Based on.
# Tuesday 8th December, 2009 - 9:49pm with 4 comments
Today I think we’re going to discuss something that gets me rather irate, but only lately– movies that are ‘based on’ books. I used to be the first person to defend a movie-makers right to take liberties with a books adaptation to a movie. The first few Harry Potter films, for example, were not wholly true to the book, but still kept enough of it intact that you got the overall feel.
That is now true, however, for the latest in the Harry Potter franchise. Oh no, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince decided that it was high time for them to take everything good about the book, rip it clean, and make up some new story that absolutely makes no sense and doesn’t help set up anything.
I’ve already had issue in the past with the movies and the lack of the House Elf ideals and all that jazz. Hermione may have been insane with her campaign against House Elves being used for manual labour (as they seemed okay with this idea) but it would still be nice to see that set-up with Dobby and Kreacher in the films, as they were pivotal in a bunch of points.
That, I can look past, however– but in the new film, in the new film… (spoiler alert for those who haven’t seen the movie coming out on DVD today) they burn down the Weasley’s House, Harry and Ginny’s first kiss happens randomly in the room of requirement and their relationship is never touched up on after that, Harry drinks all the Felix Felicis himself instead of sharing it with his friends for their epic battle, and finally that battle never takes place– we see no development between Fleur and Bill and Bill being attacked by Fenrir, or the relationship between Tonks and Remus developing (instead it’s just thrown in there with a mousy Tonks calling Remus ‘sweetheart’ when he was nowhere near ready for that before the end of the book at all), and all in all… just /destroyed/ everything good about that book to make the movie… I don’t know what they were trying to make it but it just fell flat in every way possible.
The best scene, the best scene by far, was when Dumbledore went all fire on the Inferi, and saving the day– but even his death scene was lackluster, and they absolutely destroyed the beauty of it all by foregoing the funeral scene. We didn’t get to see the centaurs pay their respects, any of the teachers show up to show theirs, or even see Grawp and Hagrid having their bawl fest to show how far his ‘brother’ has come. No, instead we get some half-assed conversation between Harry, Hermione, and Ron where they realised they’re all going to be chasing after the Horcruxes instead of doing school next year. No conversation where Ginny tells Harry just how much he’s the man she thought he was, or no Harry trying to explain why he has to do this– no epic conversation where Harry tries to be the big man on campus only to realise later that his friends are not going to just let him walk. Nope, just a five minute conversation about how sad the death was, a glimpse of Fawkes, and then the end.
I cannot abide by that kind of liberty being taken with a story– I wish I could, but it’s ruined this series for me, at least movie wise. I understand leaving out a few bits in the sake of time and other such, but this was just blatant disregard for the narrative. The story is skewed for me and I’m not sure how the next film will be playing out for me.