Half-Blood Prince Spoiler Free Review

I was stupefied. Me. I just sat there, staring at the screen – but not seeing the end credits… Not ready to believe that it was actually over. It couldn’t end like that.

But I was snapped out of denial when the 300 people in the sneak preview screening around us started to get up out of their seats. It was a full house of Harry Potter fans, some of whom had lined up starting at 2pm for a 7:30pm showing. 2pm. We’d all won free passes from the newspaper to see HP6 a little over 29 hours before its official release.

We’d get to see it before the rest of the world did.

Like previous Harry Potter films, The Half-Blood Prince delivered. The screenplay, the visual effects, the cinematography, the actors’ performances… Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix is absolutely wicked, and Tom Felton drips with hostility as Draco.

I wanted to cry with Hermione, and when Ron was trying out for the Quidditch team? That was one of my most favorite parts.

Well, that and when Harry drank the Felix potion. OMG – Daniel Radcliffe’s delivery?! Superb. Brilliant. It still makes me laugh and it's hours later!

But like all book-to-film adaptations… There. Will. Be. Changes. I expected them, and I’m almost always okay with them. But there was one, big change in The Half-Blood Prince that did not sit well with me…

It was as if someone had hit me with the Confundus Charm.


I’d been getting tweets, asking how the movie was. What did you think of it? Was it as good as we thought it’d be?

When we left the theater, this is what I tweeted:

"Just got out of HP6 and am driving home... I guess I'm a bit... stupefied. But - does it deliver? You bet it does."

The 45-minute drive home felt twice as long. I wanted that book, damnit! In the car, the boys and I hashed out the scenes and talked about our favorite parts. The 8 y/o about died when he found out his 15 y/o brother literally jumped out of his seat. I won’t tell you when, but if you can picture a guffaw from Emmett, then you can appreciate Numbnuts laughing at Einstein. ;)

When we got home, I tore the house up looking for my copy of The Half-Blood Prince, frustration pouring out as I confirmed my suspicions.

You know I had to tweet through it:

"Tearin' the house up looking for the book - Half Blood Prince"

"I knew it. I KNEW IT! Ugh! I thought I was getting the books mixed up, but no - that wasn't it..."

"They changed the ending - it's the same, but then again... it's not. You gotta let me know when you see HP6!"

But I promised… No spoilers. *tortured cry*

I'm hoping, maybe, with this heads-up, you'll have a different reaction. I'm trying to rewind and see it in my head - not thinking about the ending - and asking myself, "Was it still a good movie?"

Well, of course, it is! It's still entertaining, still follows the story... [Pause.] So why the hell do I feel... shortchanged?

So. *clears throat* When you’ve had a chance to see it, holla! Please?! We need to talk!!