Harry Potter lacks magic
Harry Potter and the Full-blooded Prince of raging teenage hormones. The newest Potter release is little more than a bridge to the next film filled with adolescent teenage angst.
By Megan Carroll
I’ve never been a worshiper at the J.K. Rowling alter. That type of fantasy never captured my interest. But I had the opportunity to see the most recent Harry Potter movie with some “Potterhead” friends who persuaded me to come along. So there I was, a non-believer amongst the throngs of fans swept up in the first week’s release, and I actually found more to like than dislike about the experience.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince begins with Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) closing in on the Muggle and wizarding worlds, and even Hogwarts isn’t as safe as we thought. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) is the only one who suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle. Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) confuses Harry by being more intent on readying Harry for an unseen future battle than protecting himself from the present demons. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort’s defenses. Through hiring his old friend and colleague Professor Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent), Dumbledore believes he has crucial information and insights into the dark Lord’s childhood. Along with fighting dark forces, the students at Hogwarts also seem to be haunted by another dark and confusing force; raging teenage hormones.
So goes the Potter saga. This installment in the Harry Potter series was considerably darker and less exciting than the others. There have already been five films based on Rowling’s books: Sorcerer’s Stone, Chambers of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire and finally, Order of the Phoenix. With five films, it was bound to happen that one of them would stumble. This film was rather dull, and I had a difficult time sitting still. Even though I squirmed in my seat, I could see what this film was doing — it was preparing us, just like Dumbledore is preparing Harry for the final battle. The disconcerting part of this understanding, for me, is that David Yates, the same man behind the camera for Phoenix and this film, is set to be in charge of the upcoming two-part finale, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I hope better things are in store for us for the epic end.
Sadly, other than setting the scene for the next film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Price was a look at the sexual awakening of Harry and his friends. I don’t know if it was all the press or the knowledge we have about the characters personal lives, but this film seemed to be filled to the brim with sexual innuendoes which made it almost laughable at times. A sub-plot involving Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and his emerging sex appeal was upsetting to me because it takes the strong female character, Hermione Grainger (Emma Watson), and turns her into a whimpering afterthought.
Spoiler alert: If you haven’t read the books, this is the book where a major character says goodbye near the end of the film, but Yates treats it as if this character meant nothing to the films’ legacy. The scene in which we say goodbye seemed to be rushed and hollow.
Another aspect overlooked in this film is the dynamic presence of the enemies of Harry and Hogwarts. We never see Voldemort, but we do see who he has sent to do his dirty work. Helena Bonham Carter plays one such enemy, and with such an amazing character to develop and such a remarkable talent as Carter’s, you would think Yates would capitalize on this, but he does not. Carter captivates us and surpasses every actor around her with her amazing talent.
Since I have not read the books, I decided to check and see what the “Potterheads” were saying and heard much of what I saw echoed by them. Part one of the Hallows is set to come out next year. Let’s hope that this film was a small misstep for Yates and that he will finish this epic tale on a strong note, which would make any true “Potterhead” happy and leave the rest of us feeling completely entertained.
