Harry Potter und der Halbblutprinz sorgen für eine zauberhafte Zeit.
Jack Bauer überbrückt im Serien-Special die nächsten 24 Stunden.
Gewinnspielfrage zum Kinofilm Paranormal Activity…

Der Winter lässt noch auf sich warten und die Eichhörnchen bunkern fleißig ihre Beute. Rüsten auch Sie sich für die kalte Jahreszeit und füllen Ihre Wunschliste mit knackiger Filmkost.

Verschieben Sie den Winterschlaf! Harry Potter und der Halbblutprinz sorgen für eine zauberhafte Zeit. Jack Bauer überbrückt im Serien-Special die nächsten 24 Stunden und bleibt hellwach, denn sein Auftrag ist eine wirklich “harte Nuss”.

Werden Sie im Magazin selbst zum Nussknacker und lösen die Gewinnspielfrage zum aktuellen Kinofilm Paranormal Activity hier!

Harry Potter und der Halbblutprinz

In ‘Harry Potter und der Halbblutprinz’ schließt sich Voldemorts Faust immer enger um die Welt der Muggels und der Zauberer – sogar in Hogwarts ist man nicht mehr so sicher wie früher. Harry vermutet die Gefahr in der Burg selbst, doch Dumbledore konzentriert sich eher darauf, Harry auf die Entscheidungsschlacht vorzubereiten, die nun bald bevorsteht.

Gemeinsam suchen sie nach einer Strategie, mit der sich Voldemorts Verteidigungslinien durchbrechen ließen. Zu diesem Zweck engagiert Dumbledore seinen alten Freund und Kollegen, den ahnungslosen Lebenskünster Professor Horace Slughorn. Denn Dumbledore ist überzeugt, dass Slughorn mit seinen guten Beziehungen über entscheidende Informationen verfügt.

Unterdessen bekommen es die Schüler mit einem ganz andersartigen Gegner zu tun: In den Mauern der Burg spielen die Hormone der Teenager verrückt. Harry fühlt sich immer stärker zu Ginny hingezogen – doch Dean Thomas geht es genauso. Und Lavender Brown hat sich Ron ausgesucht, aber nicht mit Romilda Vanes Schokolade gerechnet!

Währenddessen kocht Hermine vor Eifersucht, will aber ihre Gefühle auf keinen Fall zeigen. Nur ein Schüler bleibt inmitten dieser knospenden Romanzen völlig unbeeindruckt. Er will unbedinigt Eindruck machen – und sei es mit dunklen Machenschaften. Während alle Welt verliebt ist, bahnt sich eine Tragödie an, die Hogwarts unwiderruflich verändern könnte.

Darsteller: Michael Gambon, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Jim Broadbent, David Thewlis, Warwick Davis, Richard Griffiths, Timothy Spall, Fiona Shaw, David Bradley, Julie Walters, Gemma Jones, Daniel Radcliffe, Mark Williams, Helen McCrory, Emma Watson, Tom Felton, Rupert Grint, Devon Murray, James Phelps, Alfie Enoch, Jamie Waylett, Oliver Phelps, Matthew Lewis, Josh Herdman, Bonnie Wright, Dave Legeno, William Melling, Ralph Ineson, Natalia Tena, Katie Leung, Shefali Chowdhury, Afshan Azad, Jessie Cave, Evanna Lynch, Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, Tony Coburn, Suzanne Toase, Amelda Brown, Nina Voelker, Robert Knox, Georgina Leonidas, Anna Shaffer, Tom Moorcroft, Johnpaul Castrianni, Rod Hunt, Freddie Stroma, Scarlett Byrne, Louis Cordice, Isabella Laughland, Teresa Mahoney, Frank Dillane, River George, Charlie Bennison, Dean Garnham.

Serien-Special
Sein Name ist Bauer, Jack Bauer. Die Zeit, die ihm bleibt:
Vierundzwanzig Stunden.

Video Buster stellt Ihnen eine Serie vor, die echtes Suchtpotential besitzt. ‘Echt’ ist in der TV-Produktion 24 weniger die Handlung, die sich von Staffel zu Staffel überbietet, echt ist zunächst einmal ein geniales Konzept: Eine Serie in Echtzeit, in der wir Zuschauer 60 Minuten unseres Lebens auch 60 Minuten des ereignisreichen Arbeitsalltag eines Mitarbeiters der Anti-Terror-Einheit CTU (Counter Terrorist Unit) begleitet.

Auf einigen Feldern ist ‘24′ mit derben Flüchen und ungeschminkten Gewaltszenarien zur TV-Hauptsendezeit ebenfalls einzigartig. Kritische Stimmen wurde immer dann laut, wenn es um Folter-Darstellungen und Waffeneinsatz zur Erzwingung der moralisch oder zumindest politisch legitimierten Ziele ging, in der inzwischen 8 Staffeln umfassenden Serie (im Januar 2010 startet Episode 1 der Season 8 in den USA).

Hauptdarsteller Sutherland gewann einen begehrten ‘Golden Globe’ und ‘24′ einen ‘Emmy’ für die beste Drama-Serie. Zu Recht? Urteilen Sie selbst und steigen Sie jetzt mit einem wahren Helden der TV-Unterhaltung in Boot: CTU’s Jack Bauer wartet auf Sie, zwar nicht ganz in Echtzeit, aber garantiert echt spannend! Weitere Informationen gibt es hier!

*** THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS ***

After an eight month delay, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has made its way into theaters. But will it stand up to the hype? Will it satisfy those who have not read the novel and those who have?

The film’s premise is quite simple: Dumbledore and Harry delve into Voldemort’s past to find out more about him and his weaknesses through memories Dumbledore has collected. Romance plays large part in the film as some of the students of Hogwarts are now older and are starting to feel things that come with adolescence.

The film is quite balanced in the romance and darkness department. There are some instances where the romance is laid on really thick between Ron Weasley and Lavender Brown, and Harry and Ginny Weasley, but the redeeming factor is that those scenes are hilarious to watch not only because they are funny, but because they are quite cheesy. Of course there is an instance or two where the romance is not at all realistic but it is entertaining.

The dark aspects of the film are worth waiting for, especially when Draco Malfoy enters the picture. Tom Felton has convinced me that he is a far better actor than Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson, all of whom are not at their strongest in the film. Felton takes the character of Malfoy and finally morphs him into a character that is not as bland as he was in the previous films. Felton makes him menacing as well as fearful about what task he has to perform for He Who Must Not Be Named. His scenes are well written and directed.

The things to pay attention to most in the film are the memories Dumbledore and Harry examine. Though the memories are brief, they do contain important information on how to defeat the Dark Lord. We find out through the memories that Voldemort dabbled in very dark magic while attending Hogwarts.

Jim Broadbent was cast for the role of Horace Slughorn and his performance is marvelous. Slughorn’s role in the film is to give Harry the full memory he altered and gave to Dumbledore, a memory he modified to hide his shame, as one can deduce. Slughorn loves popular wizards and loves to “collect” them, meaning he likes to have them in his company, along with their pictures on a shelf. Slughorn provides a lot of comedy in the film and Broadbent’s delivery is excellent.

Michael Gambon really shines in his role as the headmaster Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. From the beginning of the film, we learn that Dumbledore really cares for Harry and Gambon makes that apparent in his scenes with Radcliffe. Gambon finally brings the character of Dumbledore to life, more so than the late Richard Harris I would say. The Dumbledore in this film is more cheerful than in previous installments and more frightful as well. There is one scene in particular where I think Gambon shows us that he is Oscar-worthy.  Will the Academy honor his performance? I doubt it.

