"If my life wasn't funny, it would just be true and that is unacceptable."
As the internet rightly celebrates the life of Carrie Fisher, I felt inspired to do some writing about her as well and her legacy as the woman most certainly was more than just Princess Leia. She had a long and varied career, both as an actress and also as a writer in her own right. Unapologetically brash and bold, Carrie Fisher blazed her own trail while facing life with a self-deprecating sense of humor.
I should probably get Star Wars out of the way first, since they were the films she was best known for. Over the course of four films, Fisher tackled the role of Princess Leia Organa with a fierce strength that made the role iconic. Never the damsel in distress and not one to hesitate to pick up a blaster gun and get shit done herself, all with easily the most ridiculous hairstyle no less, Leia was a fantastic character portrayed wonderfully by Fisher. She continued the role through the subsequent three films, The Empire Strikes Back, The Return of the Jedi, and The Force Awakens. As we catch up with Leia again in the latest film, it is perhaps the most poignant rendition of the character we have seen. She is now a General in the Rebellion forces, her love, Han Solo, has left to go galavanting around the galaxy again with his "walking carpet" Wookie, Chewbacca, and she has lost her only son to the Dark Side of the Force. Having seemingly lost everything, she continues to stand tall and continue pushing forward against seemingly insurmountable odds. If ever there was a role model for the age we live in, it's General Leia Organa. By all reports, Fisher was proud of her work as Leia and said that of all the characters to be typecasted as, that one was not bad.
She continued to work regularly, with memorable turns as Jake Blues' spurned girlfriend in The Blues Brothers, Tom Hanks' wife in Joe Dante's criminally underrated dark screwball comedy The Burbs and as Meg Ryan's matchmaking best friend in When Harry Met Sally. She never quite matched the blockbuster status of the Star Wars saga, but she continued to work steadily as an actress beyond that.
However, as the years marched on she began to work more and more behind the camera as a writer, becoming a highly sought after script doctor known for helping save troubled productions with contributions to films as varied as Hook, Sister Act, The River Wild, Coyote Ugly, and many others. She also wrote the scene for her cameo appearance in Scream 3, where her character not only admits to her likeness to Carrie Fisher, but suggests Fisher slept with George Lucas to get the part of Princess Leia. Needless to say it was one of the funniest parts of the so-so sequel.
She was also an accomplished novelist and writer, with several novels under her belt including the semi-autobiographical Postcards from the Edge, inspired by her relationship with her mother, Hollywood celebrity Debbie Reynolds (although Debbie always insisted, "It's not about us."). She also wrote the screenplay for the screen adaptation, directed by Mike Nichols. She also wrote three memoirs, Wishful Drinking, Shockaholic, and The Princess Diarist, where she reveals her life with a sort of self deprecating humor and candor that can only be admired. Unflinchingly honest about her bouts with alcoholism, drug addiction and mental illness were admirable in her steadfast devotion to removing the stigma of mental health issues. All are worth checking out. She also did Wishful Drinking as a one woman show, which was recorded and aired on HBO. It's worth seeing, if only for the sequence where she relates the scandal of her parent's divorce and the ongoing aftermath from that leading to her helping her daughter determine if she and her would be boyfriend, a son of one of Fisher's father Eddie Fisher's exes children, are in fact related. At one point she pulls out a flow chart and takes us through all of it step by step and it is hysterical.
I was saddened to hear of Carrie Fisher's passing yesterday. Not just because she played Princess Leia in Star Wars, but because I knew about so much of her other work. Her accomplishments as a writer are equally, if not more, impressive. Her work with de-stigmatizing Mental Health issues and both her humor and candor as she shared the issues she had personally struggled with in the process were an inspiration for many. I have seen so many posts on social media only mentioning Leia and while that is cool and everything and certainly something Carrie was proud of, even if she gently mocked it, there was so much more to her than just Leia. Her life wasn't an easy one, but the fact that she approached it with an unending sense of humor and biting wit should be enough to give everyone more strength.
