I have to say this is my favorite Harry Potter so far.  I really didn't get into this series till the 3rd on, which for me really picked things up visually and story wise, and till the half-blood Prince was the best in the series.  This one is more dark, and has an ominous and depressing kind of tone in a way, you sense the dread coming even though there is no Voldemort in this one other than flashbacks of him as a child.  Harry now has accepted he is the chosen one and must kill Voldemort.    Jim Broadbent is great as Professor Horace Slughorn, who has the biggest part of the adult characters.  Alan Rickman aka hans gruber, has the biggest role he has had so far, and he's great. And Draco Malfoy has become a full blown villain.  I never read any of the books so I can't judge how well the adaptation is, but this movie is shot very well, it has a Spielberg feel to it, and the story moves quickly, the characters have more depth, if you are a fan of the series I do not think you will be disappointed.

I am hesitant to see this because of the PG rating. Not having read the books, I hated the first three Potter movies (which are supposed to be the best adaptations according to fans). They were too kiddy -- too goodie-two-shoes with black and white morals (complete with cliche nicknames for the hero and villian -- 'Dark Lord' and 'Chosen One'? Really?) except for the character of Snape, who is awesome and played to perfection in every movie.

I did enjoy the change of tone the fourth and fifth films took. They are much darker than their predecessors, more my style. The PG-13 rating in those installments might have helped. Now that it's back to PG, I'm not sure about watching this one.

The early teaser trailer for this one  (with young Voldemort) did intrigue me, but the more recent trailer doesn't look too appealing to me.

I also don't like the idea of making Ginny into Harry's love interest all of a sudden. I know they're just following the books (as they should) but it just seems to come out of nowhere. Now, I have no idea if their pairing was forshadowed in the books, so pardon my ignorance if that's the case.  I think that girl Luna from the fifth film should have been Harry's love interest.

But I'm off-topic now -- point is, I'm iffy on watching it. I don't wanna feel like I wasted my time.

--Julio

Quoted from ReaperCreeper I am hesitant to see this because of the PG rating. I did enjoy the change of tone the fourth and fifth films took. They are much darker than their predecessors, more my style. The PG-13 rating in those installments might have helped. Now that it's back to PG, I'm not sure about watching this one.

This is the darkest outta the bunch, im surprised its only pg cuz its a lot more intense than the others, the kill count isn't high, but it is intense, so don't let the rating stop u from seeing it, if the movie itself doesn't appeal to u then don't wast your time, but i didn't get into it till the 3rd one, but now ive grown to care about these characters so when one or two is killed you can feel the loss on Harry.

Oh poor Harry Potter. And to think it's only gonna get worse.

I dug this movie. I've read the books, I've seen the movies multiple times and what continues to amaze me is the longevity of this series. How many movie franchises are still so fresh and vivid, so exciting and engaging after six films? Most franchises don't make it past two without becoming repetative and boring. But this series has got major legs. I guess that's mostly a credit to Rowling's books.

But let's give credit where credit's due. Director David Yates and screenwriter Steve Kloves (who was missing from the fifth film) do an excellent job translating a long, layered and complex story to the screen. It's easy to follow without being dumbed down for a young audience. And I admired how they refused to back away from the darkness of the books. It'd be so easy to water it down, but Yates and Kloves stick to their guns and it works very well. I especially loved the Godfather Part II twist with the slow reveal of Voldemorte's dark past, It's a good offset to the main plot of the film and I'm hoping for a few more scenes like it in the next two films.

The actors are also to be commended. They've matured so much, not only physically but also as performers. The principal three bring a richness, complexity and maturity to Harry, Ron and Hermoine respectively, which simply wasn't possible when they were squeaky-voiced chuckleheads running away from giant snakes or looking for magical stones.

Visually the film is spectacular, the effects work really well, a lot of scenes have very intriguing shot composition and the darkness is what I was blown away by. This film has such rich black scenes, and I mean that literally. It's not easy to make a frame dark and visible at the same time (ask anyone who works in television) and there were points in this film where the blackness was as interesting as frames that were crowded with colour and activity. This is not surprising, considering the cinematographer also shot Amelie, which I still think is one of the top five most visually stunning films ever made.

If you're a fan of the books, you'll not be disappointed. If you just like the movies, this will be one hell of a ride. And if you're only going so your girlfriend will blow you after, you shouldn't be too bored. I'm seriously looking forward to the final two installments, but with a kind of hesitation. I've grown quite fond of these characters and this world and it will be a shame to see it all end.

I'm in the complete minority-didn't like it at all. Dumbledore 's death was not handled emotionally at all. Draco was one of the only entertaining parts. the trailer made it out to be all out action and it was really boring. The climax wasn't too good either. I really wanted to like it but nope.  

4.5/10

Film review threads are going to include spoilers - in fact, they're not even spoilers, they're plot details, since the film's already out.

Saw this today at the IMAX, where the first 12 minutes were, bizarrely, in 3D (did that happen anywhere else?). I actually really enjoyed it...up until the last 15 minutes, which I felt they fumbled badly. But I'll get to that in a mo.

