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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince [Blu-ray] by David Yates
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DVD Cover InformationActor: Daniel Radcliffe, Elarica Gallacher, Emma Watson, Jim Broadbent, Rupert Grint Director: David Yates Brand: Harry Potter Cinematographer: Bruno Delbonnel Producer: David Barron Producer: David Heyman Producer: Lionel Wigram Producer: Tim Lewis Writer: J.K. Rowling Writer: Steve Kloves Blu-ray: Region Code 1 Audio: English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1 Format: Color, Dubbed, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen Picture Format: 2.35:1 Running Time: 153 minutes Blu-ray Release Date: 2009-12-08 Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) Model: 1000027459 Studio: Warner Home Video Product features: - Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort s defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his
Movie Reviews of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince [Blu-ray]Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Summary: 5 Stars
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince begins on a real somber note. The opening scene, only mentioned but not described in the book, shows Death Eaters causing the destruction of a massive bridge filled with people. What makes this scene unique compared to the rest of the series is that this destruction takes place in the muggle world, not the wizarding one. David Yates, directing his second Harry Potter film, takes great pains to show that there are no safe places now that Voldemort is back and his followers are out in the open. Even some places that were safe havens for Harry in the past, namely the Weasley residence and even Hogwarts itself, are besieged by Death Eaters.
However, the danger surrounding the characters at every turn doesn't keep the teen characters from being teens. Hormones run high through Hogwarts as students pair off and young love blooms. Things may be dark, but in the world of Harry Potter there will always be some light shining through. While some people complained that there was too much young love in this film, I have to admit that I found it interesting that more than ever this film really gave an impression that the teens in Harry Potter are just ordinary (well, for wizards) kids who happen to find themselves in extraordinary situations. As a result, this film is not only the darkest film of the series, it's also the funniest.
While rumors swirled that some cast members would not find their way back for the sixth Potter film (Emma Watson was considering dropping out and Tom Felton, who plays Draco Malfoy, had previously made comments that he would not make it to the end of the series), the cast remained intact for Half Blood Prince. Nine years and six films is a long time for a cast to stay together, especially when they're as young as most of this cast was when the series began, so the fact that they're still together is beyond amazing.
The Harry Potter team continues its casting coup in Half Blood Prince. Royal Shakespeare Company veteran Helen McCrory (Becoming Jane, Enduring Love), who was initially cast as Bellatrix LeStrange in Order of the Phoenix but had to drop out due to pregnancy, joins the cast as Lestrange's sister Narcissa Malfoy. The cast member that everyone was talking about, though, was Oscar winner Jim Broadbent (Iris, Hot Fuzz) as Horace Slughorn. At the time of Half Blood Prince's release everyone expected Broadbent to get at least a nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and, while he didn't get nominated, he delivered the best performance the series has known. In fact, all the actors in the series give their best performance to date in this film. Even Michael Gambon finally gets Dumbledore right!
It's also great to see Quidditch back in the series after being noticeably absent from the last two films and just barely present in Prisoner of Azkaban. The sequences are shot better than in the first two films, and depict the game as much more brutal, having more in common with rugby than it appeared to before. The addition of Ron to Gryffindor's team is brilliant. I'm also glad that we get to see more of Alan Rickman's Severus Snape than in previous installments. In Goblet of Fire, besides a few speaking lines, he was relegated to a moment of physical comedy with Harry and Ron, and he was barely present in Order of the Phoenix.
While Half Blood Prince didn't quite catch up to Order of the Phoenix in box office receipts, it's still the third-highest grossing film in the series and was the second-highest grossing film of 2009 with $936 million earned worldwide. According to Rotten Tomatoes, this installment of Harry Potter is ranked the third highest, critically-speaking. It seems a lot of critics felt as though this film worked more as a placeholder in the series than as a standalone film. That criticism isn't too far from the truth, yet J.K. Rowling said that this is the best film based on her books yet.
Summary of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince [Blu-ray]Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort?s defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information. Even as the decisive showdown looms, romance blossoms for Harry, Ron, Hermione and their classmates. Love is in the air, but danger lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same. - Product Measures: 0.5 x 5.5 x 7.5
The sixth installment of the Harry Potter series begins right where The Order of the Phoenix left off. The wizarding world is rocked by the news that "He Who Must Not Be Named" has truly returned, and the audience finally knows that Harry is "the Chosen One"--the only wizard who can defeat Lord Voldemort in the end. Dark forces loom around every corner, and now regularly attempt to penetrate the protected walls of Hogwarts School. This is no longer the fun and fascinating world of magic from the first few books?it's dark, dangerous, and scary. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) suspects Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) to be a new Death Eater recruit on a special mission for the Dark Lord. In the meantime, Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) seems to have finally removed the shroud of secrecy from Harry about the dark path that lies ahead, and instead provides private lessons to get him prepared. It's in these intriguing scenes that the dark past of Tom Riddle (a.k.a. Voldemort) is finally revealed. The actors cast as the different young versions of Riddle (Hero Fiennes-Tiffin and Frank Dillane) do an eerily fantastic job of portraying the villain as a child. While the previous movies' many new characters could be slightly overwhelming, only one new key character is introduced this time: Professor Horace Slughorn (with a spot-on performance by Jim Broadbent). Within his mind he holds a key secret in the battle to defeat the Dark Lord, and Harry is tasked by Dumbledore to uncover a memory about Voldemort's darkest weapon--the Horcrux. Despite the long list of distractions, Harry, Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) still try to focus on being teenagers, and audiences will enjoy the budding awkward romances. All of the actors have developed nicely, giving their most convincing performances to date. More dramatic and significant things go down in this movie than any of its predecessors, and the stakes are higher than ever. The creators have been tasked with a practically impossible challenge, as fans of the beloved J.K. Rowling book series desperately want the movies to capture the magic of the books as closely as possible. Alas, the point at which one accepts that these two mediums are very different is the point at which one can truly enjoy these brilliant adaptations. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is no exception: it may be the best film yet. For those who have not read the book, nail-biting entertainment is guaranteed. For those who have, the movie does it justice. The key dramatic scenes, including the cave and the shocking twist in the final chapter, are executed very well. It does a perfect job of setting up the two-part grand finale that is to follow. --Jordan Thompson
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