I went into this movie with almost no prejudice. I hadn't watched trailers, hadn't read reviews, hadn't talked to anyone who had seen it. And I really wanted to like the movie. After all, I still remembered how excited the previous movie had left me and the sixth book is perhaps the best of the entire series.<br /><br />And then I suffered.<br /><br />Almost no scenes were the way they were in the book, some of the characters were altered - flattened down - so much it was hard to even recognise them and the scenes that had been added didn't fit the storyline at all. I mean, I don't have anything against mixed-age couples but why does Harry have to catch the eye of a woman twice his age in the beginning of the film? Which point does the director want to make by including this? Harry's overwhelming attractiveness? His maturity? Same goes for the burning-down-the-burrow scene. Why would Fenrir and Bellatrix waste their time chasing 15 year olds around a fen and setting a house on fire (after luring all the inhabitants out of course. Setting the house on fire with all the blood-traitors, mudbloods and chosen ones still in, no, that would simply have been too... intelligent!)<br /><br />So they include some pointless action, fair enough, perhaps films need that more than books. The 5-minute "Attack of the Psycho Tree" (aka Whomping Willow Workout) scene they put into the third film seemed rather random too, after all. But why then did they leave out the ultimate action scene in this book where the DA and the death eaters fight in Hogwarts? I liked the way they introduced the Vanishing Cabinet, different from the book, but since I knew they would never include a 5 minute dialogue between Dumbledore and Draco anyway, I liked the idea. All the more disappointing then that in the end, Draco went through all this effort just so Bellatrix could burn down Hagrid's hut.<br /><br />But the ultimate unforgivable scene was the way they ruined "the flight of the prince". I'll sum up the end of the film.<br /><br />Harry: Fight back you COWARD! - Snape: He called me coward? Mmh, I don't really care. - Harry: SECTUMSEMPRA! - Snape: Alright, let me explain this very calmly to you. You may not use my spells against me because I'm the half blood Prince. - *in the background Hagrid's hut is burning down but Hagrid and Fang are apparently too fast asleep to notice* - Snape:*walks into the forest* - Harry: *looks at the stars, surprised*<br /><br />later:<br /><br />Harry: It's a shame Dumbledore's dead. I kinda liked him.<br /><br />Hermione: Uh-huh. BTW, Ron says it's OK if you're with Ginny.<br /><br />Harry: k, thx. I never noticed how beautiful Hogwarts is.<br /><br />This leads me directly to the thing that disturbed me the most about the film: the complete unwillingness on the side of the writers to stay serious for even one single minute. At every turn, some trite joke or shallow reference to clichée teenage drama has to be inserted and this robs the film of all its dramatic potential. I have no idea why anyone would call this film "dark". I've seen Disney films that were more serious and adult than this one. The film is a dumbed-down version of the book, suitable for audiences who previously fawned over Twilight.<br /><br />And the clichée doesn't stop there. The portrayal of Bellatrix irritated me greatly. Isn't it about time we do away with this stereotype that an evil and powerful woman *has* to act hypersexual, speak with a sensual voice and creep around the men she's threatening? It was really annoying, especially in the scene in which Snape swears the Unbreakable Vow. It looks cheap and doesn't fit at all.<br /><br />Also: - Ginny would never tie anyone's shoelaces. - Harry can use his invisibility cloak, it doesn't count as cheating. Especially if it keeps you from climbing random roofs just to get a glimpse at Draco - Dumbledore's funeral isn't a rock festival. - So Voldemort's Horcruxes could be any kind of object? Good luck breaking random things in order to defeat him then, Harry. Looking forward to seeing you stomp across rubbish dumps in film 7, crushing "hidden" old bottles that could be magical.<br /><br />One star for the wonderful performances by Tom Felton and Alan Rickman, one for the beautiful Quidditch scenes and one for the soundtrack.