OK, here’s the deal. I’d never put much faith into movie versions of books. It’s inevitable that they would make a few changes here and there, maybe add a little here and there and take out this and that. But this. This isn’t just a disappointment. This is sacrilege! SPOILER AHEAD!!!

I’d expected them to change a lot of things, but I did not expect the movie to be so painful to watch. The book is vibrant, full of funny characters, lively characters. Somehow the actors in HP and the Half Blood Prince fall flat in their performances. During the entire duration of the movie, it felt like attending a funeral. The acting was wooden, the expressions all remain the same and even jokes fall flat on the floor with a loud splat.

I’d followed the movie franchise from beginning to end, heck I even watched the premiere of this movie. This says a lot about how much I love HP, and even its actors. I even remember Daniel Radcliffe in the first installment and he was brilliant. He was full of wonderment, happiness at finding his true calling and curious about his world. I could see that.

But in this one? No. I couldn’t. I couldn’t even manage to chuckle at their supposedly “funny” scenes. Lavender was a hoot, and her performance was by far the best in the movie. If an extra acted better than the main cast, what does it say about the movie?! I wanted that kind of enthusiasm, that kind of acting, like Lavender from the rest. I agree that the books get progressively darker but the movie does not have to be so grim. It is still a brilliant and interesting world, after all.

In fact, it was so dull, so boring, that several people in front of me left before the first half of the movie and the guy behind me actually fell asleep and snored! Loudly!

To my horror, I couldn’t defend my fascination and love for the series. I had to concede that it was just awful, and it was made worse since the movie was extended from December last year to July 2009. The wait was definitely NOT worth it.

On top of that, they failed to show Dumbledore telling Harry the possibility of having seven Horcruxes lying around. They failed to mention the Gaunt family. They failed to show Voldemort’s history, as Albus Dumbledore observed. They failed to show what other Horcruxes might be. And Harry wasn’t supposed to stand aside and let Snape and the rest of the Death Eaters corner Dumbledore at the top of the astronomy tower like that. Harry is brave. He would’ve jumped right into the thick of things and take down as many freaking Death Eaters as possible. In the book, he was Petrified, hidden underneath his Invisibility Cloak. Dumbledore used the last precious second for the dual purpose of saving his life and letting Snape do what he must do. I mean, I had to scoff at the scene Draco said Expelliarmus and disarmed Dumbledore. Now that, is an insult. Dumbledore is the greatest wizard of all time, and, weakened or not, he couldn’t even block Draco’s spell? You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.

I had expected Harry to scream, Harry to cry in anguish, Harry to show more hatred towards Snape. But no. His face was a blank mask of disbelief and he cried a little. No screaming. And the epic battle I was anticipating at the end did not happen. The Death Eaters fled with no resistance. *holds palms up in bewilderment* And, here’s the thing I don’t understand. As Dumbledore’s body lay prone on the grass, still as the night above them, the only thing the students and teachers could do then was solemnly acknowledge Dumbledore’s passing.

Hello?! Did you guys EXPECT him to die or something? I was expecting confusion, uproar, bewilderment, people asking, “What happened?! Dumbledore’s dead!” but no, they lifted their lit wands in unison towards the sky as a mark of respect. WHAT. THE. HELL?!

And Harry and Ginny’s kiss. Oh dear, the kiss. *sigh* It was supposed to be in full view of everybody, supposed to be of Ginny with blaze in her eyes, but in the movie she just looked… sad. Huh. And in the room of requirement too, of all places! And it showed no relationship whatsoever between them. Just a kiss. And a comfort besides Dumbledore’s dead body.

So yes, major disappointment. They deviated from the book, fine… but they made it dull (unforgivable!) and they made it senseless. Doesn’t make sense. No logic at all. And that’s worse.

Dear god… I hope Twilight New Moon isn’t a sacrilege too.

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