I am extremely discouraged to see how much they messed with the plot line in the movie version of the 6th book. There are so many things that are different degrees of wrong to almost passable things that I understand work better in a movie than a book to the totally unexcuseable changing the tone of scenes. Sure the previous five movies change, add, and delete aspects of the book, but I really do not think any have come close to screwing with it as much as this one.

From the beginning the movie totally deviates from the book with Dumbledore fetching Harry suddenly from a train station and taking Harry away from an almost date with a girl he just flirted with. They did basically skip the scene with the two ministers, but they did show the disasters that the ministers discuss, which really would confuse anyone who has not read the book, as they never really explain what the disasters have to do with anything. That is not that major of a thing, but them changing what would have been a rather humorous scene of Dumbledore fetching Harry from the Dursleys is rather annoying. Instead they added humor where it was not in the book and sometimes to the point of totally changing the tone of certain scenes. For example, Harry makes a rude humorous comment about people being scared of spiders due to their pincers directly to Hagrid at Aragog’s funeral. Harry might not have ever liked the giant spider, but he was a better friend than to make such a comment in front of Hagrid so directly.

There are so many other changes and it would become a rather long and tedious post if I listed just the ones I can remember, but here are just a few more:
-Luna unpetrifies Harry on the train rather than Tonks.
-It reveals what Malfoy is up to involves the vanishing cabinet in the scene of the three seeing him at Borgin & Burkes.
-Several pensieve scenes about Riddle are missing and the word Horcrux is not even known until Harry gets the memory from Slughorn.
-The Burrow is attacked by Death Eaters on Christmas Eve, which never happens in Book 6, although does happen in somewhat different circumstances in Book 7.
-There is no battle at Hogwarts. Snape just rather quickly arrives after Bellatrix finds Draco hesitating and kills Dumbledore.
-There is no funeral, however everyone raising their wands lit like candles does make a fitting change and very moving one that I actually liked in terms of being more theatrical.

Overall the movie was enjoyable, but it is not at all the same as the book. It kind of would standalone as a good movie, but at the same time it would not because it skips things that I think would make the plot hard to follow if you have not read the book and can fill in the gaps. I am sad to come to the conclusion that this is kind of a flop.

Friday, July 10th, 2009

7:30pm Eastern Time/Pacific Time - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Saturday, July 11th, 2009

12:30pm Eastern Time/Pacific Time - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

4pm Eastern Time/Pacific Time - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

8pm Eastern Time/Pacific Time - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Sunday, July 12th, 2009

12:30pm Eastern Time/Pacific Time - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

4:30pm Eastern Time/Pacific Time - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

7:30pm Eastern Time/Pacific Time - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Besides just the castle the Wizarding World of Harry Potter will recreate Hagrid’s Hut along with the Forbidden Forest. It is not clear what other rides will be included in this Harry Potter themed land, but it is possible that they will incorporate two rides that were already on the area the new land will occupy. These two rides are the Dueling Dragons roller coaster with two intertwined tracks and the Flying Unicorn kid’s roller coaster. The possible changes to make these rides even more Harry Potter themed might be a tent outside the Dueling Dragons that recreates the scene of the champions getting ready for the first task of the Triwizard Tournament.

The area is to include a recreation of the village of Hogsmeade. Here there will be at least three shops and a restaurant. The stores are expected to include Dervish & Banges, which sells and repairs magical equipment, and Honeydukes, which sells wizard sweets. The restaurant is to be The Three Broomsticks.

The game is mostly about you going around Hogwarts completing various tasks, which for the most part involve finding items or trading for them to complete missions. There are some mini games along the way, such as Quidditch (pathetic tapping version), Exploding Snap (basically an okay matching game), Gobstones (just marbles), and Skittles (a poorly constructed pinball like game). Basically the game becomes a tedious one of plots loosely tied to events in the book/movie, but actually are just plain old regular things that the space or time is never devoted to in the book or the movie.

I could live with the tasks aspects being added in, as it is what gives you something to do in the game. Partially, though, it is a rather sad game because of the lack of the magical aspect. Sure you do spells to get items out of bookshelves and such, but in the actually tasks you never use spells unless you count the simplistic duels. The only magical world of Harry Potter thing I found somewhat recreated was the feel of running around Hogwarts and using the secret passageways.

The last straw for me, though, was finding several things entirely inaccurate to at least the book’s plot. It is not exactly excusable that they skip some major parts like the whole Dumbledore taking Harry from the Dursleys and going to see Slughorn, but it is entirely unexcuseable when they totally changed the plot. The first major thing is Luna unpetrifies Harry on the train and makes the whole incident not seem so dramatic as it is in the book with him almost going back to London, but Tonks finds him.

Overall this is a very sad game and I do not even recommend it for die hard Harry Potter fans. It just is a sad excuse for a game, especially when I remember the games for the first two movies being so much fun. Partially I had lower standards back then for games, so maybe they were not that awesome, but I do not think it is too much to expect them to be better and improve as the years go by. It is really disappointing that the games related to the movie releases have become like the majority of games based on movies that are not worth buying and only rarely worth renting. It really used to be in the minority worth buying instead of renting, but it suddenly has gone to not worth either. Perhaps the console versions are better, but I have heard the PSP version is at least basically the same, so equally worthless I imagine.