Edit: As I was writing this, I saw the news that her mother, Debbie Reynolds, has now passed away too. The two may have had their issues, but they were always close and even wound up living next door to each other. The fact that they both died within a day of each other almost makes sense, in a weird way. I'll have to think up some sort of tribute to Debbie as well as a separate post as I enjoyed much of her work as well. But for now, my thoughts and prayers are with their family, who have lost a mother, a sister and a grandmother all in the span of 24 hours.
I was intrigued by Passengers when I first read the synopsis for it on the annual Black List, a list of the best yet unproduced screenplays that is released each year. I was thrilled to hear it was finally getting made. But then a curious thing happened, the trailers were covering up a significant plot point in the film. It's an important plot detail that I will be including in my summary below, so if you want to go into the film knowing as little as possible, by all means go. It's a terrific and suspenseful sci-fi thrill ride with a nice dose of romance on the side. For those that want to know a little more first, by all means read ahead.
Jim Preston (played by Chris Pratt) is a mechanical engineer traveling on the galactic spaceship Aurora on it's way to an uninhabited planet as a colonist along with 5000 other people. As the ship travels through an asteroid belt, it triggers a malfunction and Jim's suspended animation pod turns off, waking him up. He is shocked to not only find himself the only person awake on a giant spaceship but that he was woken up 90 years too early, meaning he will effectively spend the entirety of his life on the ship completely alone, except for the android bartender, Arthur (played by Michael Shannon). Furthermore, as a passenger on the ship and not a member of the crew, he has no access to the command controls of the ship to try put himself back in stasis or get help. As he spends more and more time alone, his sanity begins to slip until he discovers the pod of Aurora Lane (played by Jennifer Lawrence). He looks her up on the ship's computer and learns about her, reads her writings (she's an author) and slowly falls for her. He begins to think about waking her up so he didn't have to be alone. He's knows it's wrong and wrestles with his conscience until the sheer loneliness makes him cave and he does it. Disoriented, he initially leads her to believe that her pod malfunctioned too, part of the growing number of malfunctions on the ship. But it's only a matter of time before she finds out. In the meantime, the two begin to bond and develop feelings for one another. But as the problems on the ship grow to become critical, it becomes clear the two are going to have to work together to fix the ship and ensure it reaches it's destination.
The main point of contention for people with this film is going to be the fact that Jim deliberately wakes up Aurora, rather than both of them waking up by accident as the trailers lead you to believe. And I will concede, it is a total dick move. He is essentially robbing her of the life she chose without her consent. At the same time, you can see why he did it. He spends an entire year on the ship completely alone and comes damn close to killing himself. It's not an excuse, I know, but it does show why he does it and that he probably wasn't in the head space to make a good decision, even if he does wrestle with it for quite some time beforehand. I know some people are going to hate this movie on those grounds alone and that's fine. I totally get it. The hero of all your films have to be 100% likeable all the time and can't have any flaws or make any mistakes. But I actually liked the movie more for it. Jim is flawed. He makes a selfish decision. He doesn't wake her up because she's important, like the ship's designer or a crew member or something. He does it because after looking her up on the ship's computer and reading her writing he fell for her. It's that plain and simple. And her blind rage at him when she finds out (because of course she finds out) is completely justified.
The film was directed by Morten Tyldum from a script by Jon Spaights. The film gives us a unique take on a desert island scenario, with a largely limited cast that is mostly focused on our two main characters for much of the run time. But the film has enough drama and story to keep the film interesting with just the two characters, along with the android Arthur. Jon Spaights manages to create a unique vision of the distant future that also feels tangible and possible. The technological advances seen in the film seem plausible even if there are some more out there elements such as the shipboard swimming pool, which even proves to be nearly fatal for one of the characters when the ship suddenly loses it's artificial gravity and the water (and swimmer) no longer remain in the pool. Still, because the setting of the story seems real, it makes the plight of our main characters that much more palpable as well. The effects work is well done throughout the film as is the production design. The main "public" areas of the ship are clearly based on cruise liners (the passengers would spend roughly four months aboard the ship before their arrival at their destination) but given a futuristic upgrade as well.
