HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE (2009, Blu-ray released December 8, 2009 – MSRP $35.99)
I shouldn’t be allowed to review these Harry Potter films. I’ve lost all objectivity. From the moment the first frames of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince burst from my home theatre projector and onto my screen I was lost in the film. If it’s anything but a perfect movie, I’m completely unaware.
Okay. I know it’s not perfect. It’s one of those sequel films without much set-up, that tosses you directly into the middle of a plot with the assumption that you’re well acquainted with the details of the previous episodes. It skips around a bit, from plot point to point, leaving some characters out there, twisting in the wind. And it’s dark! DAMN dark! You’ll spend the film wishing that someone would just flip a bloody light-switch on. But who really cares! Criticizing Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince feels like tearing into an episode of Lost at this point. And as anyone who watches programs with ongoing narratives will attest, each episode is merely a piece of a larger, more complex puzzle. The Harry Potter films are well beyond the point where they can can be judged as singular, standalone films. And as a series, I think the production team is getting most things just about perfect. I can’t really complain.
I’ve never read the books, but it’s quite clear that the plot of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince draws the second act of the over-arching narrative to a close, leading into the third and final act, to be played out through the remaining two films. This film in particular has that Empire Strikes Back feel to it – jump into the middle of the story and end with a cliffhanger, with very little feeling of satisfaction. By the time you finish watching it, you may feel lost, wondering what it was that you just sat through. Mark my words, in time, this will be heralded as one of the better Potter films, just as Empire is now lauded as the best of Star Wars. Just go with it and enjoy the ride while it lasts. We’ve got two more of these puppies coming at us over the next year and half. I, for one, can hardly wait!
The Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Blu-ray disc has been the subject of much debate here on the internets, with early reviews claiming a faulty transfer. I beg to differ. Like I said, this film is dark, dark, dark. And Warner Home Video has handled the cinematography perfectly, delivering a film-accurate transfer and a great encode. This is really and truly as good as this film can look in a home theatre environment. So don’t worry about your system or the disc when things get a bit dark on your screen. It’s supposed to look that way…
The Blu-ray disc set is also quite spectacular in the special feature department although, I have to say, this is the first time I’ve been disappointed with Warner’s Maximum Movie Mode. The MMM has been a highlight on many recent Warner discs. But the Harry Potter track here tends not to do much more than pop-up video of the main actors giving their thoughts on the characters. There is some variation every now and then but I found the feature a bit tedious. Much more pleasing are the plethora of excellent featurettes found on disc-2 of the set. The best of which are actually hosted in a light and playful tone by the actors from the series and provide a lot of insight into who these kids are and how they remain pals on and off screen.
“Close Up with the Cast of Harry Potter” lets the actors explore different behind-the-scenes aspects of putting the film together – Daniel Radcliffe in the editing bay, Emma Watson in the make-up room, Evanna Lynch in the costume department. You get the idea. It’s a lot of fun because the kids seem to be having a lot of fun with it. I’m still amazed that actor James Phelps is now not only one of the Weasley twins but also an Assistant Director on the films!
Another fun featurette called “What’s On Your Mind” is hosted by Draco Malfoy, Tom Felton as he asks a lightning round of questions to his cast mates. You’ll learn more about the kids in this quick 7-minute feature than in most documentaries on the films.
In addition, you’ll also find a lengthy 50-minute doc on author J.K. Rowling, a preview of the next Potter film, some deleted and additional scenes and a look at Universal Studios’ new Harry Potter theme park attraction. Very cool! I can’t wait to go with my niece and nephew!
Don’t forget all the BD-Llive treats available through the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Blu-ray Disc. There are a handful of featurettes and trailers but the best part of the BD-Live experience on the disc has to be the Live Community Screening hosted by Daniel Radcliffe. This took place on December 12th but should be available to view after the fact. It’s well worth a listen. He and producer David Barron take questions from viewers and generally have a pretty good time re-watching the film and chatting. Let’s hope they decide to do another in the near future!
For more details of the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Blu-ray Disc read our previous post here.
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