Harry Potter and the Silly Love Triangles?

There are not many things that would keep me up until 3:30 a.m. when I have to wake up at 6:00; a Harry Potter premiere is one of those things. Over the last 5 years or so I have waited in lines from 11:00 p.m. until midnight 5 times, receiving the 5^th, 6^th, and 7^th books; as well as seeing the 4^th and 5^th movies before the majority of the United States population. On Tuesday, again, I waited in that line to see the 6^th movie of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. I am still feeling the after effects of the sleep deprivation caused by my devotion to Harry Potter and his loyal friends, but again it was worth it, and next year I’ll be at the theaters once more for the midnight showing of part one of the 7^th movie.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince was absolutely my favorite of the seven books and I had very high hopes for the movie. Although, I enjoyed it, and think it may have been the best movie of the series, it wasn’t as “magical” as the others and I don’t think it was as good of a movie as it could have been. I am not someone who holds movies to the expectations of the books, or who expects them to be perfect adaptations; however, I don’t believe that the director, David Yates, took this movie in the right direction. After seeing it, I decided that the 6^th book could have, and maybe should have, been made into two movies with two different focuses. Instead, David Yates attempted to combine these two focuses of the book into one movie which, for the first hour and a half, seemed like a highlight reel of the book in which no two consecutive scenes had the same focus. The two and a half hours did fly by, but only because it felt like you were watching a movie in fast forward.

The 6^th book was dark, intense and suspenseful. All of the major characters (Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and especially Draco Malfoy) made large developments and relationships really started to change. The mystery behind the Half Blood Prince, the title of the book, played a major role in the story and the events that took place. The sixth book also established the controversy on whether or not Snape was good or evil, loyal to Dumbledore or against him. Although, these plot points were obvious in the movie, they were rushed and underdeveloped. This part of the story was overshadowed for most of the movie by silly and overdone love triangle scenes. Two love triangles dominate the first two thirds of the movie. The first, Ron, Hermione, and Lavender, is portrayed perfectly in a few scenes but is overdone with constant silly dialogue and childish humor. In the book, Lavender, played brilliantly by Jessie Cave, is not comedic or likeable but overbearing and annoying. Harry despises her almost as much as Hermione; this does not come across in the movie. The second love triangle, Harry, Ginny, and Dean (later Harry, Ginny, and Ron), was extremely awkward to watch. First of all, Bonnie Wright (Ginny) is not a good actress, and second of all, David Yates miss-portrays the relationship between Harry and Ginny in the movie. Ginny IS dating Dean Thomas for the first half of the movie for God sakes. Yes, I know they are “snogging” in Gringotts, but except for that one scene Dean Thomas isn’t even in the movie. Even that scene does not make sense. Harry is not upset and Ginny, after being so flirtatious and affectionate towards Harry throughout the beginning of the movie, would not want to do that in front of him if she really had feelings for him. When Harry and Ginny are finally able to express their feelings towards each other it is a very emotional, dramatic, and passionate moment in the book. In the movie it is just awkward, expected, and silly. The love never seems forbidden, but Steve Kloves, the writer of this screenplay, chooses to have Hermione tell Harry and the audience that “Ron is Okay with you and Ginny” during a perfectly tender final scene. Moments like this, in which Kloves feels like he has to tie back in themes from book although they were not developed in the movie are very inconsistent and amateur. These relationships could have been utilized and developed just as effectively as side stories to the character change of Draco Malfoy, Harry’s relationship with the mysterious Half Blood Prince, and Dumbledore’s quest for more knowledge about Tom Riddle.

Simple but important plot points were ignored that could have made the movie that much better and more intense. When Harry uses the “Sectum Sempra” spell on Draco in the book Snape is furious as you would expect. Not only does Snape hate Harry, but he has vowed to protect Malfoy, and “Sectum Sempra” is an extremely dark and violent curse that Snape created. From the scene in the movie, you wouldn’t even know that Snape was angry with Harry. It looks just as though Harry used a simple spell on Draco that happened to hurt him. Then Snape just walks over calmly and heals him. No big deal, right? Wrong, and a missed opportunity for Kloves and Yates to develop the darkness of the story that was greatly ignored.

My final problem with the movie was that it seemed as though the minor characteristics which make a  Harry Potter movie a Harry Potter movie were forgotten. The views of Hogwarts and the fantasy feel of the magical world were forgotten. I understand that it was a gloomy time because Voldemort had returned, but it still just looked like a gloomy London. I really enjoyed the first scene in the Weasley’s house and Fred and George’s Joke Shop because they reminded me of what makes Harry Potter so special and were some of the rare times when the movie felt magical.

This may sound like a harsh review (you’re lucky I didn’t mention the Slug Club scene at the dinner table), but honestly I really did enjoy the movie. It was extremely entertaining and I think the acting (other than Ginny Weasley) and visual effects really excelled. Helena Bonham Carter proved yet again that she is one of the most underrated actresses of our time, while Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint all stepped up there games. The new characters Horace Slughorn played by Jim Broadbent, the young Tom Riddle played by Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, and even Lavender Brown ( Jessie Cave) are all excellent additions to the movie and are adapted very well from the book. Finally, the last half hour including Dumbledore and Harry’s adventure to retrieve the Horcrux, and Dumbledore’s death at Hogwarts was one of my favorite parts of the Harry Potter movie series.

I think it is great that the seventh movie will be split up into two. I hope everything is well developed and that the book is understood and well-portrayed. These movies could be the best of the year and I hope that they finally perfect them.

7.5/10

Kevin