The performances in the film are strong considering that the bulk of the film falls on the shoulders of the two lead actors. Chris Pratt does a great job as Jim, show his progression as a character quite well throughout the ordeal as he first realizes he's alone on the ship, his initial panic and desperation, moving into acceptance as he begins to take ownership of the surroundings, enjoying the more luxurious areas of the ship he otherwise wouldn't have had access to. But the thrill wears off as loneliness sets in and Pratt does a great job showing the growing desperation Jim feels and his struggle as well as his deep need to someone to be with. Jennifer Lawrence does well with what she has, but her part isn't quite as well developed as Pratt's character, although she does have some great moments of her own. She and Chris Pratt do share some decent chemistry as well, which helps make the second act of the film work, even as we as the audience are waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Overall, Passengers is an interesting blending of survival drama, romance and thriller all into one film and it for the most part worked for me. At times the film could be predictable but it still kept my interest throughout. Other people have called the film slow, but I felt it kept a good pace throughout, even though the very end of the film seemed a bit rushed. It's not perfect, but it had a little bit more depth to it than people might think. The moral conflict at the center of it was a nice touch when the filmmakers could have so easily taken the easy way out and I appreciated that. It's not a perfect film, but it was one that entertained me, intrigued me and left me thinking about it for some time afterwards. So, there is that at least.
When I first heard that they were making a film detailing the events preceding the first Star Wars film, I was simultaneously intrigued and perplexed since the original film essentially spoils the outcome of the film. But yet, there was a chance to spin a unique chapter of the Star Wars saga and much to much surprise they really managed to pull it off.
Jyn Erso (played by Felicity Jones) is a rebel fighter rescued from captivity by the Rebel Alliance for a specific mission. The Rebel Alliance wishes to create a partnership with rogue rebel extremist Saw Gerrera (played by Forest Whitaker) and since Jyn has a history with Saw (he rescued her as a child when her mother was killed and her father Galen (played by Mads Mikkelson) was captured by the Empire) they think she may help him be more receptive to the message if delivered by a friendly face. Partnering her with Rebel Intelligence Officer Cassian Andor (played by Diego Luna) and his reprogrammed Empire droid K2SO (played by Alan Tudyk), they are given the assignment of contacting Saw as well as retrieve a holographic message that Saw is said to be in possession of from a defecting Empire pilot in regards to a new Empire weapon, the Death Star. Once there, Jyn first encounters blind warrior Chirrut Imwe (played by Donnie Yen), whose connection to The Force helps him compensate for his lack of sight. They also encounter his mercenary friend Baze Malbus (played by Jiang Wen), a close friend of Chirrut. They eventually make it to the hideout of Saw Gerrera, who recognizes Jyn and plays the message from her father for her. He tells of the new Empire weapon, one capable of destroying entire planets. Galen was forced to build it and he agreed because it allowed him to build in a secret fault in the weapon that if hit in the right spot would destroy the entire thing. When presenting this information to the Rebel Alliance, they feel they have been defeated. Not ones to quit, Jyn, Cassian and their new friends Chirrut and Baze set off on a new mission: Steal the plans for the Death Star by any means necessary.
Rogue One is a welcome break from the main storyline that has run through the series thus far and in the process has opened up the universe of the series in new and interesting ways. By making the story a far more of an ensemble cast we are able to be exposed to a greater scope of the rebellion and it's different factions and how it operates. Director Gareth Edwards, as well as screenwriters Tony Gilroy and Chris Weitz really drive home the sacrifices and moral ambiguity that can come from war, much more so than the previous films that for the most part operated strictly within the either wholly white or wholly black. Unlike previous entries, our heroes this time out, especially Jyn and Cassian, aren't afraid to get their hands a little dirty even if they are doing it for the greater good.
