http://commentarytrack.com/2009/07/25/review-harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-2009/ movie reviews, news and discussion Tue, 22 May 2012 16:52:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://commentarytrack.com/2009/07/25/review-harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-2009/#comment-832 Tom Mon, 27 Jul 2009 09:25:37 +0000 http://commentarytrack.com/?p=3744#comment-832 the only thing i liked about the sickbed scene was the way it lingered on the adults' reaction to all the nonsense, snape's foul expression especially made me laugh. but yeah, agreed. the only thing i liked about the sickbed scene was the way it lingered on the adults’ reaction to all the nonsense, snape’s foul expression especially made me laugh. but yeah, agreed.

]]> http://commentarytrack.com/2009/07/25/review-harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-2009/#comment-831 Helen Sun, 26 Jul 2009 15:10:05 +0000 http://commentarytrack.com/?p=3744#comment-831 I really enjoyed this film while I was watching it, but it doesn't bear close scrutiny and I wouldn't disagree with any of your criticisms. There are significant immediate pleasures in the look of the film (production design, costuming, effects, etc., etc.), performances by the stellar adult cast, and the effective if obvious orchestral score, and the dark core of the story is compelling. Yet even as I watching it I found the teen romance angle an unnecessary distraction at best - the scene at Ron's sickbed is particularly cringe-worthy - and in hindsight it's a critical misuse of screen time that would better have been devoted to more resonant story lines and better-acted characters. I really enjoyed this film while I was watching it, but it doesn’t bear close scrutiny and I wouldn’t disagree with any of your criticisms. There are significant immediate pleasures in the look of the film (production design, costuming, effects, etc., etc.), performances by the stellar adult cast, and the effective if obvious orchestral score, and the dark core of the story is compelling. Yet even as I watching it I found the teen romance angle an unnecessary distraction at best – the scene at Ron’s sickbed is particularly cringe-worthy – and in hindsight it’s a critical misuse of screen time that would better have been devoted to more resonant story lines and better-acted characters.

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