Alan Rickman’s portrayal of Severus Snape has never been better. In the film, Snape’s loyalties are in question. Whose side is he on? Is he on Dumbledore’s side or Lord Voldemort’s? Rickman is able to show us that he is capable of being on either side. For instance, there’s a scene where an Unbreakable Vow is being administered on him and Draco Malfoy’s mother, Narcissa. Rickman’s facial expressions in that scene convey that Snape is scared and worried that he may fail. In another scene we see Snape informing Dumbledore that he is growing tired of doing what he has been asked to do and Rickman delivers those lines with such conviction that you believe he is sick of doing Dumbledore’s bidding, if we go by the events that took place in Order of the Phoenix.

The Half-Blood Prince is extremely well-made. The cinematography is excellent; the colors used give the film as sense of gloomy darkness, something we have not seen since Prisoner of Azkaban. It reminds me of Zodiac and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Nicolas Hooper’s score is outstanding. He is perhaps the best composer so far in the series that is able to create dark ambient and frightening music. Hooper also utilized two themes created by John Williams: the theme from the Quidditch match in Prisoner of Azkaban and Hedwig’s Theme, both of which are altered slightly and expanded on. The inclusion of those tracks has angered some people, but I think it is quite delightful. The music played during the scenes featuring Malfoy and Dumbledore stand out the most. They are beautiful pieces. Rumors are floating about that Hooper will not return for the last two films which I think is a grave mistake.

UPDATE: Hooper will not return for the final two installments in the series.

Yates’s direction in the film is superior to what he did in Order of the Phoenix. It seems that he is growing and improving his style. Not only is he able to extract and direct great performances from many cast members, he is showing us that he has an artistic side as well. There are many instances of great camerawork, most notably during a speed-induced fly-in through the streets of London and Diagon Alley.

Overall, I feel that this is the best Harry Potter film to date and fans of the book series and the film series should be satisfied. I can only imagine what the next two installments will be like.

Jessie Cave

This is the 72nd post in our Celebrity of the Day series.

Jessie Cave was born in 1987 in West London.

She studied Illustration and Animation at Kingston University, and English Literature at The University of Manchester, but left before completing the courses. She also planned on studying to become a stagehand but then decided to pursue a career in acting.

She got her acting debut in a drama film called Summerhill which aired on CBBC in 2008.

In 2007 she came to an open casting call for the role of Lavender Brown in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. She beat out over 7,000 girls in order to gain the part. The movie was released in 2009.

That same year she had a very minor role in the movie Inkheart as a Water Nymph.

2009 was a busy year for Jessie as she also made a debut on West End playing the role of Thomasina in a revival of Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia.

It has already been announced that she will once again be playing Lavender Brown in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part II).

To learn more about Jessie Cave visit this fansite.

hai freunde…
sebagia sarana refresing, aku juga akan menulois tentang apa2 saja berita ter-hot
yang sedang melanda di hollywood,, aku dapat dari berbagai sumber (web) yang valid (insya Allah) dan majalah juga teman2Q…
here it is…

yang pertama, karena yang lagi lumayan happening adalah Harry Potter 6 (harry potter and the half-blood prince)
maka saya hadirkan disini beberapa fakta dari film ini :

1. PERLU 10 KALI TAKE UNTUK MENDAPATKAN ADEGAN KISSING YANG SEMPURNA
- ya..,, setidaknya sebanyak itulah rupert grint mengulang untuk adegan kissing Ron-Lavender.
“sangat memalukan. kami berdua sangat gugup dan sutradara David yates mengarahkan dengan baik sekali.
dia cuma mengulang adegan itu sebanyak 10 kali” kata rupert =P
parahnya, rupert dan jessie cave (lavender) melakukan adegan itu dalam ruangan penuh orang.
“mereka nonton sambil heboh” kata rupert lagi sambil senyum ngenes. oya, adegan yang lumayan sukar dan menegangkan ini,,
di lakukan bahkan pada hari ke-3 si Lavender syuting, bayangin aja.., blom apa2 udah dapet adegan ciuman!?

2. DI LOKASI SYUTING HARRY POTTER ADA 2 DAN,EMMA,RUPERT !?
- hal yang pertama kali bikin kamu tercengang saat berkeliling lokasi syuting harry potter (semoga) adalah,,
semua pemeran utama punya kembaran!!! jadi, (dan, emma, rupert) punya stand-in (pemeran pengganti) yang secara fisik super mirip sama mereka =D
bahkan, pemain2 itu pakai kostum yang sama dengan mereka (kembaran). lucunya, banyak kru yang terkecoh karena kemiripan mereka hehehe…
“it’s weird” gumam rupert…”mereka bahkan duduk bareng saat makan siang!” ungkap emma…
perbedaannya cuma dari faktor usia, pemeran utama emma udah umur 24 lebih …

3. RUPERT GAK JUALAN ESKRIM DALAM WAKTU DEKAT
- hal lain dari rupert adalah dia benar2 tergila2 dengan eskrim, terutama mobil penjual eskrim!
dia bahkan punya 1, buatan tahun 1970. tapi kalian jangan terlalu berharap selesai harry potter rupert bakal jualan eskrim keliling hollywood yow…
“urusannya agak ribet, kamu harus ngurus berbagai izin Dep.Kes untuk bisa jualan eskrim” ucapnya.

4. KAMAR GANTI MASING2 PEMAIN
- ada benda apa saja di masing2 trailler mereka?
dikamar rupert ada dart, bilyard, tenis meja, dan game2 console.
ruangan dan penuh dengan CD2 music dan buku.
sedang ditempat emma ada lukisan mural, buatan emma sendiri, katanya lukisan itu ia buat waktu bosan di lokasi syuting!?
dan kalau gak gitu, kamarnya bakal penuh lilin2 hias dan benda2 girlish…

5. DAN DAN RUPERT KALAH TELAK TENIS MEJA LAWAN EMMA
- nah, berita yang satu ini bener2 banyak dibicarain dimana2…
ada di teen, popstar, web yang tak bisa kusebutkan.., dan mungkin beberapa majalah lainnya…
jadi … dan dan rupert, hobi main tenis meja, pingpong…kalo lagi break…
tapi kesenangan mereka sirna kalau emma gabung dan berhasil mengalahkan keduanya =P
saat itu, mereka lagi main bareng “it’s irritating that emma is so good…” rupert dan aku sudah main tenis meja selama 8 bulan lebih bergantian menang atau kalah…
suatu hari emma muncul dan permainannya keren abis. nggak satupun aku atau rupert bisa menang lawan emma. sekarang permainanku sudah lebih baik, tapi aku nggak punya rencana main lawan emma.
singap dan. hehehe..,, takut kalah lagi kali ya?!?

6. BONNIE WRIGHT IS SMOKER
- yepz, bonni adalah seorang perokok…(radcliffe juga)
dia (bonnie) beberapa kali tertangkap kamera sedang merokok.
beberapa fotonya yang merokok pun sudah beredar diinternet.
seperti ini :

sayangnya,, binnie gak mau berkomentar atas kebiasaannya itu…

7. DANIEL RADCLIFFE IS AN ATHEIST
“i’m an atheist, but i’m very relaxed about it”
gitu katanya daniel radcliffe … for your info, artis laen cowok yang terkenal dan juga atheis adalah pemain narnia, skandar keynes.
hmmh…, kata itu kukutip dari majalah esquire, majalah yang biasanya bercover hitam-putih itu mengungakap sisi lain Dan dan kedekatannya dengan emma.
cover kali ini (edisi khusus kali ini) dibuat agak sephia, dan bergambar daniel radcliffe rapi dengan jas dengan make-up seolah habis ditonjok pada mata kanan..
juga efek mmimisan dihidungnya yang bikin super dramatis =)
ini dia gambarnya :

lain2 dapat kalian baca di harrypotterandthehalfbloodprince.com atau googling aja =)

WARNING: HIGHLY SPOILERIFIC!

