Throwback Thursday Review: 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'

Tonight I advance onward in my trek towards re-reading, re-watching, and reviewing the Harry Potter films in my lead up to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them with my thoughts on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, with the end is in sight. Next week is my only break from Harry Potter Throwback Thursday reviews for the next three weeks as I review Thor in the wake of Marvel's fast approaching Doctor Strange, seeing as it's a Marvel Cinematic Universe origin story involving magic and other worldly mystical powers, to only be followed by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. In the meantime other reviews you can expect from me include Trolls, Hacksaw Ridge, Arrival, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' Review

Nominated For: Best Cinematography.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the sixth chapter in Harry Potter's magical life at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and subsequently the darkest yet as the franchise matures with it's characters. In Half-Blood Prince, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter seek to uncover Voldemort's past for the key to defeating the Dark Lord. In his learning Potter gets a hand-me-down used Potions book previously owned by the mysterious "Half-Blood Prince" that enables him to excel in Potions class so that he can get close to the new Potions Professor, Slughorn, who just so happens to unknowingly hold information imperative to destroying Voldemort.

Half-Blood Prince is helmed once again by David Yates, who will carry out the remainder of the series, and it's evident that Yates has inhabited himself in the Wizarding World, understanding these characters and the best ways to convey their elaborate emotions. Yates knows the appropriate moments for despair, when to lighten the mood, and best of all exploring the intricate mind of a teenager.

Yates and director of photography Bruno Delbonnel frame beautiful escapist shots of the Hogwarts castle, the somber skyline, and know exactly when to let the camera linger. The visual effects, practical effects, and scenic design are once again a remarkable feat and this time I actually can't point out any weaknesses as the one Quidditch match and predeceasing tryouts looked the best it ever has, the magic spells continue to evolve becoming more fluid and visually dynamic as the series progresses, and the filters and effects used to dive into Dumbledore's Pensieve evoke the right balance of mystery and clarity, paralleling Harry's exposure into discovering Voldemort's past life.

Steve Kloves returns to adapt Rowling's sixth novel, after taking a break from The Order of the Phoenix, and sensibly selects the integral story arcs while discarding the extraneous bits of information to shape a well balanced screenplay. Kloves adds in some small pieces here and there to intrigue the viewer and help them understand a few ongoing developments left absent in the novel. There are a few holes occasionally that non-readers may scratch their heads over but for the most part these are few, far between, and don't impact the plot too heavily. 

Nicholas Hooper proves once again that he's more than capable of taking up the mantle from the brilliant John Williams of composing a spellbinding score that is able to put you on the edge of your seat, evoke joy, and even bring you to tears. As the case with the preceding entries, the cast elevates the material to new prominence.

Daniel Radcliffe's Harry Potter becomes increasingly more complex as he matures considering all he's been through and Radcliffe handles the matured material elegantly. Of course his chemistry with Emma Watson's intellectual Hermione Granger and Rupert Grint's blundering Ron Weasley is magical. Bonnie Wright gets more time to shine as Ginny Weasley now that Harry has a crush on her and their romantic subplot flourishes when touched upon.

Michael Gambon turns in his best go at Albus Dumbledore yet getting to explore some vast range towards the film's conclusion whilst bringing a natural stately presence about himself. Elsewhere, Jim Broadbent makes a fine addition to the cast as the sleazy Professor Slughorn and Alan Rickman is superb every moment on screen as the cold calculating Severus Snape, really selling his big reveal and actions that only foreshadow the coming of the truth in the final installment.

Tom Felton's Draco Malfoy is no longer the snide remarking kid, this time actually getting to touch upon glimpses of true evil revealing his true nature in the process. Helena Bonham Carter, Dave Legeno, Helen McCrory, and Timothy Spall make up the Death Eaters as the wicked Bellatrix, the fierce Fenrir Greyback, the vain Narcissa Malfoy, and the squeamish Wormtail.

Many of the other students, teachers, and allies who typically had a more crucial role in the series are relegated to the background to bring more focus on the important matters at hand, oddly paralleling the matter of growing up to a tee.With this being said, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, David Thewlis, Natalia Tena, Julie Walters, Mark Williams, Matthew Lewis, Evanna Lynch, and last but not least James Phelps and Oliver Phelps are all to be found sparingly as Minerva McGonagall, Hagrid, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Molly Weasley, Arthur Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, and the pesky Weasley twins Fred and George respectively.

The Half-Blood Prince offers the best the franchise has to give in all departments and is certainly one of my favorites in both cinematic and written form. In summation, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a tremendous show of phenomenal filmmaking that chooses to focus it's efforts on character investment rather than grand spectacle, doing justice to the source material thanks to capable direction, wondrous effects, a fascinating score, and an extraordinary ensemble cast.

Film Assessment: A+

'Jack Reacher: Never Go Back' Review

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back returns to the life of ex-major military cop Jack Reacher and almost immediately one of his new allies, Major Turner his replacement as military police officer, is incriminated for espionage and Reacher's pulled into the mess and must prove both their innocence along with handling his past.

I'm not a huge fan of it's precursor Jack Reacher, but I will certainly admit it was a solid action flick and unfortunately that can't quite be said for this addition. Edward Zwick directs the sequel, filling in for Christopher McQuarrie seeing as he's moved on to other Tom Cruise collaborations, and has difficulty pulling Never Go Back out of the doldrums considering there's little to no energy or charisma present in the painfully long hour and fifty eight minute runtime, trust me it felt more like two and a half hours. 

