BEFORE: From one teenager with strange powers to another...
This may come as a shock to some of my friends, but I have already seen the first 5 Harry Potter films, despite chiding said friends for being hardcore fans of the book series. I'm not a complete Potter-Head (or whatever they call themselves), but I am aware of the series as a cult phenomenon. That's what I like about Comic-Con, each year it gets a little bigger as new fans discover it, and they bring more influences to the table. After expanding to incorporate the "Lord of the Rings" fans, then the "Pirates of the Caribbean" fans, it grew yet again to allow in the Harry Potter fans. (Last year it expanded further to allow in the "Twilight"-teens and Twi-Moms).
But I haven't really collected the Harry Potter films, I've just watched them each once, without even saving them on DVD - to me, they're a form of disposable entertainment that I like to keep up with, but with no long-term sentiment. However, I did like the one with the time-travel, which one was that? Ah, the "Prisoner of Azkhaban" one.
THE PLOT: In Harry Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft, Harry finds a book which helps him excel at Potions class, and begins to learn more about Lord Voldemort's dark past.
AFTER: I think it's actually tougher to be a casual fan of this series - there are so many different characters and elements in the books (which again, I haven't read) that it's hard for me to keep it all straight. And it's been a few years since I watched "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", during which time I've seen quite a few other films. I should probably at least have reviewed the plot of the last film before watching this one - I didn't remember what Prof. Malfoy did in the last film that was so bad, for example. Believe me, it takes enough brain space for me to keep all my Star Wars trivia intact, so I can't remember every detail about Harry Potter.
Anyway, this is the film where Harry gets a look into Voldemort's past, Ron finally gets to play quidditch, and everyone seems to have a crush on someone who's in love with someone else. There is a new potions teacher, the (apparent?) death of a major character, and jeez, it's 2 hours and 15 minutes before I find out who the "Half-Blood Prince" is!
My other problem with this film is the mixture of about a half-dozen different British accents among the cast - yes, there are different British accents, and it takes about 45 minutes for my brain to get used to them all. For the first part of this movie, there were characters who just seemed to be talking gibberish because my ears hadn't adjusted yet. I also think some of the main characters mumble a lot - Emma Watson in particular can be very difficult to understand, she doesn't enunciate well.
And you know what? A movie can get away with being 2 1/2 hours long if it's GOOD stuff. I couldn't keep my eyes open during "Lawnmower Man" the other night - but I made it almost to the end of this one before my lids began to droop. Mostly, this movie feels like a set-up for the big ending of the saga, a two-parter which starts with the film being released this November. Please, don't tell me how it ends, I know too much about it already.
Starring Daniel Radcliffe (isn't he, like 37 years old by now?), Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, and a "Who's Who" of British actors: Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, Helena Bonham Carter, Jim Broadbent, Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane, David Thewlis, Timothy Spall, and Warwick Davis.
RATING: 7 out of 10 butterbeers (mmm....butter...aaaahhh...beer...)
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