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List Price: $28.98 | | Label: Warner Home Video
Salesrank: 8
Released: December 8, 2009 |
| Our Price: $9.99 |
| Used Price: $14.99 |
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MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
As harry potter begins his 6th year at hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry he discovers an old book marked mysteriously this book is the property of the half-blood prince and begins to learn more about lord voldemorts dark past. Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 12/08/2009 Run time: 135 minutes Rating: Pg
Description of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Full-Screen Edition):
The sixth installment of the Harry Potter series begins right where The Order of the Phoenix left off. The wizarding world is rocked by the news that "He Who Must Not Be Named" has truly returned, and the audience finally knows that Harry is "the Chosen One"--the only wizard who can defeat Lord Voldemort in the end. Dark forces loom around every corner, and now regularly attempt to penetrate the protected walls of Hogwarts School. This is no longer the fun and fascinating world of magic from the first few books—it's dark, dangerous, and scary.
Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) suspects Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) to be a new Death Eater recruit on a special mission for the Dark Lord. In the meantime, Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) seems to have finally removed the shroud of secrecy from Harry about the dark path that lies ahead, and instead provides private lessons to get him prepared. It's in these intriguing scenes that the dark past of Tom Riddle (a.k.a. Voldemort) is finally revealed. The actors cast as the different young versions of Riddle (Hero Fiennes-Tiffin and Frank Dillane) do an eerily fantastic job of portraying the villain as a child. While the previous movies' many new characters could be slightly overwhelming, only one new key character is introduced this time: Professor Horace Slughorn (with a spot-on performance by Jim Broadbent). Within his mind he holds a key secret in the battle to defeat the Dark Lord, and Harry is tasked by Dumbledore to uncover a memory about Voldemort's darkest weapon--the Horcrux. Despite the long list of distractions, Harry, Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) still try to focus on being teenagers, and audiences will enjoy the budding awkward romances. All of the actors have developed nicely, giving their most convincing performances to date.
More dramatic and significant things go down in this movie than any of its predecessors, and the stakes are higher than ever. The creators have been tasked with a practically impossible challenge, as fans of the beloved J.K. Rowling book series desperately want the movies to capture the magic of the books as closely as possible. Alas, the point at which one accepts that these two mediums are very different is the point at which one can truly enjoy these brilliant adaptations. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is no exception: it may be the best film yet. For those who have not read the book, nail-biting entertainment is guaranteed. For those who have, the movie does it justice. The key dramatic scenes, including the cave and the shocking twist in the final chapter, are executed very well. It does a perfect job of setting up the two-part grand finale that is to follow. --Jordan Thompson
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Full-Screen Edition) Reviews:
Dark and Depressing 
2009-12-10 - This review is difficult because the novel is my favorite in the series. To be fair to the movie producers, this novel is so rich in crucial info from the multiple story lines, it would be impossible to tell them all within the necessary time frame of a single motion picture... which makes it all the more incomprehensible that they would choose to ADD scenes not in the novel! Stupid decision! To leave out the change over of ministers... the relevance of Fenrir Greyback... the attack on Bill (Ron's older brother)... the act of Dumbledore immobilizing Harry, just prior to the end... no they just have Harry skulking underneath like a coward! I don't care that they had Albus tell Harry to do it. No HERO, and that is what Harry is, would just skulk below! These, all these events and more, are simply left out? And why have Greyback in there at all? Nowhere did they even mention his being a werewolf!!! and that he was the reason Remus was turned!!! --- This film is problematic in so many ways but to me, the biggest comlaint I have is the almost total lack of COLOUR in the film! This dreadful journey is so depressing with the greys and dingy yellows and off whites and hazy browns... enough already! I almost fell asleep! -- Look, I gave it 3 stars mainly because I did laugh once or twice. Big deal!
After Goblet of Fire, the best Harry Potter film adaptation yet! 
2009-12-10 - Unlike some other movies that are based on books, the Harry Potter franchise has done a superb job of adapting to film while keeping to the original storyline, especially given the thickness of the books as the series progresses. I currently own the Blu-ray boxed set of films 1-5 (and am watching Goblet of Fire as I write this), and absolutely LOVE it. I have not yet watched my new blu-ray copy of the Half-blood Prince yet (will do so as soon as I finish the Order of the Phoenix), but I did watch a low quality version of it several months ago. I cannot WAIT to finally view it in high quality HD, and I had no idea that the slipcover would be lenticular, which I absolutely LOVE! That, along with the BEST price of a new release blu-ray that I have EVER seen ($14.99), especially for a film as popular as this one, as well as the much-anticipated exclusive footage from the Deathly Hallows (which is actually rumored to be a two-parter), not to mention all the other awesome special features, is the reason I give this product a 5-star rating!
