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Steve Klove’s screen adaptation of Rowling’s latest book
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince lacks that mystical magic and visceral drama of the earlier films, writes
Ervell E. Menezes Harry Potter we all know is a marketing marvel, the books, the franchise and the films and the below twenties have taken to them like fish to water. That the main stars Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson are making as much if not more news in the drama of real life cannot be underplayed. They are also growing older and soon will have to be photographed, especially (only long shots and close-ups, probably) to disguise their enlarging dimensions. So the producers feel they might as well make the most of it in their latest effort Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
With just one more year to go, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grime), now in their sixth year, don’t have much to do before they enter their final year. Before they enter the final year, they will have to shelve their save-the-world by wiping out the Dark Lord and his devious machinations. Then, it will be only do or die for the trio. Therefore, there is an overriding sense of urgency in this film which moves at a racy pace from the word go. The spooky death-eaters go berserk in the dimly lit world as the school Hogwarts gets ready for the new term. And what does the new term bring? There’s the hero, Harry. In no hurry at all and flirting with a sexy waitress in a coffee shop reading a newspaper that calls him the Chosen One. Harry, somehow, has no time for Cupid. Meanwhile, Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) continues with his homily on how the clock is ticking and the evil genius Voldermort is happy that he is getting closer to achieve his wicked designs. Then there are brief appearances of Minerva McGonagall (Maggie Smith) and Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane), the grey-shaded character of Malfoy (Tom Felton) and Severus Snape (Alan Rickman), all adding their two cents worth but scarcely contributing to the overall impact which is quite diffused. Screenwriter Steve Klove’s adaptation of the Rowling book lacks that mystical magic and visceral drama of the earlier films and director David Yates goes directly to the good versus evil theme without much buildup. What’s more all this goes on and on so to say, all of 150 minutes and it would take a Herculean effort to keep up with the story. But what about the half-blood prince? That would be giving the plot away but it has something to do with the evil ones Servius Snape and Malfoy. There’s little acting to speak of and many of the players seem to be only going through the motions. Recommended only for die-hard Harry Potter fans.
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For
me, I’d rather be entertained by Enid Blyton and her real world
adventures. They are much easier on the mind and imagination. In J.K.
Rowling’s novels, there’s too much razzle-dazzle and a plethora of
weird characters, it is hard to keep a track on them.