Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Caught Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince yesterday. And can I just say how ABSOLUTELY DEPRESSING it is?

I mean, don't get me wrong, it's a great show, but just the whole mood of it. If it weren't for all the fluffy romance stuff that David Yates (the director) paid attention to, the entire movie would depress the hell out of me. Not that it hasn't already. Just the whole mood of it. So sombre, and heavy, with a sense of foreboding. I mean, it's good to make it darker and all, but you know, LIGHTEN UP!

But I must say, Rupert and Daniel's acting have improved a hell lot. Actually, Dan's acting improved a lot since Goblet of Fire. I remember cringing so hard for him in Prisoner of Azkaban (especially that scene where he was crying, in Hogsmeade, about how Sirius Black was that friend who betrayed his parents), but in Goblet of Fire I was impressed by how far he'd come. Emma Watson's acting, though ... Well, Triv and I agreed it's completely OTT (over-the-top, for those of you who don't know). The weird eyebrow-raising, the inexplicable expressions at times, and the exaggerated manner in which she delivers her lines. I don't know, it just seems too forced to me, like you're aware of her acting. Dan's acting, compared to hers, is so much more natural. That scene where she was conjuring those birds after seeing Ron and Lavender kiss made us laugh a little. Did she have to cry like that? In Order of the Phoenix, they weren't even that obvious about their love for each other, and now she's weeping over him kissing someone else?

Oh, and Tom Felton's acting was pretty good too. It's good he's got more screentime this time, because his performance was impressive.

And of course, our lovely FREDDIE STROMA (Cormac McLaggen). I love that dignified look he pulled after vomiting dragonballs all over Snape. My god, how SMOKIN HOT is he! He should get more screentime! But, ah well. No Hogwarts for The Deathly Hallows.

And then, of course, was Dumbledore's death, which totally made me cry when Prof. McGonagall (or however you spell it) lit up her wand and everyone else followed suit. Triv turned to me and said, "You're crying over this?!" Which is funny, because I didn't cry when I read the books (then again, I don't cry when reading books, only once or twice). Well, I cry in almost every movie, though, so.

But what I didn't like about the movie was how much the director changed it. Well, not completely, but he tweaked some details and added some scenes. Why did Jo Rowling agree to them? It was Tonks who found Harry in the train compartment, not Luna (but that's okay). And Ginny and Harry kissed after the Quidditch match that Harry didn't participate, not when she was hiding the Potions textbook for him in the Room of Requirement (she wasn't even supposed to be there with him). And what is with the burning down of the Burrow? All of a sudden, they were there, and for some reason, Ron wasn't, and then after that, there's this short scene of Ron canoodling with Lavender. Fragmented scenes much? And that girl at the train station hitting on Harry? Was he even supposed to be at the train station to begin with? Maybe they didn't have money to hire the Dursleys. And Dumbledore was supposed to have Stupefied Harry, not chase him down the stairs to hide. And they were both supposed to have been tricked by the Death-Eaters' Dark Mark, not just happen to be at the Astronomy Tower. I don't get it, what's the point of changing and adding these scenes?

Maybe it's because I just finished re-reading it a day before I watched it, that I'm nitpicking like a grumpy old spinster (where did that come from?). So when The Deathly Hallows comes out next year, I shouldn't re-read the book beforehand, or I'd just get too hung up over the details.

But all in all, it was a good movie. But Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix were better. Mike Newell's the best so far (Goblet of Fire's director). Good soundtrack for GoF too. And of course, Cedric Diggory. But this one has Cormac, so it's a tie in that aspect. I think Freddie's hotter than RPattz, though. Rob's a charming interviewee, and looks good as Edward, but other times, he's got nothing up against the likes of Freddie Stroma or Jensen Ackles (speaking of which, I feel like re-watching Supernatural again) or Ryan Reynolds.

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