As it says in the title. I finally went with dee to watch it. Took us long enough. But anyway. I found it was brilliant. It wasn’t a complete winner but I really did enjoy the show.

First of all I have to add that quite a lot of people tell me that it was a disappointing movie. How it wasn’t true to the book or it was too comedical. Well there is seldom an extreme. Saying that it was completely true to the book is a lie. Saying vice versa is also not the truth.

Within a short period of time the movie must be screened, what of the approximately 600 pages would you bring to live? Scenes? Accurate dialogue? Graphics? It’s everything actually, if that was even possible. For me I think – essence and characterization. I always find that movies made from books are so unsatisfying (with the exception of some such as Lord of the Rings), is because the essence is different. The kind of feelings and emotions that welled up in you when you read the book… sometimes they are all just ruined.

I felt Order of the Phoenix was like that. That movie was just unenjoyable. It made me a bit apprehensive about this one (especially since the sixth book is my favourite of the series), but the essence of the sixth movie matched that of the book. The characterisation was well done too. I mean Ron’s quite a git, and he was really a git in the movie. Hilarious as well.

Oh and Lavender Brown (played by Jessie Cave) was perfect too. Like a crazy and hopeless bimbotic fan.

Oh my GAWD I’m like just rambling now. Ok ok. I am gonna have to start again in a way that makes more sense…

Ahem! The movie first started with a very dark feel. Right from the very start (though I honestly thought the part of Harry and waitress ahem, was quite unneccessary), the audience is already given a sense of what direction the movie is going in. And I liked that. I thought the sombre theme was very suitable.

I liked the soundtrack a lot too. Perhaps I like sad or solemn or mysterious or darker songs but this soundtrack was definitely appealing.

Visuals wise, the movie was stunning. This is one of my favourite scenes.

There is so much intrigue about this scene. The majesty of it all, and then realising how truly powerful Voldemort is. To come to such a place when he was so young, and creating an Inferi army, etc. It truly adds that sense of despair – what Harry is fighting against.

This is another scene I loved.

It’s just really beautiful. And it was so quiet it gave me a bit of the creeps.

My favourite part of the movie is really definitely around these scenes. Finding the locket horcrux. It’s like a love-hate thing. Because I thought and still think that Dumbledore really didn’t need to die then. But oh well, characters are at the mercy of the author after all. Michael Gambon is a really good actor. I didn’t fully appreciate that in the previous movies because Dumbledore is always supposed to be a bit odd up there and there wasn’t really much space to develop his character in acting… until now. I was crying of course, when he was drinking up the black liquid from the basin and he looked really really really pitiful there. :C Superb skills really. Superb.

Other scenes I liked? BATHROOM SCENE! No really! I liked the bathroom fighting scene between Harry and Draco.. A LOT. I don’t know but it was exactly how I pictured it would be (except for the absence of Myrtle).

Tom Felton is also a really fantastic actor. It was so raw with emotions and you can’t help but sympathise with Draco then. (I didn’t sympathise with him in the book… just thought he was a wimp.)

I want to talk a bit about the two new actors too. Namely the two young Tom Riddle. Let me start with the younger one first.

His name is Hero (What irony!), Hero Fiennes-Tiffin. Yes he is Ralph Fiennes’ (adult Voldemort) real nephew. And my verdict is… he was perfect for the role! C:

I mean look at him! He looks psychopathic! In my opinion, you can totally imagine him growing up into Lord Voldemort. And I liked it when he took the box out of the flaming cupboard and Dumbledore reprimanded him, and then he gave this creepy stare. I was so caught into the whole thing – felt like I was really transported into the memory in the pensieve.

For the new teenage Tom Riddle who was acted by Frank Dillane, I thought he looked too young! (On the contrary Lily and the other Hogwarts pupils in Slughorn’s photo looked way too old. But I guess it couldn’t be helped. Not that many Lilys around.) But other than being too young I felt he played the part well. it was definitely a very polished and cunning, and still psychopathic portrayal of Voldemort.

For the other characters, well. The main trio are as always, pretty much the same. Luna (Evanna Lynch) is as usual, really quite looney which is great. Slughorn (Jim Broadbent) was very suitable, all that wiggly eyebrow and sly look and twisted smile and stuff… but perhaps not as fat as I imagined ( I suppose they wouldn’t want to fatten him up. It’s unhealthy.). And Snape (Alan Rickman) is still same ol’ antagonistic Snape. But the struggle within him was quite apparent in this movie. And then Fenrir Greyback. Omgawd really slimy and pervy.

About the comedical parts, well I thought there was a bit too many of those and some of the time could have been put to constructing the final fight scenes in the book, but they were still enjoyable. In that sense I had a good laugh here and there. The thing is, reading the books again, I laugh quite a bit too. J. K. Rowling has a very humourous way of writing and so why should the movie be completely stiff and solemn when there are funny parts here and there in the book?

There are three main scenes that should have been filmed though. The lack of these scenes are what I felt, made the movie less stellar.

The first would be, as I have already mentioned, the final fight scene. Though it is rather difficult to portray, it still does not make much sense that the Death Eaters would come and destroy a few windows after Dumbledore was killed, and then go back home? Are we meant to assume that they just ran off like that? Or that some teachers stopped them? I think it was a very important scene that, should at least have been expanded on a little more.

Alan Rickman being real cool as Snape! Hahahah.             “Fight back you coward! Fight back!”           Hahahahha! Sorry I couldn’t resist.

Well ok back to the missing scenes. Second scene that really should have been added in – the tomb. OI THE WHITE TOMB! And Fawkes singing a song of lament of course. It was such a beautiful imagery, so sad, despairing and yet empowering. If David Yates had directed that part into the script, the scene of the whole Dumbledore’s passing and funeral would have been perfect.

The last scene or I should say series of scenes, though it would have been hard to fully squeeze in (maybe parts of the whole?), is that of Riddle’s family. After reading the books, I think other than love, family was also one of the main themes. Riddle, Potter and Snape, all from half-blood families, and how they each react in their different situations. How they grew up to be such starkingly disparate people in similar yet different environments. The House of Gaunt, Merope and Marvolo Gaunt and stuff like that… I thought it was a crucial scene because of what it meant in the Harry Potter series. Oh well I guess time’s always the deciding factor. But damn I would really have thought that should have been put in.

And so I shall conclude that, on the whole. I really liked it. The real essence was there, it brought about the right kind of emotions, and the pace was balanced. It definitely could have been improved in quite a few ways, but I think the lack of time was the main problem. And cutting down a bit on the love and comedy for other more significant scenes might have made the movie a lot better.

Overall… my rating is about 3.5/5 stars. I would definitely have given it a 4 if it wasn’t because this was my favourite book of the series and I’m waaaay more nitpicky about the details. But it’s worth the watch. So watch it!

Antes que nada, perdón por el título de esta entrada; me salió bien a lo alemán. En segundo lugar, aviso que esta entrada tiene spoilers. Así que si no querés que te arruine el día no sigas leyendo. Esto último me resulta un poco estúpido, acaso no todo el mundo sabía que Dumbledore se moría al final? En tercer lugar, aclaro que no soy crítico de cine, más bien un simple espectador, y que esta entrada no pretende ser más que un comentario acerca del film.

El sábado fui a ver Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince (aka El Príncipe Mestizo). La película, que se estrenó con una semana de retraso en la Argentina, fue esperada con mucha ansia por quien escribe por una simple razón: Emma Watson (la cual se ha puesto muy linda). Y es que desde The Goblet of Fire, los libros de J.K. Rowling no me terminan de convencer. Desde que leí aquel libro me dió la sensación de que Rowling ya prestaba más atención al marketing que a otra cosa, y desde que salieron las películas (la primera en 2001) sin duda The Order of the Phoenix, The Half Blood Prince y The Deathley Hallows fueron escritos teniendo en mente los films. Pero de eso hablaré en otra oportunidad.

