Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the 2009 film adaptation of the 2005 novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling, directed by David Yates. Like the other films in the series, it features Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, with Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, as well as an All-Star Cast.
In Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts, Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters are increasing their terror upon the Wizarding and Muggle worlds. Headmaster Albus Dumbledore persuades his old friend Horace Slughorn to return to Hogwarts as a professor as there is a vacancy to fill. There is a more important reason, however, for Slughorn's return. While in a Potions lesson, Harry takes possession of a strangely annotated school textbook, inscribed as belonging to the 'Half-Blood Prince'. Draco Malfoy struggles to carry out a mission presented to him by Voldemort. Meanwhile, Dumbledore and Harry secretly work together to discover how to destroy the Dark Lord once and for all.
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The tropes listed below are those specific to this film or altered from those found in the original book. Please see that page for those tropes common to both versions.
- Adaptation Explanation Extrication: The scene where Dumbledore explains what the Horcruxes might be is cut. Cleolinda Jones' Movies in 15 Minutes abridgement lampshades this by claiming You-Know-Who was just being Genre Savvy.
- Adaptational Badass: Dumbledore, compared to the book. In the book, the ring of fire he summoned was barely big enough to circle both him and Harry and had to move with them as they moved within the tiny island. In the film, it’s a spectacular firestorm raging through the entire cave.
- Back-to-Back Badasses: Harry and Ginny vs. the Death Eaters.
- Big "Shut Up!": Harry tries to call a Quidditch tryout to order. He isn't quite loud enough, so Ginny intervenes with a very helpful "SHUT IT!"
- Bloodless Carnage: Played straight as spells don't leave bulletholes, but averted for effect when Harry uses the Sectumsempra curse on Malfoy. (Which, as it's a cutting curse, only makes sense.)
- Camp Unsafe Isn't Safe Anymore: Harry says this about Hogwarts.
- Captain Obvious: Ron has a moment:
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Ron: It's just... you can't break an Unbreakable Vow! |
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- Chewing the Scenery:
- During the entire Felix Felicis scene, Daniel Radcliffe proceeds to eat as much scenery as he can.
- In the same movie, Ron after accidentally drinking a love potion. (Notice how both scenes are "under the influence"?)
- Compressed Adaptation: Can't really be helped, though: there's just too much plot to stuff into a movie.
- Creative Closing Credits
- Deliberately Monochrome: The Pensieve Flashbacks.
- Divided We Fall: The Half-Blood Prince DVD has a chapter entitled "Free Agents", a clever reference to not only Harry and Ron's Quidditch issues, but their romantic lives, as well.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?:
- Cormac inquires about Hermione to Ron, while brandishing his quite large Quidditch broomstick.
- A bathrobe-clad Ginny points out to Harry that his shoelace is untied, and drops down to a knee, at first out of frame. To tie his shoe, of course!
- Ron is wiping a lot of things off Hermione's lips... like toothpaste and butterbeer foam...
- Dramatic Curtain Toss: Every time Draco goes to the wardrobe. It gets silly after a while.
- Everyone Can See It: Ron and Hermione, even more so than in the book. Ginny lampshades it in the infirmary scene when leaving Ron and Hermione alone and says, "About time, don't you think?", which also doubles as a huge hint from herself to Harry.
- Exactly What It Says on the Tin: There is a very literal example among the merchandise in Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes: "Candy In A Can".
- Foreshadowing:
- Harry has a brief reaction to the ring foreshadowing the fact that Harry himself is a Horcrux. This, and other subtle hints towards the events of Deathly Hallows, are due to the fact that this was the first script drafted in conjunction with the following film's script.
- For the Evulz: Presumably the only reason the Death Eaters torch the Burrow.
- Gilligan Cut: Played for laughs when Harry and Hermione are discussing their date choices to Slughorn's Christmas party:
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Harry: I'll invite someone I like. Someone cool. |
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- Intoxication Ensues:
- Harry, after imbibing some Felix Felicis. Hilarity Ensues.
- Hermione seemed to be feeling some effects from drinking butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks.
- Lampshade Hanging:
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McGonagall: Why is it that whenever something happens, it's always you three? |
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- And earlier in the film:
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Dumbledore: You're probably wondering why I brought you here this evening. |
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- Large Ham: Jessie Cave as Lavender Brown hams it up, especially in the scene in the hospital wing.
- Leave the Two Lovebirds Alone: Dumbledore does this for Ron and Hermione while Ron is in the infirmary.
- Mood Whiplash: The scene goes from funny with Ron being under the influence of the love potion to him convulsing and frothing at the mouth after drinking a poisonous tonic.
- Pimped-Out Dress: Trust Luna to attend a Christmas party in a dress that looks like the lovechild of a Christmas tree and a wedding cake.
- Promotion to Opening Titles: Half-Blood Prince marks the first time Bonnie Wright is listed in the main credits instead of just on the list of cast members.
- Scare Chord: You can be forgiven for throwing your drink in the air when the Inferi show up and the music goes SKREEEE. It's all the worse because you know something is coming.
- Scenery Porn: The swooping shot of the sea cliff.
- Smooch of Victory: Ron and Lavender after Gryffindor wins the Quidditch cup.
- Vomit Discretion Shot: Cormac is shown leaning down out of camera shot and vomiting on Snape's shoes.
- World of Ham: Daniel Radcliffe demonstrated his potential to unleash the Hog in this film.