The performances are strong overall from a diverse cast. Felicity Jones leads the film as Jyn and gives a great performance portraying a character who has been a rebel all her life ever since her family was torn apart by the Empire when she was still a child. Diego Luna is someone I have been a fan of ever since I saw him in Y Tu Mama Tambien back in 2003 and it's great to see him tackling the role of Cassian, who as an Intelligence officer for the Rebel Alliance and at times feels his conflicting morals getting the better of him. Donnie Yen and Jiang Wen are great as best bud warriors Chirrut and Baze (even though I am not entirely convinced they are "just friends"). The surprise of the film for me though was Alan Tudyk as K2SO, who provided plenty of much needed comic relief throughout the film as a droid whose chief malfunction was just saying whatever was on it's mind with little regard for others. He also reminded me at times of Alan Rickman's performance as Marvin, the depressed robot from the underrated Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. There are also a few surprise appearances in the film that I won't dream of spoiling but were a lot of fun to see again.
Rogue One proves to be a welcome respite from the main "Skywalker" storyline of the usual films and in the process expands and grows the universe of the galaxy a long time ago in a galaxy far far away. I also have to appreciate the fact that the film fixes the biggest nagging plot hole of the entire series so efficiently and perfectly. Well done there, filmmakers.
After five years away from the magical world J.K Rowling created (although did any of us really leave?), we are reintroduced with a new and unique look into the universe Rowling created with the spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. This film takes place long before the Harry Potter series and moves the action to 1926 New York. I was on board with this film the minute I heard the premise. Rowling's Wizarding world in the Roaring 20's? Instead of "You're a wizard, Harry" it'd be "You're a wizard, ol' sport"? I was in. I was so in.
Newt Scamander (played by Eddie Redmayne) has stopped over in New York for a brief stop-over. Carrying with him a large suitcase filled with many magical creatures, he his looking for something in the city of New York. He soon crosses paths with Jacob Kowalski (played by Dan Fogler), a factory worker and aspiring baker when Newt chases a Niffler that escaped from his suitcase into the bank Jacob is visiting (a Niffler is a cute little creature attracted to precious metals and jewels and likes to steal and hoard them while simultaneously stealing every scene he's in). Jacob gets caught up in the chaos caused by Newt trying to corral the Niffler and is therefore exposed to the Magical world. In the confusion, Newt's case gets mixed up with Jacob's case that held samples of his baked goods. Newt winds up getting picked up by Tina Goldstein (played by Katherine Waterston) a witch working for the Magical Congress of the United States (otherwise known as MACUSA) and is brought in for the crime of letting a magical creature loose in New York. When her superiors brush her off because of more concerning matters, Newt realizes his case has been switched and the two head off to find Jacob, who has opened Newt's case, causing several creatures to escape. So, it falls to Newt, Jacob, Tina and Tina's sister, Queenie (played by Alison Sudol) to capture the escaped creatures. Meanwhile, MACUSA Auror Percival Graves (played by Colin Farrell) is chasing a particularly nasty creature that the MACUSA believes came from Newt's case, but actually seems to be linked to an anti-Witchcraft activist Mary Lou Barebone (played by Samantha Morton) and her adopted son, Credence (played by Ezra Miller).
There is a lot to love about this film. David Yates once again returns to direct and brings the Wizarding world of New York wonderfully to life, as well as circa 1926 New York in general. J.K Rowling herself wrote the script for the film and crafts a whole new tale for us to enjoy. The film introduces us to a hero very different from Harry Potter. Newt Scamander is a much more introverted character who finds solace in the magical creatures he studies. He intends to write a book, debunking the long held beliefs that these characters are somehow dangerous. Yates and his talented crew bring Newt's world vividly to life, as Newt shows Jacob the contents of his suitcase, which through the use of magic has an interior that is a literal zoo that they can climb right into. Each of the fantastic beasts of the title are rendered with great skill and imagination, seeming both very real and unlike anything I had seen before. The film does also have some dark moments to it as well, such as the plotline with Mary Lou and Credence and their anti-witchcraft movement (which is curious since the existence of witches and wizards is strictly hidden from the rest of humanity with no exceptions, so clearly most people must think she's a crackpot). There is also the underlying threat of Gellert Grindelwald, a dark wizard that feels like magical folk should rule over the non-magic rather than hide in the shadows.