En cuanto a la película, fuí a verla, como hago siempre, sin antes haber leído ninguna review. Al llegar al cine, bien temprano (sábado 25 3PM) recibí una señal que no supe interpretar: hasta las 21 todas las funciones estaban agotadas. Entonces saqué para esa hora y volví a casa. Regresé a las 20.40 y me encontré con que la fila para ingresar se encontraba por fuera del hall. Afuera hacía mucho frío y corría viento, mientras que el hall de entrada (que es inmenso) estaba vacío: esa fue la segunda señal. Una vez ingresé al pasillo interior que comunica con las distintas salas, me encontré con una escena terrorífica: al cartel en tamaño real de Harry junto a Dumbledore le faltaba la cabeza… y la varita de Harry. Aquella fue la tercera señal. Como un tonto no supe interpretarlas; todas indicaban lo mismo: esta película no va a estar buena. Jaja y así sucedió.

De toda la saga de películas, ésta fue la que peor adaptó el libro. Reconozco que lo leí hace dos años ya, y que no lo tenía muy fresco en la mente, pero por momentos pensé estar viendo una película que no tenía nada que ver con el niño mago. En cuanto a la duración y el desarrollo del film, así como lo plantearon debería haber durado una hora más (me pregunto como habrán hecho para entender aquellos que fueron sin haber leído ningún libro). No entendí cuál fue el motivo para darle tanta atención al tema hormonal y descuidar los aspectos principales de la trama. Acaso quisieron hacer algo parecido a Twilight? Además, tampoco me parecieron bien logradas dichas escenas.

Aún así, me parece que fue bien filmada, con efectos especiales acordes y una adecuada fotografía. Aunque… en algunas escenas me parece que se les fue la mano con la oscuridad. Pero de estos temas sé poco y nada así que continuemos por otro lado.

En cuanto a actuación se refiere. Me llevé una gran sorpresa con el trabajo de Michael Gambon interpretando a Albus Dumbledore. Siempre me desagradó el pobre desarrollo del personaje en las películas. Cualquiera que haya leído los libros sabe que Dumbledore no es como se lo pinta en los films. A pesar de ello, la actuación de Gambon, de 68 años, fue en esta entrega sencillamente magistral. A pesar de que se aleja del original, supo darle a su peculiar versión de Albus, un toque de majestuosidad que no pudo dar en otras oportunidades. La actuación en la escena en donde recuperan el falso Horrocrux, para la cual debe beber todo el líqudo mágico, fue absolutamente genial. Realmente un actor de puta madre. Sin duda se despidió de su papel con gloria, ya que su próxima aparición (si es que deciden incluirla) es demasiado breve.

Otro actor de puta madre es Jim Broadbent. En esta película se lució verdaderamente interpretando al Profesor Horace Slughorn. Como dije antes, no tengo muy fresco el libro, así que no me animo a decir si su papel es fiel o no. De todos modos, en la película se desenvolvió satisfactoriamente en distintas escenas (de distinto clima). Leí que, gracias a Dios, el actor, de 60 años, aparecerá nuevamente en las dos proximas entregas.

Qué se puede decir de Alan Rickman (Profesor Snape) y Maggie Smith (Profesora McGonagall)? Dos actores, en este caso, de reputísima madre. Es sencillo, cuando entran en escena no importa si dicen poco ni con quién aparecen, en seguida roban cámara de una manera espectacular. Los dos actores, de 63 y 74 años, respectivamente, han logrado desarrollar sus personajes, a lo largo de la serie, de un modo fascinante. Y esta entrega no es la excepción. Es una lástima que los hayan de cierto modo marginado en cuanto a sus apariciones. A Snape, quizá el personaje más rico de la historia, que es el Príncipe Mestizo que da nombre al film, prácticamente se lo puso en un segundo o incluso tercer plano.

Tampoco me quiero olvidar de la actuación de Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange), la cual es otra actriz de puta madre, de David Thewlis (Remus Lupin), David Bradley (Argus Filch) y de Timothy Spall (Wormtail/Peter Pettigrew). Aunque aparecen poco, son unos maestros a la hora de interpretar sus personajes.

Algunas otras sorpresas

Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) ha demostrado que tiene talento y le auguro un interesante futuro. Me dejó sorprendido la actuación de Jessie Cave (Lavender Brown). Rupert Grint (Ron) ha mejorado bastante con respecto a las anteriores entregas. En cuanto a Emma Watson (Hermione), se nota que ha madurado con la experiencia, aunque me parece muy bien que se dedique a estudiar Literatura (a buen entendedor pocas palabras). En cuanto a Evanna Lynch, no sé si es buena actriz, pero el papel de esquizofrénica le sienta de maravilla.

Lo mismo de siempre

Daniel Radcliffe (Harry) sigue creyendo que pararse frente a una cámara y poner cara de inocente es actuar. Y en cuanto a Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley), es muy bonita, pero no sirve ni para relleno.

Las tres mejores escenas

En mi humilde opinión, entre las tres escenas mejor logradas del film se encuentran: la escena en donde Dumbledore y Harry se encuentran en la Cueva de los Inferi, la escena del funeral de Aragog y la escena de la Enfermería (en donde aparecían Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Slughorn, Harry, Ron, Lavender, Ginny y Hermione).

Lo que no perdono

La parte cuando el colegio encuentra el cadáver de Dumbledore no llegó a ser lo suficientmente emotiva: debería haber sido el clímax de la película! Y cómo puede ser que hayan decidido obviar sus funerales? Era la escena que quizá yo más esperaba, en donde aparecerían todos los magos y las criaturas del Bosque. Decir que dicha ausencia me indignó, es poco decir.

LA BANDA SONORA

01. Opening (02:54)
02. In Noctem (02:00)
03. The Story Begins (02:05)
04. Ginny (01:30)
05. Snape & the Unbreakable Vow (02:50)
06. Wizard Wheezes (01:42)
07. Dumbledore’s Speech (01:31)
08. Living Death (01:55)
09. Into the Pensieve (01:45)
10. The Book (01:44)
11. Ron’s Victory (01:44)
12. Harry & Hermione (02:52)
13. School! (01:05)
14. Malfoy’s Mission (02:53)
15. The Slug Party (02:11)
16. Into the Rushes (02:33)
17. Farewell Aragog (02:08)
18. Dumbledore’s Foreboding (01:18)
19. Of Love & War (01:17)
20. When Ginny Kissed Harry (02:38)
21. Slughorn’s Confession (03:33)
22. Journey to the Cave (03:08)
23. The Drink of Despair (02:44)
24. Inferi in the Firestorm (01:53)
25. The Killing of Dumbledore (03:34)
26. Dumbledore’s Farewell (02:22)
27. The Friends (02:00)
28. The Weasley Stomp (02:51)
Total Duration: 01:02:40

Como hice en otra oportunidad, no quiero desaprovechar la oportunidad de hacer un pequeño comentario acerca del soundtrack. Trataré, por supuesto de centrarme en esta última entrega. Y es que hablar en general de la música de Harry Potter merece una entrada aparte.

El score fue compuesto por Nicholas Hooper, quien ya se había encargado de la música de la anterior película. Aquel soundtrack fue sencillamente excelente y absolutamente original, en cambio, éste me pareció muy flojo y vacío de contenido. Fue simple música de relleno, a excepción de algunos tracks.

En general, podemos decir que se trata de una continuación, en términos musicales, del anterior score. Llama mucho la atención, en Ron’s Victory, una reminiscencia del genial track compuesto por John Williams, Quidditch, Third Year (Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban). Se trata de una respetuosa reinterpretación que realmente me ha gustado mucho. La misma reminiscencia aparece en Of Love & War. También se encuentran extractos de la obra de Williams en Opening y en Ginny (basados en el maravilloso Hedwig’s Theme).

