In my mind, before this afternoon, the greatest tragedy to strike the Harry Potter world was the death of Richard Harris, who played Dumbledore in both Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets. His replacement, Michael Gambon, never quite lived up to the Dumbledore mystique in my mind. Harris brought such a quirky and yet serious quality to the role; he always seemed as if he knew something that nobody else knew but he couldn't decide if it was hilarious or sobering. Gambon seemed to lose that depth, taking some of mystery of Dumbledore away and reducing him to the level of an old man who happens to be able to do magic.
That was all before I saw Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, however, a movie that clearly aimed for and achieved a cinematic quality that has been missing in the last few series entries. Even Gambon seems to come into his own: he doesn't pursue the enigmatic air of Harris' Dumbledore, but exudes an aura of power and authority that make me wonder why we didn't see this side of him before now. Even in one of his weakest moments in this new film, I never felt like he lost that air of control.
Half-Blood Prince picks up right where the previous film left off, with Harry battered and bruised from his battle with a group of his nemesis' followers, and mourning the loss of his godfather Sirius Black. Immediately following is a scene of destruction that has no real bearing on the plot, and appeared contrived to add more excitement to movie trailers. This was, fortunately, the last time I saw such a blatant marketing ploy in this movie. As the movie progresses and Dumbledore and Harry try to discover more about the life of the man who would become Voldemort, things on the academic side become more challenging as a new Potions professor is introduced, one who plays a more integral part in the story than Harry suspects.
This entry in the Potter series brings a more detailed romantic subplot into play. It was slightly sup rising to see this as such a significant portion of the movies, because often it is these subplots that get neglected and left out in all the action of the movie. A large part of what made this movie better than its predecessors was its willingness to slow down and address one thing at a time. There is one scene where Harry and Hermione commiserate and bear each others burden of then-heartbreak, and there is no motivation for that scene other than to relate the pain of the two characters. It's admirable that the film is able to do that.
There was something very quiet, very sobering about this movie. Instead of throwing the effects in your face, as if to say "Here's our special effects! Awesome, no?", they become secondary to the unraveling plot, which is certainly a switch from the previous few films. The musical score is also spectacular, capturing the magic of a snowy Quidditch match, the sobering reality of death and its ability to unite, and the quiet strength of two friends bound by a shared experience.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is easily the best entry in the series since Chamber of Secrets and is worth a view, even if you've missed the others.
(Rated PG. Offensive content: scary creatures, violence, mild language)
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