The acting was great all around in this film. Eddie Redmayne was positively endearing as Newt, creating such a wonderful and relatable character. The friendship he forges with Jacob is great and one of the emotional cores of the film. I loved seeing the non-magical Jacob's reactions to the Wizarding World and Dan Fogler portrayed it beautifully. Now, movies like this usually have a romance element to it, but I was not expecting it to come in the form of Jacob and Tina's sister Queenie, but it was there from the moment the two characters meet and both Fogler and Alison Sudol have great chemistry together so it was clear from that moment where they were going and I loved it. It gave me the feels, for sure. I also really liked Katherine Waterston as Tina. She is a fiercely independent woman, trying to do well at her job, despite some set backs (she used to be an Auror, but was busted down to the wand permit office). She tries to do what she thinks the right thing each, but finds those ideas challenged when she meets and spends time with Newt.
Overall, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a triumphant return to the wonderful Wizarding World J.K Rowling created and shows us a new and intriguing side of it, with a nice dose of that great Rowling sense of humor. It's thrilling to see what the Magical world is like in America as opposed to Great Britain (although we have Newt Scamander to remind us of the British side of things), as well as seeing how it was in the past. This is supposed to be the first of five total films and if the next ones are anything like this one, I say bring them on!
And now, finally, here we come at the final chapter of the cinematic saga of Harry Potter. Well, final until Warner Bros. finally gets around to making Harry Potter and Cursed Child, because we all know that's coming eventually. Anyway, the series comes to a rousing and emotional conclusion as J.K Rowling goes full George R.R Martin on our beloved characters.
Part 2 more or less picks up right where the first part left off, with Harry mourning the death of Dobby the house Elf, who had just begun to worm his way into my heart by trying to drop a chandelier on Bellatrix LeStrange (played by Helena Bonham Carter) towards the end of the previous film. After gathering himself, Harry, Ron (played by Rupert Grint) and Hermoine (played by Emma Watson) set out to recover the remaining Horcruxes. The first one is located in Bellatrix's vault in the goblin controlled Gringotts bank. Hermoine winds up having to pose as Bellatrix with Ron also in disguise and Harry hiding under his invisibility cloak. They manage to access the vault and recover the Horcrux, but the alarm is raised and have to escape with the aid of a conveniently placed dragon. The clue to the last remaining Horcrux leads them back to Hogwarts, leading them to the final showdown with Voldemort and his followers and Harry and the teachers, students and his friends at the school.
For the final outing, the film moves at a brisk and thrilling pace from beginning to end. With all the set up out of the way, David Yates and Screenwriter Steve Kloves are able to properly focus on the battle of Hogwarts. In the process, there are also a few potent revelations about potions teacher Severus Snape (played by Alan Rickman) that were especially poignant, perhaps even more so due to Rickman's passing earlier this year. The action beats are incredibly strong in this film, and there are many. One particularly notable one is an extended scene of Harry, Ron and Hermoine running through the chaos of battle, throwing spells left and right to ward of attacks with nary a thought, made all the more impressive with the fact that the things they are warding off or firing at are things they encountered and fought all through their years at Hogwarts and are now able to face and fight off without a second thought or moment's pause. There is also a cool sequence in the school's Room of Requirement where they have to find the last Horcrux and it also is an extended throwback to memorable items from earlier installments, including the Cornish Pixies Gilderoy Lockhart unleashed on his class in the second film.