Otros tracks que me gustaron son los bien logrados In Noctem, una pieza coral que suena muy bien; Harry & Hermione, muy melancólica; Farewell Aragog, bellísima, acompañó la escena del funeral de Aragog; Slughorn’s Confession, simple pero emotiva; Journey to the Cave, cuyo segmento principal es una imponente fanfarria con coro utilizada en la ‘aparición’ de Dumbledore y Harry en la Cueva de los Inferi; y Dumbledore’s Farewell, sin duda el clímax del soundtrack, con un poderoso efecto (si no fuera por esta música la escena de la muerte de Albus hubiera sido un desastre).

Por último no quiero dejar de mencionar dos tracks que no aparecen en la película, pero sí en el cd: se trata de Wizard Wheezes (totalmente descolgado, casi un WTF?) y The Weasley Stomp, el cual ha sido una grata sorpresa.

Hello & welcome to another post. Lately the hype surrounding the new Harry Potter movie The Half Blood Prince has raised a slight sense of suspicion. is it good? or not?. I will post my own review when I do have the oppertunity to the see the film but for now here is a review from The Telegraph. Hope you agree!

Even hardcore Hogwarts fans would admit that the Harry Potter films to date, though box-office hits, have not been a patch on the original novels by JK Rowling. In fact, they’ve been stuttering and gauche. The last one, 2007’s The Order of the Phoenix, was an especially tepid affair.

Watson’s three-year break News that its director David Yates had signed on to complete the series didn’t augur well: wouldn’t the movies, now that all seven books have been published, feel dated and irrelevant? Haven’t they have been superseded in the hearts and minds of younger viewers by the success of Twilight?

It’s with some incredulity then that I must tell you that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince not only stands head and shoulders above the previous five films, but that it’s terrific entertainment in its own right.

The actors, who are getting on a bit and have been plotting post-Potter careers (Rupert Grint has starred in a couple of independent features, while Daniel Radcliffe has been shedding his clothes in a Broadway production of Equus), come across as newly-liberated and energized, eager to give all they have to what’s left of the series. Yates too has had a rethink and a reboot.

Every new Harry Potter film tends to be heralded as the darkest one to date. The Half-Blood Prince really is heavy and gloomy. Right from the start, when sooty-black Death Eaters soar across the skies and into London, laying waste to the Millennium Bridge in the process, it’s clear that Yates, together with director of photography Bruno Delbonnel, wishes to steer the action away from its English boarding-school story roots and closer towards eerier, more grown-up fare such as Guillermo Del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth (2006).

The train-station platform from which Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) jettisons Harry (Radcliffe), who had been chatting up a café waitress, is less quaint than before. So is the creepy suburban home into which they march: it belongs to Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent), a sad-eyed former Potions Professor at Hogwarts whom they hope to lure out of retirement in order to help them in their enduring battle against Voldemort.

The school itself is less of the fairy-tale playground than it used to be. There are security checks for concealed weapons at its front gates. Inside, the pupils have suddenly grown up into lanky, hormonal young adults who drink ale, get high on magic potions, and are eager to snog members of the opposite sex.

Harry himself is keen on Ginnie Weasley (Bonnie Wright), while Ron, much to the dismay of Hermione (Emma Watson), is getting cosy with Lavender Brown (a deliciously over-the-top turn by Jessie Cave).

The film is full of tricks and conceits that will delight Potter aficionados: the Pensieve through which Harry dips his head in order to be able to gaze at vital episodes from Voldemort’s youth; a Horcrux in which piece of the soul can be hidden.

Strangely enough, it’s the less elaborate and more workaday scenes in which the teenagers of Hogwarts flirt and pout, just as normal teenagers spend their adolescences flirting and pouting, that are the most amusing and endearing.

That’s because many of us have grown up and grown older with these characters. They resemble friends and relatives as much as they do fictional creatures. It’s hard not to feel charmed and a kind of parental concern for Hermione, when, as someone so forceful in most aspects of her life, she becomes shy and nervous at the thought of telling Ron how much she likes him.

It wouldn’t do to over-stress the courting and cuteness in the Half-Blood Prince. Word is that Warner Brothers asked Yates to lighten up the action. As it is, Helena Bonham Carter as demented Bellatrix Lestrange comes across like a female version of Heath Ledger’s Joker. Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton), more vicious than ever, stamps on Harry’s face.

The scene in which Harry and friends are attacked in a field by Death Eaters is as scary as M. Night Shymalam’s early films. Alan Rickman’s Severus Snape enunciates every syllable of every word with the coiled precision of an anaconda.

Working from such a lengthy novel it’s inevitable that writer Steve Kloves won’t be able to give some of the characters the screen time they deserve. I do wish though he could have found more room for Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall: her Scottish accent, together with the boarding-school setting, bring back happy memories of her performance in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969).

The difficulty of compacting so much material into a short time – the film is over 150 minutes long, but races by – means that the editing can veer towards the jerky and abrupt. What’s more, the banter between Harry, Hermione and Ron, here as in previous installments, often appears stiff and forced.

Still, what an odd situation the Half-Blood Prince creates. Four directors and six films into the series, it finally seems to have found its stride. It’s as confident, muscular and comic as its predecessors were puny and timid. And, for the first time, it has a genuine emotional tug.

Part of that sadness comes from its story. But it also stems from the likelihood that no printed book will ever generate the same fervour again. We have flocked in hope and in far to the Harry Potter films to check on how the novels we adore have been transformed from page to screen.

In the future, more and more books, especially those aimed at younger readers, will begin life on a digital screen. As a result, the promise of cinematic alchemy will surely wane. I find myself looking forward, with an unusually deep sense of imminent bereavement, to the final two films in the series.

ATTENZIONE. CONTIENE SPOILER SUL FILM NON SUL PROSIEGUO DELLA STORIA!

Finalmente ce l’ho fatta.

Sono andata al cinema priva di ogni aspettativa, visto che questo film è tratto dal libro più bello e meglio scritto della saga quindi aspettarsi meraviglie era assolutamente proibito.

Invece, e a differenza di molti cultori, non sono affatto delusa.

Lo spirito del libro non viene tradito assolutamente. Come ogni film è molto frettoloso ma ci sono un paio di scene davvero meravigliose (su tutte la corsa in mezzo al campo di grano alla “Tana” e la partita di quidditch) e una fotografia eccellente. Non mancano i momenti di ilarità, grazie ad un  Ron stratosferico, e momenti inquitanti grazie ad un Draco in gran spolvero e ad una Bellatrix stratosferica.

Certo, ci sono delle differenze molto importanti e che soprattutto potevano essere evitate con estrema facilità.

Scene che renderanno il prossimo film molto più scontato e telefonato.

Le più importanti:

Dettagli tralasciati e spiegazioni non date soprattutto in materia di Horcrux. Grosso sbaglio!

Il passato di Piton ed il suo essere “il principe mezzosangue” a mio avviso fondamentale e soprattutto realizzato meravigliosamente nel libro, liquidato nel film con una mezza parola. Molto si scopre su Severus nel libro. Nel film non trapela nulla.

Lo stesso dicasi per il passato di Tom Riddle: dettagli importanti sono stati tralasciati bellamente. Passaggi che avrebbero spiegato meglio la complessa personalità di Voldemort. Un peccato.

Nel film Harry assiste impotente alla morte di Silente. Non interviene. Si tratta di una cavolata che stravolge assolutamente la personalità del maghetto, descritto come ribelle e fancazzista ma incredibilmente coraggioso. Harry si sarebbe fatto ammazzare ma sarebbe intervenuto. Nel libro ciò non accade perchè Silente, conoscendo Harry e i suoi slanci, gli scaglia addosso un Pietrificus Totalus proprio per renderlo inerme.

