film continued with very little interruption (other than some over giggly girls in the far back). Right off the bat, I was impressed with this film. I didn't occur to me that it's been nearly two years since the last Potter film was released. You'll notice it quickly as Emily Watts has grown-up to be quite the eye-candy. Once again, The Half Blood Prince continues the tale of good and evil, with Harry's continuing trials and tribulations to take down Lord Voldemort. The start of the movie continues directly after The Order of the Phoenix.
The Half Blood Prince tackles two big themes. Love and darkness. The puppy love relationships among Harry, Hermoine and Ron are profoundly addressed with twists, turns and jealousy. This was the lighter side of the film that made way for some good comic relief, also showing the bond that the three main characters have. On the other side, was the dark psychology of a young Voldemort, aka Tom Riddle. Although all his scenes were played in memory, they did a great job making his dark past prevalent to the stories' current time. It helped add some dark overtones to an already dark story. No need for a spoiler alert, as everyone living under a rock knows that Dumbledore dies at the end of the film. Even though it was expected, it was still surprising to see how it was handled. It was both love and betrayal that did him in at the end.
One thing I'm always impressed about in Harry Potter films is the way they are able to give Hogwarts a sense of emotion. In other words, at the flip of a switch they can either make Hogwarts a safe haven for friendship, or suddenly turn it into a dangerous shroud of mystery. Overall, I really liked this film. It's a darker film that tackles more mature themes that grows with the audience that follows it.
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