As someone who isn't exactly a fan of Radcliffe it gives me no great pleasure to say this but I must admit he is A LOT better in this one. Rupert Grint is still the best of the child actors, and Emma Watson's not bad, either. The adult actors are as good as always - the best two in my opinion were Helena Bonham Carter, who was great but was completely outdone by Jim Broadbent, who really gave it everything. He was fantastic in every scene, every moment. Good casting there. Michael Gambon and Alan Rickman were also good. Tom Felton was particularly impressive as Malfoy, actually. That was a tough role, and he did it admirably.

It was shot well, the flashback scenes particularly effective. The humour was used to good effect and actually didn't undermine the general tone of the film, which I think deserves recognition. The screenplay was actually very good, weaving the necessary plot strands together and keeping everything ticking along nicely. There were, as always, a few confusing, seemingly unnecessary diversions from the source material; for instance, since when did the Weasleys' house get blown up?

Also, I feel the whole 'teen romance' angle was over-emphasised, perhaps at the expense of more interesting things that could have been included. The waitress bit at the start, for instance, could quite easily have been replaced with the bit in the book where Scrigemour meet the PM, or some of the less flattering portraits of Harry's father which were a good part of the book.

So yes, the majority of the film was very good. But I totally agree with Aaron: they seriously fumbled the ending. Dumbledore's death is one of the most emotional moments of the entire series, and yet here it just...happened. They also made one important change to how the sequence unfolded in the book which was a COMPLETE mistake. In the book Harry is petrified and hidden under the Invisibility Cloak by Dumbledore, which means he CAN'T intervene, Here, he is conscious, able to move, and yet he CHOOSES not to intervene. Yes, he's promised Dumbledore he'll stay out of sight, but so what?! That's not a good enough reason. He WOULD intervene. He just would. I don't buy that he'd just stand back and watch Dumbledore die because he was told to. Also, the aftermath was far less emotional than it should have been; the Half Blood Prince reveal was rushed, and skipping the funeral was, I feel, wrong. This film did the comedy very well. It was the tragedy that let it down.

So yes, the majority of it was good. But the ending? Not so much.

Agreed, it just happened. I am really angry at that man. It should have been a SERIOUSLY emotional part. I was really looking forward to that part. When they reveal who the Half Blood Prince is, that part was an epic fail because it had zero "surprise" at all. It was just like "I'm the half blood prince btw". To treat it like that is repulsive. Here's hoping the next one is better

JonnyBoy nailed all of the complaints I had with this one.

A shame because "Half-Blood Prince" was my favorite of the books.

I thought this was okay. This one was my favorite book of the series and while the movie wasn't bad, it lacked a lot of the intensity of the book and skimmed over a helluva lot, especially scenes pertaining to Voldermort's past. The ending was particularly lacking in intensity as many have already said, both the scene in the tower and on the island. The island was kinda cool. Definitely more Lord of the Rings-ish than the other films but still. Not enough gusto. I will credit the film for its somber atmosphere though. I think the sixth book is the most somber of the series.

Then again, I didn't walk away from the theater feeling like I'd seen a new movie. I think since the third, they've all been pretty much the same and I'm sure the seventh will feel the same way. It's not a bad series but I do think it's been running out of steam for some time now.

Quoted from James McClung I thought this was okay. This one was my favorite book of the series and while the movie wasn't bad, it lacked a lot of the intensity of the book and skimmed over a helluva lot, especially scenes pertaining to Voldermort's past. The ending was particularly lacking in intensity as many have already said, both the scene in the tower and on the island. The island was kinda cool. Definitely more Lord of the Rings-ish than the other films but still. Not enough gusto. I will credit the film for its somber atmosphere though. I think the sixth book is the most somber of the series. Then again, I didn't walk away from the theater feeling like I'd seen a new movie. I think since the third, they've all been pretty much the same and I'm sure the seventh will feel the same way. It's not a bad series but I do think it's been running out of steam for some time now.

I agree with you wholeheartedly, James. And also with previous posts regarding SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!

Dumbledore's death. It just happened.

It's very strange the way they worked this movie out. I felt the first part with the camera work was excellent. Showing the effects of dark powers on the move, however, the real intensity didn't come over like it happened in the book. Rather, we saw Draco like he was skulking around. Yes, he became afraid, but he was originally drawn up as being more of an antagonist, not a weakling. I would have liked for it to be portrayed visually, how the stress began to break him down and the subtleties of the relationship between both Harry and him.

Right now, the best thing I can say is that books and movies are two different things and it's always unfair somehow when we compare them, I think. If you haven't read the books yet, then try and read them before going to see the movies. That's my advice. Then go and enjoy the movies.

There's just so much I could say here, but I'm going to save it for maybe another post. The thing that really shocked me was how they ended it. No one in the theatre I was in thought it was truly the end. Both my husband and I agreed that it felt very dissatisfying and although he didn't read the books, he said he could sense that they had missed a lot and that it felt disjointed. One instance he brought up was a "fade-to-black" moment. He said it seemed to him that even here, it was like they didn't know what to do and couldn't come up with a better way to join things except to have three seconds of black screen.