Ci sono poi banalità che disturbano una precisina come me: nel film non si vede il solenne funerale di Silente. Se lo meritava tutto. Il grande mago inoltre, viene seppellito senza la sua bacchetta. Inammissibile. E non viene sottolineato il meraviglioso volo di Fanny, che abbandona il castello dopo la morte di Silente. Il film si concude con i tre protagonisti che guardano un uccello volare. Non è un gabbiano. E la fenice di Silente , Fanny appunto, che con un canto straziante se ne va da Hogwarts.

Molte lamentele ho sentito, per le  rimarcatevicissitudini sentimentali dei protagonisti.  Io non ne sono stata minimanete disturbata.

Nel libro sono realizzate in maniera meravigliosa: la storia d’amore tra Ginny ed Harry e perfetta nonostante io odii la rossa Weasley e shipperi Harry ed Hermione da sempre e per sempre.

Nel film il tutto viene enfatizzato e reso anche parecchio divertente. Melo aspettavo ed è anche ovvio.

Si tratta di adolescenti che vivono in un collegio. Insieme. In contatto perenne. Teen agers con l’ormone in fiamme ed in grado di fare cose fantastiche.

Diciamocelo: se Hogwarts fosse realtà sarebbe un porcaio. Ci sarebbero orge in ogni Casa. Sveltine consumate sotto i mantelli dell’invisibilità. La Stanza delle Necessità usata per un solo e unico scopo. Qui la utilizzano per studiare di nascosto! Sono anche troppo nerd! Anche in questo campo comunque ci sono differenze fondamentali con il libro. Alla fine dello stesso, Harry sconvolto e ormai definitivamente rassegnato al suo ruolo di Prescelto, lascia definitivamente Ginny con un ragionamento degno di lode. Nel film, tutto tace.

Alla fine del libro ho sofferto grandemente e ho fatto mille congetture. Mille.

Piton è davvero un traditore? Silente è davvero morto o ha racchiuso la sua anima in un horcrux rendendosi immortale?Se l’ha fatto chi avrebbe ucciso?

Sono interrogativi che il film non mi suscita. E non perchè conosco già le risposte attraverso il settimo libro.

Mi piacerebbe invece molto, conoscere le vostre soluzioni. Ovviamente non barate! Se avete letto i libri non vale!

Ovviamente l’invito è rivolto alla categoria din pazzi che “eviscerano”.

Perchè sì! Io lo faccio anche con Harry Potter!

(Cose che mi hanno fatto ridere perchè sono idiota)

1) Spiegati come la fighissima mulattina dell’inizio possa cagare uno come Harry anche solo di striscio! E spiegatemi come un miracolato come lui, accetti di recarsi con Silente!Ma quando gli ricapita un occasione così?

2) Ron guarda la luna vittima di un incantesimo. Volto estasiato in primo piano. Io e la mia amica in coro “ma qualcuno gli sta facendo un p******????”

Buahahahahahah

]]> http://kinonowosci.wordpress.com/2009/07/21/harry-potter-i-ksiaze-polkrwi-harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince/ Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:16:15 +0000 zania37 http://kinonowosci.wordpress.com/2009/07/21/harry-potter-i-ksiaze-polkrwi-harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince/

• Gatunek: Fantasy
• Produkcja: USA, Wielka Brytania (2009)
• Czas trwania: 153 min
• Polska Premiera: 24-07-2009
• Światowa premiera: 06-07-2009
• Polski dystrybutor: Warner Bros.
• Reżyseria: David Yates
• Scenariusz: Steve Kloves

Obsada filmu

• Jim Broadbent
• Jessie Cave
• Robbie Coltrane
• Tom Felton
• Michael Gambon
• Rupert Grint
• Evanna Lynch

Lord Voldemort zaciska swoją złowieszczą pętlę wokół świata Mugoli i czarodziejów, a Hogwart przestaje być – jak dawniej – bezpieczną przystanią. Harry podejrzewa, że niebezpieczeństwo może czaić się w samym zamku, ale Dumbledorowi zależy raczej na przygotowaniu go do ostatecznego starcia, które jego zdaniem nastąpi niebawem. Razem usiłują znaleźć broń zdolną skruszyć zapory Voldemorta. Harry’emu coraz bardziej podoba się Ginny…niestety, Dean Thomas jest nią również zainteresowany. Lavender Brown dochodzi do wniosku, że Ron jest jej przeznaczeniem, nie bierze tylko pod uwagę czekoladek Romildy Vane! No i oczywiście Hermiona, przeżywająca męki zazdrości, lecz zdecydowana nie ujawniać uczuć. Gdy romanse kwitną, tylko jeden uczeń pozostaje wyniosły i obojętny. Postanowił wywrzeć swoje niezatarte – choć mroczne – piętno na życiu Akademii. Miłość wisi w powietrzu, lecz za nią czai się dramat i Hogwart być może już nigdy nie będzie taki jak przedtem.

Depois conferir duas vezes o filme me sinto seguro o bastante para dar minha opinião sobre o melhor filme da saga de Harry Potter.

É impressionante a evolução notada nesse filme, David Yates tem um excelente trabalho aqui – e garanto que se o Steve Kloves tivesse o roteirista do filme anterior teria sido tão bom quanto este. Este filme tem cara de cinema, e não de versão cinematográfica de um dos livros de uma saga infanto-juvenil; ele tem identidade própria; características marcantes e não apenas bons efeitos e ação.

O que mais me chamou atenção nesse filme foi, por incrível que pareça, o elenco. Sempre achei Rupert Grint o melhor dos três, por ter um timing cômico excelente, mas eis que nesse filme os três protagonistas evoluíram demais. Lembro que Emma Watson teve aquela cena de choro no 4º filme que não me convenceu muito, mas neste filme adorei a cena em que ela vê o Rony e a Lilá se beijando e o choro dela depois foi bem convincente. Daniel Radcliffe me espantou, saiu finalmente do ponto morto e das caras de lerdo – adorei a sequência em que ele toma a poção lá e fica alegrinho, conseguiu mostrar que o ator consegue fazer algo de diferente. Mesmo o trio ternura estando ótimo, os destaques vão para os coadjuvantes: Jessie Cave dá um show na pele de Lilá Brown, assumo que gostei muito mais dela no filme do que no livro; outro que esteve ótimo foi o Tom Felton, mesmo estando com a cara amarga de sempre conseguiu demonstrar bem os conflitos vividos pelo personagem; Michael Gambon é um excelente ator e disso não há dúvidas e nesse filme tivemos a chance de apreciar a sua excelência, a cena em que ele bebe a poção é perfeita; neste filme também temos os ótimos Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Jim Broadbent, Robbie Coltrane, Maggie Smith, entre outras lendas britânicas. Ah! Já ía me esquecendo da não-tão-novata Evanna Lynch, que dá um show na pele da minha amada Luna Lovegood.

A parte técnica do filme é perfeita. A trilha sonora de Nicolas Hooper é uma das melhores da série, claro que podemos identificar alguns temas de John Williams, mas seria impossível um filme de Harry Potter existir sem eles. Os efeitos especias são de encher os olhos, aquela cena da caverna é absurda de tão linda, principalmente a parte do fogo. A fantástica direção de arte já é carta marcada em todas as produções do bruxinho, destaco nesse filme a Geminialidades Weasley, o Orfanato e a torre de Astronomia. Os efeitos sonoros muito mais trabalhados que nos filmes anteriores, um exemplo disse é a cena em que o Dubledore “restaura” a casa do Slughorn. Os figurinos também são perfeitos, estão mais modernos e através deles podemos perceber a mesma evolução característica do filme. Mesmo toda parte técnica já falada sendo excelente nada se compara à fotografia de Bruno Delbonnel. O que é aquilo? Ela vai da mais brilhante à mais escura possível, as cenas do Orfanato, da caverna e a da morte do Dubledore são perfeitas.