Hermione has been trying to find out who R.A.B. is, but has had no luck, yet. Harry has not been all that curious, but he knows they must figure out if the Horcrux is really gone or not in order to know how many he still has to find and destroy. While looking for R.A.B. Hermione discovers Snape’s mother was Eileen Prince a pure-blood and his father Tobias Snape was a Muggle.

The next day is Dumbledore’s funeral. After breakfast the students file out of the Great Hall behind their heads of house to the ground were chairs had been set up with an aisle in the middle leading to a marble table. As they get in their seats Harry recognizes some from the outside Hogwarts wizarding world. It is a sort of gathering of all those he has encountered in his few wizarding world encounters beyond Hogwarts.

Hagrid slowly walks up the aisle carrying Dumbledore’s body wrapped in purple velvet with stars. Hagrid places Dumbledore on the table and walks back down the aisle. As the funeral continues Harry keeps having the urge to laugh including when he has a memory of Dumbledore. It then hits him that Dumbledore is really gone and he tries to suppress the tears. White flames erupt around Dumbledore and when they subside a white marble tomb is around Dumbledore’s body.

Harry tells Ginny they cannot be together and he has things to do on his own. Ginny does not care that being close means Voldemort might try to get to him through her, but Harry does not want her to be hurt. She seems to know that it is futile to stop him and that his need to search out Voldemort is part of why she loves him.

Harry then goes off alone to walk around the lake. This is when the Minister of Magic finally gets a moment to talk to Harry. Harry refuses to tell him what he did with Dumbledore that night. The Minister protests and says that Dumbledore is gone, but Harry comes back with the quote that “He will only be gone from the school when none here are loyal to him,” which I think Dumbledore said when he was sacked the a previous book. The Minister tries to offer Harry protection and again get him to be a spokesperson for the Minister, but he again refuses.

The Minister leaves and Ron and Hermione join Harry. Harry says he is not coming back to Hogwarts even if it does reopen next year. Harry explains he is going back to the Dursley’s once more for a short stay because Dumbledore wanted that. He then will visit Godric’s Hollow and his parents graves. Then he will track down the rest of the Horcruxes and then go after Voldemort.

Ron and Hermione say they will go with him, but Harry does not want them to. He then tells them before he even goes to Godric’s Hollow Harry must come to the Burrow for Bill and Fleur’s wedding, which by the way is not in this book, but I hear it is going to be in the movie despite it actually taking place in the next book.

McGonagall arrives and Harry explains that Snape was the one that killed Dumbledore. They all had wondered about Snape, but Dumbledore always trusted Snape. McGonagall begins to blame herself because she is the one that summoned Snape to defend against the Death Eaters and if she had not she does not think he would have gotten involved.

Ron and Ginny explain how they had been patrolling outside the Room of Requirement, but Malfoy got past them. Then he used Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder to keep them from seeing what was going on as he snuck the Death Eaters into the castle. Hermione and Luna had been outside Snape’s office when Flitwick came to tell Snape about the battle. When Snape saw them he told them to tend to Flitwick, who had collapsed in Snape’s office. Hermione now feels stupid because she realizes Snape stupified Flitwick.

The others recount about the battle below the tower and how they could not get past a barrier set up except Snape. They just assumed Snape was in a hurry and knew some magic they did not. Harry thinks you needed a Dark Mark to pass the barrier. They all saw Malfoy and Snape come down from the tower, but they all let them pass because they just assumed they were running from the Death Eaters.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley arrive to see Bill. They do not know what will happen to Bill because it is unique for someone to be attacked by a werewolf when not transformed. Mrs. Weasley makes a suggestion that he will not be married now, but Fleur protests and says he is still to be married. She does not care how he looks. Mrs. Weasley suddenly comes to terms with Bill actually marrying Fleur and says Fleur can use a goblin made tiara her Great Auntie Muriel has.

Suddenly Tonks is yelling at Lupin saying that Fleur still wants to marry Bill even though he has been bitten by a werewolf. Lupin says it is different and Tonks does not care. It soon becomes apparent that Tonks had been in a down mood lately not because she loved Sirius and he died, but because she loved Lupin and he was afraid of having a relationship.

McGonagall calls for a Heads of House meeting with Slughorn representing Slytherin. First she asks Harry to come with her, so she can talk to him. She leads him to Dumbledore’s office, as now that Dumbledore is gone she is the new Headmistress. The only thing that had changed in the office is that Dumbledore’s portrait had joined the portraits of past headmasters.

McGonagall asks what Harry was doing with Dumbledore when they left the castle, but Harry says he cannot. He does however tell her about Rosmerta being under the Imperius curse. The heads of house and Hagrid then arrive. McGonagall expresses her thought that the school perhaps should not reopen next year. Professor Sprout says he thinks it should remain open as long as there is at least one pupil that wants to return. Slughorn thinks no pupils will come back. McGonagall realizes Dumbledore probably would not have wanted to close the school.

