ROTTEN TOMATOES: RT's Trailer Analysis: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

RT's Trailer Analysis: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

SPOILER ALERT: We take a closer look at a minute and a half of tease.

by Joe Utichi | July 31, 2008

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The teaser trailer for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has been released and we've decided, here at RT, to take a closer look at the minute and a half of new footage. Read our breakdown of the things to look out for when the sixth film in the Boy Wizard franchise comes out.

It's the start of another year at Hogwarts. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) may make only the briefest appearance in the trailer, but we know exactly the film being trailed as the Hogwarts Express opens the film...

...followed by an overhead shot of a stormy Hogwarts castle. It's on one of these large, conical towers that the film's powerful finale will be played out.

Meanwhile a gaggle of over-eager extras do their best to avoid looking straight at the camera (and plenty fail, bless 'em) as Professor McGonagall (Dame Maggie Smith) struggles through the throng.

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(1-20 of 128 posts) | Reply

evil pixie writes:
on Jul 31 2008 10:28 AM

I can't wait for this movie; it will be exceptionally dark as the "war" between good and bad begins in earnest. It will be interesting to see these memories Dumbledore has collected. This movie is a lot of flash-backs and light on the action, so I see they're presumably adding more action scenes into the movie.

(Reply to this)

reapermad writes:
on Jul 31 2008 10:38 AM

This is going to be so amazing. These movies keep getting better and better!

(Reply to this)

fullmetalnek writes:
on Jul 31 2008 10:57 AM

SPOILERS!!!!

I read on harry potter fan site that the Gaunts are not going to show up in this installment, wich I think is awful. That memory is crucial not just to understand the means of little Tom's conception but also his feelings regarding his ancenstry. According to the site, the official casting list emitted by Warner Bros there were no sight of any of the Gaunts. No Merope, no Marvolo, no Morfin.

Also absent from the film are Fleur and Billy, so it seems that Greyback's fury has to go to another member of the Weasley family: Arthur Weasley.

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McFU writes:
on Jul 31 2008 11:11 AM

One thing I am curious about the lack of Harry in the memories. I thought that Harry was actually in the memory watching as a third person. In GoF he lands in the seat next to Dumbledore and someone reaches through him because he is not actually there, but is visually represented on screen.

(Reply to this)

adnanaltaf writes:
on Jul 31 2008 11:12 AM

Though I won't deny that the trailer was decent... they should have shown more of the other characters. Yes they've reduced the memories meaning no gaunts and yes Arthur would have to endure that fate which was laid out for his son in the book.

Warner Bros shouldn't have made scenes not in the book. Walden Media did the same for Narnia: Prince Caspian by adding that scene when they attack the castle. Fans weren't happy with that even though I liked it but then I haven't read the book. Seeing this happening with Harry Potter... Dunno how it'll turn out.

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Messor writes:
on Jul 31 2008 12:11 PM

Attack on the Burrow.... This has to be the worst bunch of idiots i have seen they are supposed to attack hogwarts. This is an example of why i knock the fifth movie and the third so much because they change things and it takes away from the story. Honestly, i have to ask Would anyone sit down and watch a 3 hour plus movie?

(Reply to this)

julianthereddevil writes:
on Jul 31 2008 12:22 PM

In reply to this comment (#1940410)
The ARE going to attack Hogwarts, genius. But that's the climax. This scene will be added around the halfway mark. It's a "pacing scene", because there's hardly any action in the book until the finale, so this will provide some action for the more casual viewers, who need such scenes to keep their interest in the film.

(Reply to this)

Floor Man writes:
on Jul 31 2008 01:07 PM

I don't know if it's just me, but this movie seems to have a rather...yellow tinge. Hmmm.

(Reply to this)

agnutti writes:
on Jul 31 2008 01:27 PM

In reply to this comment (#1940136)
Stupid.

(Reply to this)

mgtli writes:
on Jul 31 2008 01:39 PM

i don't know if it is me, but hasn't the Harry Potter series died out a long time ago. I mean the books were okay but the movies were just stupid.

(Reply to this)

TheIceGhost writes:
on Jul 31 2008 01:41 PM

Judging by the money this franchise rakes in, I'm pretty sure it's just you, mgtli.

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bondfreak writes:
on Jul 31 2008 02:25 PM

Yes the fifth movies grossed the most worldwide since the first one came out in '99. They just keep getting darker and darker, i didn't think they could get darker than the Goblet of Fire and they did. And for the people complaining about how all the big details were left out of the books, plz stop, or go try and make an adaptation youself, then you can complain.