Todo filme eu reclamo das partes do livro que foram cortadas, mas não tive problemas com esse porque, como já disse, ele tem identidade própria, ele é completo, não falta nada. Nunca imaginei que choraria vendo um filme de Harry Potter e não é que eu chorei? Toda aquela sequência da morte do Dumbledore e as varinhas apontadas pro céu, não consegui me conter. E cena da morte dele foi perfeita – totalmente diferente daquela cena fria que foi a morte do Sirius no filme anterior -, o “please” dele seguido pelo avada kedavra e ele caindo em câmera lenta, perfeito. O roteiro desse filme é o melhor da série, J. K. Rowling deixou de ser chata e deu mais liberdade ao coitado do Steve Kloves, que conseguiu adpatar maravilhosamente bem o sexto livro da saga, principalmente no desenvolvimento dos personagens (algo que nunca teve em nenhum dos filmes). Ao invés de impor situações, ele explica, o que faz o filme parecer arrastado para uns (não pra mim) e como ouvi muita gente dizer é que o filme tem cara de suspense, adorei ouvir isso, pois fica claro que não é mais um filme infantil. E pela primeira vez na saga tivemos num filme uma cena que não existe no livro, já houveram cenas modificadas, mas criadas não; e essa cena é perfeita, a câmera e a edição ágeis contribuiram para isso, mas toda a carga dramática nela é excelente.

Vamos ao parte que mais gosto, Oscar! Com a expansão do número de indicados à categoria máxima acredito que Harry Potter e o Enigma do Príncipe tem grandes chances de conseguir uma vaguinha lá, acho terá uma vaga para um blockbuster e o filme demonstrou ser um de qualidade. Em relação às outras categorias torço para que um dos atores consiga uma vaga (torci tanto pela Imelda Staunton ano retrasado), acho que os têm mais chance são Michael Gambon e Jim Broadbent; a fotografia de Bruno Delbonnel tem que ser indicada; torço também para que entre em Roteiro Adaptado, Edição, Trilha Sonoroa, Efeitos Visuais, Figurino e Direção de Arte. Aposto que o filme vai fazer a festa no BAFTA.

Bem é isso. O que vocês acharam do filme?

* Fícha Técnica *

Título: Harry Potter e o Enigma Príncipe
Título Original: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Ano: 2009
País: Inglaterra
Direção: David Yates
Roteiro: Steve Kloves
Com: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon, Jessie Cave, Tom Felton, Jim Broadbent, Alan Rickman.
Cotação: A-

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE (Reino Unido 2.009, 155 Minutos, Aventuras)
Dirección: David Yates.
Guión: Steve Kloves; sobre la novela de J.K. Rowling.
Reparto: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Jim Broadbent, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, David Thewlis, Julie Walters, David Bradley, Jessie Cave, Frank Dillane, Tom Felton, Matthew Lewis, Evanna Lynch, Helen McCrory, Natalia Tena, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Bonnie Wright.
Fotografía: Bruno Delbonnel.
Música: Nicholas Hooper.

Valoración: 7/10

Sinopsis: Sexto año en Hogwarts. Mientras el plan de Voldemort va tomando forma, Harry y el profesor Dumbledore se preparan para plantarle cara al innombrale señor maligno. La clave de todo parece tenerla el despistado y afable profesor Slughorn, un antiguo empleado de la escuela que fue el tutor del mismísimo Tom Riddle. Mientras, las hormonas causarán estragos en los protagonistas transformando por completo sus relaciones.

Crítica: Esto de las sagas levanta pasiones. Logra, por ejemplo, que miles de personas hagan colas a horas intempestivas, vestidos con los más estrafalarios disfraces, a la espera de una preciada entrada o de la nueva entrega de un libro. Es comprensible. Metidos en la piel del fan, de esa criatura cuya fidelidad a la franquicia está fuera de toda duda, se entienden sus pasiones. Pocas cosas imbuyen más a un espectador que seguir las andanzas de unos personajes que, más que eso, después de miles de páginas y horas de metraje, son ya los mejores amigos capaces de despertar en sus seguidores las más profundas emociones. Es así. Las sagas se viven. Despiertan una empatía sin parangón entre sus fieles, esos mismos que se han visto correteando por pasillos oscuros un par de metros por detrás de sus idolatrados personajes, observándolo todo desde esa privilegiada posición, con ojos ansiosos de acontecimientos. Para los que no comulgan con esa ilusión desbordada, todo esto carece de sentido. Se les nota perdidos y desapasionados frente a la pantalla, mirando el reloj, ahogando un bostezo, tal vez riendo por seguidismo una gracia que no terminan de comprender. Por eso una saga, como es el caso de Harry Potter, es una religión sólo apta para sus fieles. Si comprendemos al fan, comprendamos también al que no lo es. Al que entra para probar algo nuevo y se termina perdiendo entre acontecimientos cuya importancia, si la tienen, no percibe. Esta sexta entrega repite lo bueno y lo malo de sus predecesoras. Lo bueno, una producción extraordinaria, con una logradísima ambientación, una narración correcta y un tono cada vez más siniestro lo que logra que, por momentos, Harry Potter parezca más un thriller que un filme juvenil de aventuras. Lo malo es evidente, una perogrullada: el que tenga ahora su primer contacto con la saga habrá perdido su tiempo y su dinero. Encontrarle el sentido a todo esto será para un neófito, un motivo más que alimente sus migrañas. La naturaleza episódica de Potter es a la vez la mayor fuente de su éxito y el gran motivo de que sea imposible disfrutar de una de sus películas sin haber visto todo el conjunto. Potter es así, una serie de acontecimientos que sólo tendrán sentido gracias a su próximo final. Como en las buenas series, se promete más de lo que se cumple, todo parece más importante de lo que es y lo realmente especial se nos regala en ínfimas dosis. Para rellenar el resto se nos largan dos horas de romances hormonales y tensión sexual adolescente (¿será esto lo que realmente tanto vende?), con puntuales toques de humor y breves, aunque intensísimas, escenas de acción. Todo porque, además de una gran pasión, una saga es un gran negocio que todo el mundo teme que se termine. Un ejemplo, la esperadísima conclusión, esa obra que dotará de sentido y lógica a todas las demás, se dividirá en dos, multiplicando por el mismo número sus ya de por sí extraordinarios beneficios. Así de fácil, como por arte de magia.

I’m convinced that going to the movies has some therapeutic value.  I guess that is why they’ve been such a popular form of entertainment for such a long time. A good one has the uncanny ability to take the viewer out of their lives for a few hours and transplant them into the lives of someone else for that same period of time. A bad one makes you feel like you’ve lost valuable periods of your time and your life that you can’t get back.

Yesterday, I got to go to the movies for the first time in a while. I can’t remember the last time I went to the movies to see a movie.  I am pretty sure that it was before Nate was born and he’s 18 months old. How awful is that? I’m such a loser. I went to see Harry Potter!!!  And my review is here. I’m a huge Harry Potter fan.  That being said, I found it very difficult to actually review the movie without giving away a whole lot of the twists and turns and the ending (of course).  Those of you that know what happens at the end of Half-Blood Prince know what I mean.  So this review may not be as up to par as my others have been, simply because I felt very constrained in how much I could write about the movie. That being said I’ve made a promise to myself that I will get to the movies more often simply just to have a break from the stresses of everyday life.