This movie was very strange to me. I think when they were making creative decisions on what to "show", they just wound up in a tangle for time as usual and that's what happens. I'd love to hear George's comments here, but I'm not sure if he's read the books.

Sandra

SPOILERS... SPOILERS...SPOILERS...BIG SPOILERS...



I've had a couple of days to digest the latest Potter movie and after considerable thought, I've come to think it's a good movie with some interesting filmmaking decisions. I'm going to ramble here, but:

THE ENDING

Directly after the credits rolled, I said I was disappointed with the ending. Now that I've had time to think about it, I've accepted the ending the way the filmmakers chose it.

There are a few  big changes in the end that are different to the book, but 2 stand out:

1. Harry is not petrified and invisible
2. No battle.

I believe the filmmakers intended to focus on the end of Harry and Dumbledore's friendship and bond. The interesting decision to not hide Harry and instead put him downstairs watching the events unfold and run into Snape may not work in the books, but works in the series of movies. All along, Harry has distrusted Snape. All along, Harry has thought that Snape is out to betray Dumbledore. They set this scene up and remind of this fact with the sequence they created half-way through the movie at the Weasley's place. Here, Lupin reminds Harry (paraphrased):

"to trust Dumbledore is to trust Snape. If Dumbledore trusts Snape, then I and you should trust Snape."

Then, when we come to the climactic moment, for the first time in the whole series, Harry trusts Snape. Snape tells him to be quiet and not move, something Harry would not have done in any other movie. And what does Snape do? Kill Dumbledore. For the first time, Harry does not act impulsive and goes against Snape's wishes and what happens? Snape betrays Dumbledore, therefore betrays Harry.

This works for the series of movies, but obviously the books are different. If I look at this from the perspective of the movies, then it works for me.

The Battle:

Interesting decision to not show the students, teachers and the Order fighting the Death Eaters. It's possible that the filmmmakers, since they are doing the Deathly Hallows, do not want to repeat a school battle scene. I'm not sure. What I feel, is that they wanted to focus on the relationship ending between Potter and Dumbledore and maybe felt that showing the actions scenes takes away from the Dumbledore-Snape-Potter-Malfoy scene.

THE WEASLEYS SCENE:

I liked the burning of the Weasley's house. It doesn't fit with the books, so it will be interesting what they do in the next installment, but at the point in the movie, it fulfilled 3 things:

1. Ginny and Harrys relationship development.
2. A needed action/tension moment.
3. The opportunity for Lupin to talk about Snape and setup the 3rd Act Climactic scene.

THE FUNERAL (or lack thereof):

I thought having the students surround Dumbledore and then follow the teachers in raising the wands in the air was touching enough for me. I didn't need the funeral after this scene. I thought it was a brave and succesful decision to go that route. I have no doubt that the next film will open with the funeral.

Other pros:
- The cinematography is breathtaking. A huge improvement on the last film.
- The teenage angst explodes on the screen and although takes up the meat of the movie, it did translate into happy and funny scenes - possibily the last of the series.
- Malfoy has taken a leap forward from a one dimensional character to what he presents now.

Some cons:
- There was not as much action as I anticipated and was surprised with using the cave scene as the 3rd Act big-action sequence.
- I love Ginny, but I thought the material she was given left her acting a bit stiff (this is partly her fault too as she seemed a bit overwhelmed with the juicier scenes). I think she'll be a lot stronger in the next 2 movies.
- Where was Trewlany (sp?) and the prophecy?
- They did not setup the locket.

Overall, I'd look at giving it 8/10

Stew

I enjoyed this movie (saw it at the drive-in last night while my wife and I drank mojitos and ate shrimp).  My biggest problem with this was the ending.  It just cut off like the theater forgot to put on the last reel.

The characters have all grown up, in part because they're growing up.  I read somewhere that the romances were emphasized to compete with the Twilight movies.

SPOILERS
SPOILERS
SPOILERS

I was upset with how the supporting cast from the other movies were essentially written out of this movie.  Longbottom had only one line in the movie.  Luna had only a few minutes of air time.  Nymphadora, Professor McGonicle, the Indian sisters, Malfoy's fat lackeys, all were missing.

I thought it strange that so many of the recurring characters weren't present, especially after the Order of the Phoenix showed Harry training the others.

I look forward to the next movies.  I always hoped that Snape would get more air time; it looks like he'll get it with the Deathly Hollows.


Phil

I waited until last year to even bother watching all the movies leading up to this one and was quite surprised at how good the series was.

This isn't going to be in depth or spoiler ridden but it will be to the point and honest.

This was a two and a half hour set-up for another movie. While it was very entertaining it stinks of nothing more than a set-up which is sad because now we have to wait two years to see the real movie this one spent the entire time setting up.

Movies good but I'd have skipped it until the next one came out if I knew it was meant to get you excited for the next film and nothing more.

Instead of action they went for quick and easy outs.