Harry Potter HBP: Mature and Magnificent

Hey World Family,
Falcon here feeling surprisingly chipper considering her serious lack of sleep (must be the 26 cans of Red Bull I consumed over the course of the previous evening; just kidding, you know Falcon doesn’t do that stuff…Mountain Dew Throwback works just fine). I promised you a review of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, and you are getting it. May I simply say that it is the best Potter film yet, and was magnificently realized on screen. The acting, effects, compression of the telling, and the montages (very brief) were extraordinarily well executed.

SPOILER FREE

The cinematography of this film is stunning; literally. There are moments when image and sound come together to produce an experience rarely had; I cannot wait for the IMAX 3-D of some of those same sequences.

There are some surprises in here even for book readers and these are pleasant ones, rather than unexpected gaffs as in some other films (I refer to, of course the middle child of Peter Jackson’s adaptation of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers where around 80 minutes into the film Aragorn goes off a cliff with a significant portion of the essence of the story right along with him). There are gentle and subtle surprises for readers throughout where the story has a different depth for those who have read the series. These are successful and make the overall unfolding that much more enjoyable.

As serious as the tone of this film is, there is comic relief in the form of slightly inebriated characters, love and crushes, and character Ron’s unusual techniques of defending the goals in Quidditch. His older brothers’ joke shop is a treat, and no one should eat those chocolates left on the bed!

The maturity of the young characters was shining through in fine performances by the ensemble of young people cast. Lavender is delightfully psycho, Seamus is growing up, but still as lovable as ever; Ginny is particularly enchanting, growing into a Hogwarts Eowyn, with strength, perseverance, and courage for two. The trio have come completely into their own, and their character portrayals have depth, light, and humor in the correct amounts when called upon. Draco Malfoy is tortured, frightened and forceful throughout, and Helena brought back Belatrix as demented and clever as ever. The young Mr. Fiennes makes a deliciously Omen-like young Tom Riddle, as does the adolescent actor, but the biggest, most impressive performances were those of Jim Broadbent (one of Falcon’s favorite actors ever) and Michael Gambon’s Dumbledore. They twist and turn together on screen and alone, and Gambon has now reached a performance level with Dan Radcliffe’s Harry on screen that fans had so hoped for several films.

There were tears last night (some of them cried as we had to sit through an excruciatingly long list of preview trailers, some good, some frightfully bad like 2012-sidebar: when will folks who have no understanding of Native American traditions and calendar systems ever stop trying to entertain us with their vapid ignorance of the facts? Yes, Mayans are Native Americans, thank you. Just venting…) and there will be even more today as younger fans take in the new film for the first time. Everybody show some love and be tolerant of those who need to grieve. Remember, many fans started reading this series when they were 8, 9, 10; being 18, 19, and 20 now means they grew up with the tales, so character stress may reflect on their own. It’s cool; allow them to express their feelings without ridicule or teasing.
All scenes are held reverently in the film, and all should stay for the credits at the end for a special experience.

This film is close to perfect. There are some things Falcon personally wishes were in that may make an appearance in a future Potter film in retrospect…but overall, this is a fine piece of filmmaking. In a summer weak on substance of any kind in blockbusters (smaller films have been good), this is an excellent diversion and worth every penny.

Peace…and get some sleep (smile)
Falcon and Dove

Harry Potter gets praise from Vatican; UPDATE:2,000 Midnight Shows Already Sold Out Tonight!

Hello World Family,
Falcon here with some stunning news: the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano gave Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince the proverbial two thumbs up, liking the adolescence love as appropriate and that good versus evil as clearly defined. They think it is the best Potter film yet, and they are not alone. The film is receiving high praise from many unexpected corners and the words Oscar nomination are even floating around.

As of 4pm, Movietickets.com reported that 96% of all tickets sales on their site is for HP: HBP! Fandango is selling tickets at an unreal speed per minute. By the end of the day, Harry Potter 6 may be in the all-time top five films opening for these sites.

For those who love attending midnight shows, make sure that there are tickets for your local viewing, otherwise, you may get there and all the tickets could be gone. GO EARLY, and hang out with all the other costumed fans, and stay in groups if you are out late. Don’t go wandering around alone.

ABOUT THE CONTENT OF THIS FILM FOR YOUNG VIEWERS
Falcon mentioned this awhile ago, and it is time to now mention it again. This film is rated PG, and while the rating doesn’t reflect the caution, as a parent, I WILL!. Children under age 8 who have not read the books may be very surprised and disturbed by some of the content of this film. Personally, I don’t recommend taking a younger child who hasn’t read the books until YOU, the parents have seen the film. I don’t expect a lot of younger children at the midnight showings, but there will be at the matinees tomorrow. Please, talk to the younger children who may be attending with older siblings before they see the film. This goes way beyond the Cedric Diggory scene in Goblet of Fire. Give your children some leave to grieve. Older children may want to see this again, younger children probably shouldn’t for awhile. You know your child best; be the parent, and make the best decision for your child or children.

Falcon hasn’t done a lot of movie review writing this summer for one reason: a lot of them stunk! Those that didn’t will be mentioned in our Fall Film Preview (coming in August), as we begin the consideration for Oscar Season. Personally, Falcon thought some of the summer films were so bad, just mentioning them was more than they deserved…so I didn’t. There have been some great independent films and more to come, and again, we will cover those extensively in August.

This film HP: HBP is a crossroads film for the Potter franchise. With two more films to go (Deathly Hallows parts one and two), it is important with this film to set the tone. Falcon and Dove are doing the midnight thing and will report with a review for tomorrow’s opening day.

In the meantime, get your wands at the ready, House Colors on…enjoy your evening, and be safe.

Peace,
Falcon and Dove

Half-Blood Prince in IMAX Delayed Two Weeks

Hello World Family,
Falcon here will a little information on the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince release for IMAX theatres. This was provided through our cousins at HPana:

The Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince movie scheduled for release in conventional theaters on July 15 won't be shown in IMAX theaters until July 29, a full two weeks after it's general release date.

News came to HPANA yesterday and it was confirmed today by Richard Gelfond, IMAX chief executive, that at least one IMAX theater in New York and another in Los Angeles are scheduled to play the movie starting on July 14, while dates for international theaters are still being negotiated.

Thanks to Jeff from TVWatchOnline for the original tip.

Well, those glasses work fine in conventional theatres, too.
Peace,
Falcon and Dove