There were a couple of previews that looked like fun – there’s a Sherlock Holmes movie coming out at Christmastime that looked good and of course I love Robert Downey, Jr. Here’s the preview:

And there’s a movie of WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE coming out also!!!!!!  I was way excited about this one and actually started crying during the preview!  What can I say – I read the book to my son for crying out loud! It’s one of my favorite, if not my favorite, kid book ever. We even read it out loud to Nate when I was pregnant with him so that he could get used to our voices.  And he’s really good at roaring now!  Here’s the preview:

Cannot wait!!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
★★★★ / ★★★★

It’s strange because “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” written J.K. Rowling, was the book that I thought was the weakest out of the whole series, but it turned out that the film adaptation, directed by David Yates (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”), was arguably one of the best. I liked that it started off not with the Dursleys but with Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) finally growing up and hitting on a girl even though his methods and reactions were quite awkward. The parallel between the teenagers’ raging hormones and the destruction that the Death Eaters (led by Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange) were willing to inflict for the sake of causing chaos was immediately established. That template provided great pacing and an exciting mix of comedy and magical wonder.

In this installment, love was in the air. Harry was becoming more attracted to Ginny (Bonnie Wright) and vice-versa, Hermione (Emma Watson) could not keep his eyes off Ron (Rupert Grint) but frustrated with the fact that Lavender Brown (Jessie Cave) was all over him (almost like a stalker). And Hermione had a new admirer named Cormac McLaggen (Freddie Stroma) but she thought he was creepy and way too eager to please despite his athletic abilities and charming outer appearance. Such scenes that deal with the intricacies of the politics of friendship and awkward sentences with double entendres were genuinely funny without trying; it was all very real even though it was set in a wizarding world. The scenes involving Harry and Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) and their quest to sort through memories in order to find Voldermort’s weakness were nothing short of revealing and sometimes downright chilling. The flashback scenes were outstanding, particularly the dreamy look of it. I felt like I was watching something I was not supposed to see and that enhanced the film’s mystique. Lastly, the bit about Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) and his mission was both fascinating and horrifying. I was glad to see Draco to be featured on this one a lot more than any of the previous installments because even though I love to hate him, he always increased the drama whenever he was around. It was also quite excellent to see many familiar faces such as Snape (Alan Rickman), McGonagall (Dame Maggie Smith), the Weasley twins (Oliver Phelps and James Phelps), Molly Weasley, (Julie Walters), Luna Lovegood (Evanna Lynch), and more. These three fronts were juggled quite effectively, which was a surprise because Yates’ direction in the fifth “Potter” movie felt rushed. On this one, in the beginning all three did not feel as connected but by the last thirty minutes, they were traveling the same path and it felt like it reached an entirely new level that the series has never gone before.

As for the negatives, I honestly did not have much of a problem with it. Aside from the film leaving out some crucial battles scenes, such as when the Death Eaters were leaving Hogwarts after they finished their mission, I thought everything else was well-done. Even the alterations for the convenience of the plot did not bother me (even though I read the books). I’ve read some fan reviews and I believe they made an all-too-common mistake of expecting the picture to be exactly like the book. While it is completely understandable to be disappointed (such as my disappointment–and yes, even sadness–toward the fifth movie having failed to show the Brain Room in the Ministry of Magic), it is also a bit unfair to expect everything to be included and unaltered. When extracting from a primary source, inconsistencies are almost always present. It is even more unfair to give movie an “F” or a “D” rating because the film is “disloyal” toward the novel. I don’t think the filmmakers are being disloyal at all. On the contrary, in every frame, I felt like they wanted to give the us something beyond imagination while at the same time they wanted to give us something different compared to the previous “Harry Potter” installments. And, to me, the effort is worth lining up for the midnight showing hours prior, the ticket price, and the fatigue that comes in the next day due to the lack of sleep.

Needless to say, I say “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” is a success and a great addition to the empire. It proves to be a nice transition for the war that’s about to unfold in the two-parter “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” And, hopefully (though unlikely), those who need to have everything exactly the same between the novel and the film will be satisfied. Or at least realize that a few alterations and leaving out certain details do not necessarily make a bad film.

I promised Dad that I’d take him out for a good movie while he was out in Australia. Unfortunately, the first movie I treated him to was Year Zero and if you’ve been reading this blog, you’ll know what a disaster that was. Still, I had to make good on my promise and you can’t go wrong with Harry Potter, can you?

For those of you who haven’t read the books, be forewarned – this review will contain plenty of spoilers. That being said, you really should be reading the books prior to watching the movies.

In the sixth installment of the extremely popular Harry Potter series, Harry Potter has somehow managed to survive the events of the previous film, including the Dark Lord’s attack on the Ministry of Magic and the killing of his godfather Sirius Black by psychotic witch Bellatrix Lestrange, to enter his sixth year at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. With the ressurection of the Dark Lord Voldemort, the school is now under a deep lockdown, setting the tone for a much darker story than that of the previous films.

Harry is tasked with a mission from headmaster Dumbledore to gather precious information in the form of memories from Voldemort’s former teacher Professor Slughorn. Meanwhile, Draco Malfoy, Harry’s “nemesis”, has been given a sinister order from the Dark Lord himself. Despite the darker tone of the story, Harry and his group of friends are now at the age where dating is appropriate and romance is certainly in the air. One of Hogwart’s magical storerooms sets the scene for Harry’s first kiss with longtime crush Ginny Weasley, while Harry’s best friend Ron Weasley leaves book smart Hermione Granger heartbroken as he blunders through a disastrous relationship with Lavender Brown.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the sixth of what is going to be a series of eight films based on J.K. Rowling’s famous books. The film is fairly straightforward and, for the most part, stays true to the original text, a few changes made for timing notwithstanding.

The special effects are incredibly impressive. The movie opens with a very well-shot sequence of the kidnapping of the talented wandmaker Ollivander, proprietor of Olivander’s wands, and subsequent destruction of his house and attached shop. The shot is smooth, showing the mayhem caused by the Dark Lord Voldemort’s group of followers, the Death Eaters on wizards and muggles alike. I was particularly impressed with the special effects used to show the shaking and curving of a suspension bridge as its supports are cut off.

The quality of acting from in this movie is also excellent. With a mix of childish glee and seductive whispering, Helena Bonham Carter gives an exceptional portrayal of an obsessive, mentally unstable person in her role as the mad witch Bellatrix Lestrange. As Lavender Brown, Jessie Cave does a wonderful job of simulating the sickly-sweet silliness of a teenage girl with a crush. There’s also some pretty good moments from main characters as well. Tom Felton’s performance of Draco Malfoy’s slow mental breakdown as he struggles with the weight of a task too heavy to handle is particularly powerful, as is the heart-breaking scene in which Harry Potter is given the task of forcing a cruel potion down Dumbledore’s throat despite the latter’s protestations.

Unfortunately, being the third-to-last installment of an 8 movie series, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince doesn’t come with a satisfactory ending. The movie ends very abruptly on the death of a major character and leaves a lot of unanswered questions in its wake, the result being that it feels somewhat unfinished and leaves audiences with a sinking feeling because of the downer ending.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is an extremely impressive movie and is worth seeing on the big screen at least once. The half-year delay in the movie’s release has really given the directors a chance to polish up the movie.  It certainly outshines some of the previous movies in the series.

At long last! Another video review. Beware: nerdiness and minor spoilers ahead.

Titre : Harry Potter et le prince de sang mêlé

Réalisateur : David Yates

Date de sortie : 15 juillet 2009

Harry Potter et le prince de sang mêlé reste un très bon film, mais pas le meilleur. Il déçoit un peu, car avec le potentiel qu’il avait, David Yates aurait pu nous faire là un très grand film. Malgré tout, la relation entre Dumbledore et Harry au centre du film est savoureuse par la justesse des dialogues et le jeu des acteurs.

Ma Note : * * *