One of the best in the series!
2009-12-10 - I've given this product 5 stars for the entire package, and not the movie only. As a movie, "Half-Blood Prince", is the best in the series since "Prisoner of Azkaban" and "Goblet of Fire". Granted for the fans who have read the books as well, there are plenty of glaring omissions that take away from the story. It's safe to say there will be a lot of making up to do in the "Deathly Hallows" films.
Still it is a great movie. David Yates has done an excellent job of directing. It is much better than his first installment in the series "Order of ther Phoenix." My only quip with him as a director, is that he seems to shy away from the action scenes and go all out on the emotion and feeling. Emotion is a key element of the series, but so is the action and thrill sequences.
The strongest element of Yates' direction is the acting. "Order of the Phoenix" and "Half-Blood Prince" have arguably the best acting in the series, and it is a joy to watch in this film.
My final score for the movie itself is 4 out of 5 stars.
Now on to why the package gets 5 stars. First of all it is a 3 disc package. The Blu-Ray movie, the Blu-Ray Special Features disc, and the DVD movie. So it has very high accesibility. If you don't have a Blu-Ray at the current moment, you can still watch it on your DVD player while waiting to upgrade. The Special Features disc, like with most of the Harry Potter DVDs, is PHENOMENAL! The HP series always seems to hit grandslams with their special features. One of the features included is a 2 minute preview of the "Deathly Hallows."
Finally there is an option for a Digital Copy. With all of this, it makes "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" one of the best Blu-Ray/DVD packages around.
It was the Best of Harry, It was the WORST of Harry, but it was GOOD. 
2009-12-10 - I confess: I had to give this one a second, intense watching before I truly benefitted from it. Skipping the less-than-thrilling details of this film, let us begin by looking at it purely cinematically. It is stark, dark, minimalist in every possible way, and it is a bit dank.
I was going to say "stale"--but I changed my mind.
Those searching for the sparkle of Harry Potter films gone by will be sorely, sorely disappointed. I suspect the American writer's strike, occurring whilst this was in production, had something to do with it all. Also, there is a feel to the film of an unfinished, under-funded production.
Yet that kind of thing is what the British have always carried off, magnificently.
Leaving those unpleasantries behind, GET THIS 2-DISC edition while you can. The extras on disc two are fun and penetrating: we learn a great deal about J. K. Rowling in one documentary; in another, we learn some things about the cast. There are other nice little extras, which I won't spoil.
The film is extremely well acted. The forces of the actors alone drive it along, compel us to sink deeply into the emotions of the film--despite the fact it was Rowling's worst novel out of the set. Daniel Radcliffe has matured quite well; Rupert Grint is as funny as Buster Keaton, somehow managing to elicit giggles even when he is dying after being poisoned. Emma Watson, as beautiful as ever, has also matured and deepened as an actress. In fact, there is a darkly humorous yet innocent undertone to the film, with some post-adolescent one-liners. BARELY post-adolescent, I warn you...it is supposedly a teen film.
Great kudos especially to the great Jim Broadbent, recently of Indiana Jones fame, in the role of Professor Horace Slughorn. Broadbent has that rare, indescribable combination of talents in an actor that are too rarely seen--but when you watch Broadbent, you are watching a brand, well worth fan loyalty. It's a shame Broadbent hasn't a "snowball's chance" of an Oscar. He deserves one for this performance.
The only others we see with any screen force are Alan Rickman as Snape, Tom Felton as Draco, Dame Maggie Smith as Professor MacGonagall and Sir Michael Gambon as the irrepressible Dumbledore. The big beef I have with the whole thing is the lack of other characters, and the old familiars that do crop up are like cardboard. For example, Robbie Coltrane as Haggrid gets about four minutes' screen time and few lines. Other characters, introduced for the first time in the novel, are nowhere in sight here. I am also rather disgusted with the last 15 or 20 minutes of the film...but I'll leave you to discover that disgust for yourselves.
Get it and watch it: this film constitutes what is the very best and the very worst of Harry Potter film, and it is worth it for that alone.
Potter Fan"atic"
2009-12-10 - I love this movie, but as it was said in some other reviews, I fail to see how they are going to make up for the important scenes that they omitted in this film. So as not to spoil it for anybody who hasn't seen it or read the book, there are some very important things missing from this movie that will have to come to a head in the next one.
I didn't read any of the books prior to seeing this film, so I initially thought it was pretty good and set the scene for the next one. After seeing it, I was so curious to find out what was going to happen, I went back and read all the books. Once I read them (they were EXCELLENT by the way) I started to understand what others were talking about. There were so many things left out that I would think it will be quite difficult to find a way to write them in the way the book was written.
All in all, the movie is still pretty good.
