If You’re Going to Make a Movie…

My main take away from seeing Harry Potter this weekend has been, if you’re going to make a movie, then make a movie. Don’t make a video book. The only people that will like the new Harry Potter movie are people who have read the books. I’ve read three of the books, and the books are fine, but not having read all of them has apparently destroyed my enjoyment of this last movie and a few of the others.

But that brings me to my point, this is clearly a video adaptation of the book. No effort was taken to make it an enjoyable movie, zero, none. I was hypothesizing with Janel that a long time ago they should have just paid Rowling for the rights to use the Harry Potter universe, and then completely made a new story that was entertaining as a movie. Instead we get these video adaptations that are just honest to goodness awful.

Now the actual review:

The acting in this movie was seriously awkward. In every scene I left like the actors wanted to be somewhere else, or they were trying really hard to remember their lines. The only exception was Ron when he was under the influence and some scenes with Granger, who actually seemed to be trying to act. The supporting cast did a better job of acting most of the time. Ron’s brothers at the joke shop were good. Hagrid is always good. And so on.

The movie was about two and a half hours. Which is fine, but I felt like I needed another thirty minutes somewhere to figure out what was going on and why. Maybe someone can answer me this, the movie is called The Half Blood Prince, why? There’s a book with the name in it and Snape mentions it two hours later at the end of the movie. Tada! Wha? This movie was so all over the place trying to shoe-horn in everything in the book and setup the next movie, that it looses all focus and coherency. Perhaps that’s why the actors are all awkward, they have no clue themselves why they’re doing anything, no motivation, rhyme or reason at all.

Even after two and a half hours of movie the end just kind of step out from off-stage and was there. No wrap up. No conclusion. No end really. The director just said, “Cut. That’s a wrap. I need to go start looking for more work before this hits theaters.” I know that may be how the book goes, but darn it, I’m not watching a book! I don’t want a movie that only sets up the next movie. I paid money for this movie. This movie right here. And it better stand on its own two feet, or I’m not going to be a happy camper.

Save your money!

On a side note, for several years Harry has known that evil is out to kill him, and every year of school is full of danger. So why doesn’t this kid learn how to defend himself and strike out against evil. In this movie he talks about going out and fighting back against the dark lord, but according to this movie he only knows how to light up a dark cave or room, how to light up a larger cave or room, and how to fall down paralyzed at the slightest hint of a real fight. Every spell he does get off can be brushed away with a slight raise of the eyebrow. If his life depends on fighting with magic, and it does every year, then he should be neck deep in all the books he can find on the subject, and practicing with Granger all the time.

I think I should stop watching these movies, they only get me riled up.