She then asks for Hagrid’s opinon. Hagrid is surprised she asks and McGonagall explains that she asked because Dumbledore always valued Hagrid’s opinions. He says he will remain, although Hogwarts without Dumbledore will be very different. McGonagall decides that they should consult the governors on the matter.

McGonagall wants to send the students home immediately. They then decide that Dumbledore is to be laid to rest on Hogwarts grounds. Harry then speaks up and says the students should not be sent home until after the funeral because they will want to say good-bye. They all agree.

With the Minister of Magic approaching the castle, Harry is excused and he rushes off to the Gryffindor common room. Harry goes up to the dormitory where only Ron is. Harry then tells Ron the Horcrux was a fake. Ron wonders about who R.A.B. is. The chapter then ends with Hrry mourning about the loss of Dumbledore.

Fenrir tries to attack Harry, but Harry uses Petrificus Totalus. He then jinxs the Death Eater battling with Ginny. He then continues through the battle trying to catch up to Snape and Malfoy. Harry catches up to Snape on the grounds.

Harry yells spells at Snape, but Snape keeps blocking them because Harry has not mastered nonverbal spells. Harry yells at Snape for not fighting back. Another Death Eater successfully attacks Harry, but Snape tells them to stop because Harry is supposed to be saved for the Dark Lord himself. Harry desperately tries to use some of the Half-Blood Prince’s spells against Snape.

The Prince’s spells enrage Snape and Snape uses Expelliamus against Harry. Snape is angry because Harry is using his own spells (i.e. Snape is the Half-Blood Prince) against him like Harry’s father did. Buckbeak the hippogriff gets Snape to stop attacking and continue his fight to apparate just outside the school grounds.

Harry retrieves his wand and Hagrid sets him back on his feet. The two then put out the fire one of the Death Eaters put on Hagrid’s house. Harry tries to tell Hagrid that Snape killed Dumbledore, but Hagrid is convinced Dumbledore just told Snape to run off with the Death Eaters to keep his double agent cover. As they return to the castle Hagrid notices a crowd forming around a body at the bottom of the astronomy tower.

Next to Dumbledore’s body Harry finds the locket Dumbledore had retrieved in the cave. It lay open and inside was a piece of parchment. Inside is a note signed R.A.B. to the Dark Lord saying that he discovered the secret of the Horcrux and that he destroyed the real one. R.A.B.’s hope is that when Voldemort reaches his match he will again be mortal. Harry does not really care much about exactly what the note meant, but only that Dumbledore weakened himself from the potion in vain.

Harry summons Rosmerta’s brooms and Dumbledore has her warn the Ministry of Magic. Harry pulls on the Invisibility Cloak and they fly off to Hogwarts. On the way Harry worries one of the D.A. or worse his friends was the one murdered to cause the Dark Mark to be put over the castle. After they land atop the astronomy tower, Dumbledore orders Harry to go and bring Snape to him.

As Harry is about leave he is frozen when he hears someone open the door and say “Expelliarmus.” He realizes Dumbledore silently froze Harry and that caused him to be defenseless and lose his wand. It turns out to be Draco that unarmed Dumbledore. Draco says there are more Death Eaters in the castle, as he found a way to get them in. The Death Eaters can be heard fighting below against Dumbledore’s guards.

Malfoy says he has a job to do and Dumbledore seems to have know for a while that his job was to kill Dumbledore. The attempts that almost killed Katie and Ron were meant to kill Dumbledore. Dumbledore does not think Draco has the ability to kill. He asks Draco to explain how he got the Death Eaters in.

Draco explains that the vanishing cabinet that Montague got trapped in last year was a pair. It was connected to the one in Borgin and Burkes, but the link between them was broken until Malfoy fixed it. Once fixed the Death Eaters came in from Borgin and Burkes to the one in the Room of Requirement.

It turns out all along Dumbledore was on to Draco and under his orders Snape was trying to offer Draco help to find out what he was up to. However, Draco is convinced that Snape is working for Voldemort and refused the help because he thinks Snape wants the glory. Draco got the necklace to Katie by putting Madam Rosmerta under the Imperius Curse. He got the idea to have her poison the mead meant for Dumbledore when Hermione said Filch would not recognize potions (how the Weasleys got the love potions in as perfumes and such). He had been communicating with Rosmerta using magic coins like the D.A. uses.

The Dark Mark was mostly a trap, however, Draco says he stepped over some body on the way up to the tower, but is not sure who it was. Dumbledore tries to convince Draco to come over to the good side and that they will protect him and his mother from Voldemort. Three Death Eaters soon arrive and await for Draco to kill Dumbledore, as he is the one with the orders to do it.

Fenrir the werewolf tries to attack Dumbledore, but the other Death Eaters stop him because it is against orders. Snape arrives at the top of the tower and the Death Eaters tell him that Draco cannot seem to do it. Then Snape points his wand at Dumbledore and says Avada Kedavra killing Dumbledore, as he had made an Unbreakable Vow to Draco’s mother to do if Draco failed.