Very Bad News about Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince! SPOILERS

[GreenScar]

The movie was screened recently and two reviews have surfaced and they aren't very good. The worst part about it is the changes made from the book to the movie and THEY ARE VERY BAD!

You can go here to read the whole article but I will post the two parts of the review here with spoiler tags. I'm sure it'll be impossible to have a discussion without spoilers so I put spoilers in the thread title.

If your a Potter fan, prepare to have your blood boil:

1st review comments:

[Show spoiler] Most of my issues with this film deal with deletions and alterations from the book, which would be okay if they were for the betterment of the movie-going experience, except that they’re not. Gone are notable characters such as Rufus Schrimgouer, Fleur Delacour, and Bill and Charlie Weasley. Series regulars such as Maggie Smith and Robbie Coltrane are reduced two line cameos.

For a book based on Harry and Dumbledore’s quest to find out more about Voldemort, and how to stop him, via his memories, all but three memories have been cut from the film. Why is it that the filmmakers decided it was more important to focus on teen-age love rather than what are inarguably critical plot points? It is aneurysm inducing logic that will surely leave me dead in my bathtub.

And the ending. Good God, the ending. Not only is the fight between the Death Eaters and the Order of the Phoenix completely removed, but so is Dumbledore’s funeral. The last third of this movie is so incredibly mishandled that Dumbledore’s death feels more like an unfortunate accident than genuine tragedy. No one in the film seems even remotely upset that he’s gone and the Death Eaters who murdered him, including would-be-good-guy Severus Snape (Alan Rickman, the title-character in cameo form), walk out of Hogwarts unmolested.

and to make you even happier:

[Show spoiler] After that, they make their way to the tower and instead of using a charm to immobilize Harry and cover him with the invisibility cloak like in the book, Dumbledore just sends Harry away, and Harry goes downstairs, stops & watches the following scene through cracks in the floor above him. Malfoy tries to kill Dumbledore but realizes he can’t. Snape arrives on the floor below & signals Harry to be quiet, which he uncharacteristically does. Snape then goes upstairs & sends Dumbledore to his death. The modifications made to this scene from book to film are terrible, and they partially blow what may be the biggest surprise of the entire franchise.

Afterwards, there is no enormous battle. The Death Eaters stroll out silently. I remember the fight in the book being fantastic, and I personally would rather have had a short scene in the beginning with two guys talking about the horrible things the Death Eaters are doing than eliminate the battle at the end. Harry runs after them and confronts Snape, who quietly tells him he’s the Half-Blood Prince. Again, due to lack of attention paid to this plotline, I didn’t really care. In the book, he screams his response. The book has Snape screaming and the film has him using his indoor voice. What a disappointment.

And as if this weren’t enough, there is no funeral for Dumbledore. It’s been cut.

[BStecke]

Wow . . . I'm almost speechless. Maybe during the delay they can fix the film, although I don't see that happening. Sounds like they royally ****ed it up though. This was my favorite book of the series, too. Very disappointing.

[GreenScar]

Originally Posted by BStecke

Wow . . . I'm almost speechless. Maybe during the delay they can fix the film, although I don't see that happening. Sounds like they royally ****ed it up though. This was my favorite book of the series, too. Very disappointing.

Exactly how I feel...

Too many pissed off thoughts of what they've cut and changed to put it down. I was so into a movie being driven by flashbacks. The Half Blood Prince story line was absolutely brilliant up to and including the climax (in the book) of Snapes actions versus Dumbledore (and the drama of Potter being right there yet unable to do anything). It totally sets things up for the next story.

I almost want to boycott but I know I won't be able to.

[scragham]

wow.

just... wow.

/backtolurkmode

[quexos]

Well if the movie was screened, it means it is ready in which case why won't it be released for another year ?

Hopefully but I don't have such hopes, to correct such digressions from the book. Or I will just stick with the books and forget about the film if that's what the producers want.

[Leopold BUTTERS]

wait...does this mean 2 people actually watched a film and the movie is done?

[poopshoot]

I work at the theater the movie was screened. I got to see some parts of it in the projection booth....not into Harry Potter so I didn't even know what was going on in the movie lol.

From what I remember them saying...it wasn't completely finished. There were still some special effects and music that wasn't finished. The purpose of the screening was to get feedback from the audience. 95% of the people who came didn't even have a clue of what they were about to watch until a few seconds before it started.

