Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Book vs. Movie
I had first read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in 2005, but have re-read them several times, including my recent read this week. I had the movie saved in my computer and I decided to watch it right an hour after I had finished reading the book, and I am not surprised to say this, I was very, very upset with the motion picture.
I know this is an old topic, with people almost always stating that how bad the movie adaption of all the well-written books tend to be. But trust me, after realizing the whole thing with my own senses, and seeing the huge differences through my own eyes(although I have watched the movie only once or twice and read the book many times, I never judged them like I did this time), I ended up reaching the conclusion that it would be a complete injustice to my blog if I didn't write a post on this topic even once, for this series was the only one that had enlightened my entire childhood very much. So here I am, writing this post when I should actually be preparing for my presentation tomorrow on the use of technology for running the business of certain company...oh well!
1. To begin with, in the movie, Harry Potter is seeing loitering alone (may that be in the muggle world) unprotected. Wasn't Voldemort out there desperately looking for him? Shouldn't he be inside his aunt's house, tucked away from all the danger lurking for him in the darkness? If a gang of Death Eaters successfully managed to collapse that enormous bridge, finding and killing Harry would be a piece of cake if they had searched intently.
2. Hogwarts Express, this time, did not have any compartments, and there was barely any space between the rows for even two people! I couldn't really understand how Harry had walked past Malfoy, and managed to get up on the luggage rack without any support.
3. Luna Lovegood found Harry lying immobilized inside the train. What was she doing there anyway? Shouldn't she be with the other students in the carriage? She wasn't even assigned to roam the whole train to ensure security! We definitely needed Tonks here.
4. At a point in the movie, I heard Mr. Weasley tell Harry about the Vanishing Cabinet. Since they already knew what it did, it wasn't really hard to guess what Malfoy had been planning, right?
5. And anyway, unlike mentioned in the book, in the movie, Harry had seen the cabinet in Borgin and Burkes, and later when he went to throw away his book in the Room of Requirements, he should have recognized the cabinet!
6. What happened to the Weasleys' house? Why did Lestrange burn it? Wasn't the Burrow supposed to be under heavy enchantment protecting it, and also while having Harry Potter inside it? Was something like that ever mentioned anywhere in the book? Was that even necessary to include in the movie?
7. Dumbledore showed Harry memories of the past, of the young Voldemort. But since many of the memories were not shown in the movie, the first two really didn't relate to the rest of the story. Of course, because of that, in the Deathly Hallows movies, we found Harry without a single clue of what might be the next Horcruxes. Shame! In the book Dumbledore had prepared Harry better, knowing that he had a huge responsibility waiting for him.
8. Harry and Ginny kissing in the Room of Requirements: the version in the book was way better!
9. When Harry and Dumbledore started their journey for the first Horcrux, they apparated from Dumbledore's office! I know he said that being him gives him certain advantages, but I really can't imagine Dumbledore setting exceptions for himself for his own rules. That's so not him!
10. Dumbledore returned with Harry and was attacked by Malfoy. In the book, a freezing charm was put upon Harry so that he couldn't prevent Malfoy or Snape from killing Dumbledore (that was the plan). But in the movie, Harry saw the death of Dumbledore yet did not take any action to save him! Wasn't he the one telling Lupin and Tonks that he didn't trust Snape just a few scenes ago? What happened then? Why did he pause to see what Snape had to offer for the Headmaster's rescue?
11. Was the whole school sleeping when Bellatrix caused such wreckage in the Great Hall? Didn't any of them even bother to come out? Wasn't McGonagall on a patrol then? They almost got away without a fight! I would love to see a fight between the DA members and the Death Eaters.
12. And, lastly, I missed Dumbledore's funeral. :(
Those of you who are preparing to defend the movie, I know what you are thinking. A lot of my friends have said the same that it was really impossible to include all the details of such a long story into the movie, and it had already crossed 2 hours. But for those people who haven't read the book (don't say, "Who hasn't read the book?" I know people who haven't, including two cousins of mine) the movie is quite vague. They could simply split the story into two halves and then film it, like they did with Deathly Hallows. However, I have always said that Harry Potter would do much better if it was turned into a show, of course, without altering the main story and filming every page that Rowling has written; not like The Vampire Diaries that has changed the main plot a great deal. Anyway people have their own opinion and this is mine. I just couldn't agree that the movie did much justice to the book, that's it!
