The Magic Is Back

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince opened here in the U. S. yesterday after an eight-month delay when Warners wanted to save a "blockbuster" for summer release. A blockbuster it is and I was not disappointed by this latest installment of the Harry Potter saga.

The previous two films, Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix played fast and loose with the books and missed a number of opportunities to create some real feeling. Especially missed was the book's scene (Phoenix) at St. Mungo's Hospital when Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny encounter Neville Longbottom visiting his parents, tortured into madness by Belatrix Lestrange, a Death Eater who makes Voldemort seem a pleasant person.

Of course time constraints force a lot of a book's content to be scrapped, but the writers seemed to make some poor choices in films four and five. Phoenix (again) fails to explain why the Dementors attacked Harry in the opening scenes. One line could have done it. That's all it took in the book.

Happily, writer Steve Kloves makes better choices this time, although Dumbledore's encounter with the Dursleys is missing, replaced by a scene of Harry flirting with a cafe waitress. Also missing is the climactic battle in Hogwarts with members of the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army fighting the Death Eaters. Still, the scene was not essential.

On the plus side Tom Felton does an excellent job as the tortured Draco Malfoy, forced into a mission to kill Dumbledore by Lord Voldemort. Felton makes you feel the pain he is going through as attempt after attempt fail.

Another highlight of the film, providing some needed lightness, is the introduction of love, jealousy and teen angst to our characters. Rupert Grint especially has moments when Ron consumes cauldron cakes containing a powerful love potion intended for Harry. Emma Watson's Hermione struggles with her own feelings for Ron and shows just how talented a witch she really is.

Bonnie Wright's Ginny Weasley finally gets dialogue, saying more in one scene than she did in the previous three films. Ginny displays courage, compassion and love in this entry and Bonnie handles the part nicely.

Of course Daniel Radcliffe demonstrates maturing skills in the title role of Harry Potter. His acting abilities have evolved over the last eight years and he continues to make Harry a real person and not just an archetype.

There is much magic of a grand scale here, from the attack on "The Burrow" to the ring of fire created by Dumbledore to drive away the inferi as he and Harry recover a powerful magic object. On a side note, the inferi (animated dead bodies) do look a lot like Gollum from Lord of the Rings. Coincidence? You decide.

Quidditch makes a welcome return. Actually, that's a sport I could follow, if only.....I do wonder about the new protective gear added since the game's last appearance on Prisoner of Azkaban. It tends to make the players look a bit like wusses after the earlier contests. Still, I guess the costume designers needed something to do.

So, after the first of what I expect will be several viewings, I really enjoyed Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and recommend it to any fan of the series, or any fan of a well-crafted fantasy film. I expect a lot from the upcoming two installments of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as the saga comes to a close. So, run out and see it, or see it again.