[GreenScar]

Originally Posted by Leopold BUTTERS

wait...does this mean 2 people actually watched a film and the movie is done?

They did an entire screening. They didn't move it because it wasn't done, they needed a tent pole for next Summer. I'm hoping they really moved it so they could re-film the damn thing!

[Leopold BUTTERS]

Originally Posted by poopshoot

I work at the theater the movie was screened. I got to see some parts of it in the projection booth....not into Harry Potter so I didn't even know what was going on in the movie lol.

From what I remember them saying...it wasn't completely finished. There were still some special effects and music that wasn't finished. The purpose of the screening was to get feedback from the audience. 95% of the people who came didn't even have a clue of what they were about to watch until a few seconds before it started.

What were people like after the left?

[poopshoot]

Originally Posted by Leopold BUTTERS

What were people like after the left?

They kept them in there for a while after the screening. I had left a bit before then. I couldn't tell you, but if you search online you will find those reviews jasonbird posted and...well...from what he posted and you will find out...they aren't very happy.

[Batman00]

Originally Posted by jasonbird

They did an entire screening. They didn't move it because it wasn't done, they needed a tent pole for next Summer. I'm hoping they really moved it so they could re-film the damn thing!

well i believe if they see negative reactions, then Warner will step in and fix this crap. I never read the book, but i know what happens, my friend says this book is suppose to be GLORIOUS and they killed a lot of things to make a romance wtf?!

[JJ]

Treason! Sedition! Blasphemy! Hearsay!

Heads will roll. I'm furious.

[Show spoiler]I loved the climactic ending battle scene, why did it have to be cut?!

I don't agree with this at all. That's why we have books, to visualize in our heads.

[Show spoiler]Ha, I made you highlight this and use up 2 seconds of your evening...

[Show spoiler]Wheee!

[Zaphod]

I never read any of the books so I may be asking a stupid question. Does it really make that big of a difference that the movie is different than the book? I mean J.K. Rowling has to sign off on the script and if she deems it as OK, why the big fuss?

BTW, even though I haven't read any of the books, I am a big fan of the movies.

[GreenScar]

Originally Posted by Zaphod

I never read any of the books so I may be asking a stupid question. Does it really make that big of a difference that the movie is different than the book? I mean J.K. Rowling has to sign off on the script and if she deems it as OK, why the big fuss?

BTW, even though I haven't read any of the books, I am a big fan of the movies.

It would be a case of ignorance is bliss. If you don't know how great the story unfolded and the amazing finale then you won't be missing anything. And then of course there's a certain funeral that they don't seem to think important enough to include.

Seriously Zaphod, I highly recommend the books if you enjoy the movies. I just read them all this year. You can find them on the cheap and they are really good reads.

[Zaphod]

Originally Posted by jasonbird

Seriously Zaphod, I highly recommend the books if you enjoy the movies. I just read them all this year. You can find them on the cheap and they are really good reads.

Thanks JB, I might have to pick them up and read them...but then again maybe after the fact since it seems I may be disappointed on the exclusions or alterations for the movie.

[BStecke]

I second the recommendation to read the books. Only books I've actually read in years. They're all fantastic, and the travesty of this is that Half Blood, in my opinion, is the very best of the series. It provides almost all of the pertinent information regarding Voldemort via some wonderful flashbacks, has some of the best action scenes, and really fleshes out the Dumbledore character and his relationship with Harry.

[Wondermaker]

Ugh. Makes me wonder what's in store for the final book adaptation, then.

[BStecke]

Originally Posted by Wondermaker

Ugh. Makes me wonder what's in store for the final book adaptation, then.

Hey. All that matters is that they make double the money.

[Leopold BUTTERS]

Originally Posted by Zaphod

I never read any of the books so I may be asking a stupid question. Does it really make that big of a difference that the movie is different than the book? I mean J.K. Rowling has to sign off on the script and if she deems it as OK, why the big fuss?

BTW, even though I haven't read any of the books, I am a big fan of the movies.

10,000,000 dollars deems a lot of things okay.

[Bluoholic]

Worst news of the year. I just hope that was the reason to move it so they can reshoot... I just sit here now with a sad face and not sure how to react. They take the most important book of the series and trash it like it's nothing. oh man I wish I was at that screening I would tell them what I think.