I know this is an old topic, with people almost always stating that how bad the movie adaption of all the well-written books tend to be. But trust me, after realizing the whole thing with my own senses, and seeing the huge differences through my own eyes(although I have watched the movie only once or twice and read the book many times, I never judged them like I did this time), I ended up reaching the conclusion that it would be a complete injustice to my blog if I didn't write a post on this topic even once, for this series was the only one that had enlightened my entire childhood very much. So here I am, writing this post when I should actually be preparing for my presentation tomorrow on the use of technology for running the business of certain company...oh well!
1. To begin with, in the movie, Harry Potter is seeing loitering alone (may that be in the muggle world) unprotected. Wasn't Voldemort out there desperately looking for him? Shouldn't he be inside his aunt's house, tucked away from all the danger lurking for him in the darkness? If a gang of Death Eaters successfully managed to collapse that enormous bridge, finding and killing Harry would be a piece of cake if they had searched intently.
2. Hogwarts Express, this time, did not have any compartments, and there was barely any space between the rows for even two people! I couldn't really understand how Harry had walked past Malfoy, and managed to get up on the luggage rack without any support.
3. Luna Lovegood found Harry lying immobilized inside the train. What was she doing there anyway? Shouldn't she be with the other students in the carriage? She wasn't even assigned to roam the whole train to ensure security! We definitely needed Tonks here.
4. At a point in the movie, I heard Mr. Weasley tell Harry about the Vanishing Cabinet. Since they already knew what it did, it wasn't really hard to guess what Malfoy had been planning, right?
5. And anyway, unlike mentioned in the book, in the movie, Harry had seen the cabinet in Borgin and Burkes, and later when he went to throw away his book in the Room of Requirements, he should have recognized the cabinet!
6. What happened to the Weasleys' house? Why did Lestrange burn it? Wasn't the Burrow supposed to be under heavy enchantment protecting it, and also while having Harry Potter inside it? Was something like that ever mentioned anywhere in the book? Was that even necessary to include in the movie?
7. Dumbledore showed Harry memories of the past, of the young Voldemort. But since many of the memories were not shown in the movie, the first two really didn't relate to the rest of the story. Of course, because of that, in the Deathly Hallows movies, we found Harry without a single clue of what might be the next Horcruxes. Shame! In the book Dumbledore had prepared Harry better, knowing that he had a huge responsibility waiting for him.
8. Harry and Ginny kissing in the Room of Requirements: the version in the book was way better!
9. When Harry and Dumbledore started their journey for the first Horcrux, they apparated from Dumbledore's office! I know he said that being him gives him certain advantages, but I really can't imagine Dumbledore setting exceptions for himself for his own rules. That's so not him!
10. Dumbledore returned with Harry and was attacked by Malfoy. In the book, a freezing charm was put upon Harry so that he couldn't prevent Malfoy or Snape from killing Dumbledore (that was the plan). But in the movie, Harry saw the death of Dumbledore yet did not take any action to save him! Wasn't he the one telling Lupin and Tonks that he didn't trust Snape just a few scenes ago? What happened then? Why did he pause to see what Snape had to offer for the Headmaster's rescue?
11. Was the whole school sleeping when Bellatrix caused such wreckage in the Great Hall? Didn't any of them even bother to come out? Wasn't McGonagall on a patrol then? They almost got away without a fight! I would love to see a fight between the DA members and the Death Eaters.
12. And, lastly, I missed Dumbledore's funeral. :(
Those of you who are preparing to defend the movie, I know what you are thinking. A lot of my friends have said the same that it was really impossible to include all the details of such a long story into the movie, and it had already crossed 2 hours. But for those people who haven't read the book (don't say, "Who hasn't read the book?" I know people who haven't, including two cousins of mine) the movie is quite vague. They could simply split the story into two halves and then film it, like they did with Deathly Hallows. However, I have always said that Harry Potter would do much better if it was turned into a show, of course, without altering the main story and filming every page that Rowling has written; not like The Vampire Diaries that has changed the main plot a great deal. Anyway people have their own opinion and this is mine. I just couldn't agree that the movie did much justice to the book, that's it!
Comments
Post a Comment