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thefilmmaker writes:
on Jul 31 2008 02:26 PM

everytime im so weary of all the things they are going to mess up in the movies, due my being an ardent fan of the books. david yates has said that they will reduce the amount of time spent on memories, which is a flipping travesty. he said it bogs down story, but IT DOES NOT. seriously it never ceases to amaze me how much they're willing to butcher the stories. and im not one of those fans who thinks the movies have to be carbon copies. capturing the mood is the essence, and i think the film that did that best was the third. its my favorite of the films, while being the least attached to the books. i really wish this series could have found its Peter Jackson so the films would be made half from a fans perspective. people have to realize some **** changes, but we should have films that can be true to the books, if not for every storyline, for most of them. i think its a travesty theyre cutting out fleur and bill...how are they going to make this right in the final films? also they cant do something to Arthur because its just not fair. I can't see Jo Rowling having been to keen on this adjustment.

(Reply to this)

oneangredwarf writes:
on Jul 31 2008 02:29 PM

In reply to this comment (#1940136)
that sucks!! i was just saying that to a friend they better put the gaunts in there, maybe they;ll jsut talk about them? i hope so! and that really sucks that bill and fleur wont be in it either, the movie looks awesome tho
-liz

(Reply to this)

dystopiandweller writes:
on Jul 31 2008 02:37 PM

The... gaunts won't be in the film? Then, how are they... What will they...

Man, that brings up a lot of worrisome questions.

(Reply to this)

southwick writes:
on Jul 31 2008 03:40 PM

It never ceases to amaze me the arrogance shown by some screen writers...sure you are going to do it better than the author of one of the best selling series of all time.

Dear lord at least attempt to base the movie off of the book.
This book has one of the most poignant endings imaginable, it doesn't need a ton of action to make it interesting.

Ultimately the thing that bothers me most about alot of the HP films is not the subtractions, but the additions. It makes the parts that I know are missing seem so much more obvious when I have to sit through scenes that were never in the story.

/frustrated.

(Reply to this)

relox writes:
on Jul 31 2008 04:07 PM

what I dont understand about adding in these extra action scenes, is why do they not think that purely telling the story as it was written will not be good enough for the film, when the book was so successful?

and why are all those characters cut......i dont understand...it cant be a budget issue because obviously WB would be bale to pay for these characters, and if it is because of time, then that is just ridiculous, why *** in new scenes that arnnt in the book, while deleting important characters, can someone explain.

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relox writes:
on Jul 31 2008 04:09 PM

that blocked word was supposed to be add, i missed the d's and hit the s's by accident

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t1111t writes:
on Jul 31 2008 04:17 PM

Stop making judgments on a movie based on a teaser trailer and rumors on a fan site. When someone merely mentions the absence of the Gaunts others take it as hard fact and make judgments on how crappy the movie will be. Of course the screen writers cut stuff out, they have to because books and film are two completely different mediums. I got so sick and tired of detractors hating on Order of the Phoenix because they "cut so much stuff out". If they included everything single little subplot and secondary character from the book, then you'd have an 8 hour Spiderman 3 where so much crap is jammed into a 2 hour movie with no clear narrative. I have no problem with the writers altering the story or leaving out some characters. They've got at least four new characters to establish with limited screen time: Slughorn, young Tom, Lavender, and Greyback. Omitting Bill, Fleur and several others is necessary to keep the movie from getting bloated and confusing. I think it's a great idea to add some action scenes and cut a few flashbacks. I don't need to know every damn thing about Voldemort. Sometimes ambiguity is more frightening.

(Reply to this)

D.M.L. writes:
on Jul 31 2008 04:49 PM

In reply to this comment (#1940958)
I don't get all the people who whine because of one added scene, for Christ's sake people, it's a movie adaption. Movies based off books do this alot, and I can't help but wonder, why do some of you hold LOTR in such high regard, when it did much of the same? I love the idea of a added scene of the Burrow being attacked, I don't exactly want to see a copy of the book (a la Chris Colombus Potter films), I want to see the director let his imagination flow with the story. Both Cuaron, Newell, and Yates have all done that, they stay true to the plot but bring their creative take to it. People who hate that, lack an imagination and shouldn't be seeing these movies anymore.

(Reply to this)

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