As always, the acting is wonderful here, with so many emotionally potent moments. I have to call out Alan Rickman as Snape. Now, I've been a fan of Alan Rickman's ever since I saw Die Hard as a wee one and then shortly after saw him steal the show in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. When it was announced he would be playing Snape, I couldn't think of anyone better. And it all pays off here as Snape's deepest secrets are revealed and Rickman gives a beautiful performance. I won't dare spoil it for those who haven't seen it, but I've always found it deeply moving. Maggie Smith, who has also been a wonderful addition to the series in her uniquely Maggie Smith way gets some great moments here, especially as she faces off against Snape in the Great Hall and then prepares the school to defend itself. Then, finally there is Julie Walters as Molly Weasley. She hasn't always had the most to do in the series beyond being the doting but strict when needed mother, but she gets one of the most memorable moments in the film when she sees her daughter Ginny dueling with Bellatrix and steps in, announcing, "Not my daughter, you bitch!" It was a moment straight from the book and one I couldn't wait to see on screen. It goes without saying that Julie Walters did not disappoint.
So, that ends the official look back at the Harry Potter series. I hadn't revisited these in full in quite a long time and the release of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them as well as the fifteenth anniversary of the first film provided the perfect excuse to revisit them from beginning to end. I was a fan of the series ever since I first read the books way back when they first came out after my cousin Sarah got me into them and I was hooked ever since. I saw each of the movies in the theater and marveled as they matured as they went along, going from fun but family friendly films to something was genuinely and legitimately good cinema. I loved how the vision of Hogwarts grew and deepened as the series went on and how each incoming director put their own unique touches on the series. The Harry Potter films remain one of the most significant and well made series of films, self contained with one mostly continuous casts in film history. The fact that this is able to continue in another form with Fantastic Beasts and it's inevitable sequels is certainly something I am looking forward to.
And now we finally find ourselves at the beginning of the end of the Harry Potter saga. With so much pertinent plot in the source novel, adapting it into a single film proved to be impossible and the decision was made to split the film into two parts, released nine months apart.
After the death of Albus Dumbledore, Voldemort and the Death Eaters have increased their attacks of the Wizarding world as well as the world at large. Harry (played by Daniel Radcliffe) is rescued from the Dursley home by several of Dumbledore's followers, including Ron (played by Rupert Grint) and Hermoine (played by Emma Watson). To try and avoid any followers, several of them ingest Polyjuice potion to transform into duplicates of Harry. This turns out to be a good idea as upon leaving the Dursley residence, they are immediately set upon by a hoard of Death Eaters intent on taking out Harry and his supporters. There are a couple tragic casualties before the remaining ones arrive at the magically protected Weasley house. Upon learning that the Ministry of Magic has fallen, Harry, Ron and Hermoine set out on their own to find the remaining Horcruxes, items that contain pieces of Voldemort's soul and their destruction being the key to killing him once and for all. It is an arduous journey that will not only test them against their enemies but their friendship as well.
This film is where the series really and truly breaks free of the formula that had served the series well up until this point. As such, this entry feels like a huge breath of fresh air which goes nice with the growing tension the film has as the world around Harry grows increasingly darker and scarier. David Yates and Steve Kloves, along with the producers, made the wise choice of rather than cutting down the film to make it into two parts. This allows the characters some time to react and absorb the events that are happening. There are little moments, such as Harry stopping to look in the little cupboard under the stairs that was his room in the first film, bringing things full circle in a way. It also allows for little character moments, like Harry and Hermoine dancing to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' "O Children" to relieve the tension they are both feeling. It the moments like these that enrichen the film and make it that more meaningful of a film.
It's interesting to arrive at this film and realize just how much Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint have grown as actors over the ten year course of this saga. All three have to carry the bulk of the film and they do so incredibly well. Radcliffe makes his best turn as Harry, who is able to show Harry's inner turmoil and burden so well. Harry isn't quite sure how to deal with everyone looking to him and also doesn't want anyone else to die for him. Rupert Grint likewise shines as Ron, whose own inner turmoil and anxieties begins to boil over, causing him to lash out at his friends. Emma Watson does well, showing Hermoine as the cool head that her friends can rely on, with her beaded bag (with a handy expansion charm making it bigger on the inside, how very Time Lord of her) packed with every possible thing they could need in their travels including books, changes of clothes, medicines and potions and even a tent.
Overall, as the beginning of the end of the Harry Potter saga, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is able to break new ground and find a fresh take on the series for it's final outings. Even if other teen lit series took the same trend of breaking the final film into two parts, I genuinely feel this one was done with the best narrative intentions in mind rather than as a cheap cash grab. By allowing the story room to breathe, it made it all the more poignant and meaningful.
For the sixth film, the series took a slightly lighter tone for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, otherwise known as the one where everyone's hormones went into overdrive. As the last Harry Potter film before the two part finale, it also went to some surprisingly dark places, especially towards the end of the film.
As Harry is getting ready to enter his sixth year at Hogwarts, he is recruited by Dumbledore (played by Michael Gambon) to help him recruit a former Potions teacher, Horace Slughorn (played by Jim Broadbent), to return to teach at Hogwarts. Once they are successful, Dumbledore reveals to Harry why it was so important that Slughorn return. Slughorn contains a vital memory that is the key to how Voldemort was able to survive death and return. Dumbledore needs to know what that is so they can defeat the Dark Lord once and for all and thinks Harry will be the key in retrieving that knowledge from a very hesitant Slughorn. Meanwhile, life continues on at Hogwarts as our characters continue to grow and mature and begin to start pairing off with one another and with this being a school of magic, love potions get involved. Harry also finds an old Potions textbook that is inscribed as belonging to the Half Blood Prince. Harry and Hermoine (played by Emma Watson) find the book quite intriguing, especially since the notes in the book are allowing Harry to excel in Potions class for the first time, much to the chagrin of the studious Hermoine. There is also the ever increasing threat of Voldemort as he recruits more followers, inching ever closer to that inevitable final confrontation.
David Yates returned as director for this film and seems to have a firmer grasp on the material with this outing as well. It also helps that we have Steve Kloves back writing the screenplay after sitting out the previous film. This entry has always been an interesting one to me because for large chunks of the film, it's actually pretty damn funny, from the early interactions between Dumbledore and Slughorn to Ron Weasley (played by Rupert Grint) on a love potion and Daniel Radcliffe showing his prowess for comedy with his time on a "Liquid Luck" potion in a last ditch attempt to get the needed info from Slughorn. But Yates and Kloves manage to balance the lighter elements with the darker ones, including the entire last quarter of the film, as well as a subplot with a tormented Draco Malfoy (played by Tom Felton), who has a secret mission of his own on behalf of Voldemort.
As always, the acting is great all around and this entry is no exception. Michael Gambon continues to make for an intriguing and interesting Albus Dumbledore. I haven't really delved into Gambon's portrayal of the Hogwarts headmaster and I suppose this would be a good place to do so. What I liked so much about Gambon's portrayal was that behind the old wise wizard, you got the sense that there was some darkness in his past, some regrets and Gambon was able to make that shine through in his performance. Also, with this film being the first to come out since J.K Rowling outed Dumbledore as gay, I noticed that Gambon's performance became ever so slightly campier, which I adored to be honest. I also have to single out Tom Felton this time around. For the bulk of the series he was always the stereotypical antagonist for Harry, Ron and Hermoine and wasn't given much to work with beyond that (although he quietly stole damn near every scene he was in in the second film). However, he has a few more meatier moments in the film as you get the sense of the inner turmoil of the character as his antagonized relationship with Harry comes to a head, as well as the mission he's on for Voldemort doesn't seem to be something Malfoy is 100% on board with.
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is another strong entry in the series and is a solid adaptation of the source novel, while also standing on it's own. It's one that I have always enjoyed since I first saw it in the theatre when it came out. It also nicely leads everything into the two part finale as the final showdown between Harry and Voldemort draws ever closer.