The cinematography from director of photography Oliver Wood looked stale compared to the previous Reacher film and evokes modern action genre tropes by utilizing shaky-cam. The actions sequences were admittedly exciting in the moment but were rather forgettable because I can't remember much beyond the punching I've seen Cruise execute a million times in the trailer. 

The screenplay cooked up by Zwick, Richard Wenk, and Marshall Herskovitz based on Lee Child's novel Never Go Back finds itself overcrowded with extraneous plot lines, and unnecessary characters that just seem forcibly inserted in the story. Trust me, nobody that enjoyed the first Jack Reacher wants to add an angsty teenage girl to the mix and that's just what the screenwriters did. 

Tom Cruise puts on a steely gaze as Reacher, putting in tons of commitment into the stunt work but almost sleeping through his dialogue delivery. Cobie Smulders has a nice show in supporting capacity as Major Turner, certainly living up to the physicality of the role and performing up to par with Cruise in regards to combat sequences. While it was nice to see Cruise and Smulders run alongside each other, since Cruise is notable for his action sprint in many an action film, the duo don't have much chemistry whatsoever. All their moments and humor intended to bounce off one another fell flat and simply felt forced. 

Danika Yarosh plays the obnoxious teenage girl to a tee, serving as a one-note plot device, but her character detracts more from what's in play than what she brings to the table. Really no other performance was worth noting because they were all so bland and devoid of energy, especially Reacher's dull foes. 

Like it's predecessor Jack Reacher: Never Go Back is an uninspired action movie filled with predictable clichés and genre tropes but also features some notable action sequences worth watching. It fulfills it's purpose of being a by the numbers action movie but it never really exceeds that, and in some cases is even worse. If you really want to see a better film that was released this year about two investigators and a sassy young girl, I'd highly recommend checking out The Nice Guys.

Film Assessment: D+

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Jack Reacher'

This week I'm reviewing Jack Reacher as my Throwback Thursday Review to tie in with the release of it's sequel Jack Reacher: Never Go Back and next week I will resume my Harry Potter series with my thoughts on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to be followed up by Thor the subsequent week. Reviews you can expect in the meantime include Jack Reacher: Never Go Back and Keeping Up With the Joneses. At this point I haven't decided if I will be watching Inferno considering that I had no idea it was part of an existing franchise I haven't seen and therefore didn't fit in the earlier films into my Throwback Thursday schedule.

 'Jack Reacher' Review

Jack Reacher shadows ex-military investigator Jack Reacher as he must help solve a case involving five deaths or an innocent man may stand trial for murder he claims he didn't commit. Jack Reacher was based off the Lee Child's ninth novel in the book series One Shot and it certainly delivers in the action department as you can expect from a Tom Cruise-led action flick.

Jack Reacher marked the first of what became a regular team-up between writer-director Christopher McQuarrie and Cruise that thankfully has brought us Live. Die. Repeat. and Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, two terrific action films. McQuarrie's execution, both in direction and his screenplay, is precise, to the point, and fairly well done across the board. McQuarrie cleverly keeps the story personal, ensuring to never raise the stakes too unbelievably high and still maintain an air of realism. I will say the twists were minimal, somewhat predictable, and the villain was one-note, but McQuarrie sure knows how to direct an action scene; including an insane car chase, some visceral hand-to hand combat scenes, and the occasional shoot-out.

The cast is composed of a number of name talent actors and while they do a fine job, they're serviceable at best. Tom Cruise is as charming as ever in the role of Reacher, pulling off the action man swagger only he can. Rosamund Pike fairs well as damsel-in distress lawyer Helen Rodin while David Oyelowo makes for the standard cop.

Jai Courtney plays an precise marksman and formidable physical presence opposite Cruise but has little development for his character whatsoever, and Werner Herzog is as creepy as it gets in his minimal screen time as "The Zec," and Robert Duvall's Cash is a welcome presence.

When it comes down to it, Jack Reacher is what we've come to expect from modern action thrillers and that's precisely it's problem. My biggest qualm with Jack Reacher is that it feels as though it's merely going through the motions, never standing apart from other franchises in the crowded action genre. It's not so much that Jack Reacher is bad, so much as that it's a generic action film. While the stakes and scope in Jack Reacher feel incredibly small, the action sequences are so well executed that it's worth watching at least once and makes for a passable action movie.

Film Assessment: B-

'The Accountant' Review

The number of action franchises headlining middle aged men has surged in recent years as Liam Neeson has Taken, Keanu Reeves has John Wick, and Tom Cruise has Jack Reacher along with the Mission: Impossible franchise and whether The Accountant will blossom into a fully fleshed franchise remains to be seen but it certainly has the potential. 

The Accountant finds an autistic accountant Christian Wolff cooking the books for dangerous global criminal organizations, but this accountant also happens to have the combat training of a highly skilled assassin thanks to his militaristic upbringing, and as he uncovers the truth of a discrepancy in a robotics firm's numbers he finds himself in the crosshairs and must use his accounting abilities and tactile combat skills to bring down this corrupt company. 

The Accountant is directed by Gavin O'Connor and O'Connor shows a knack for piecing everything together, really getting the viewer inside Christian Wolff's headspace. O'Connor seemingly accurately and respectfully depicts individuals with autism and does a superb job directing action. The action sequences were all well choreographed, intense, and quite unique from typical action considering there's no shaky-cam used. 

Bill Dubuque's screenplay on the other hand has it's ups and it's downs. Dubuque does an excellent job in regards to crafting a thrilling original narrative that thinks outside the box by making an ordinary CPA an action hero and he also handles flashbacks well by making them integral to the ongoing story. My one qualms are the extraneous plot lines involving a U.S. Treasury investigation that I'd have preferred not been included in the film to keep more focus on Ben Affleck's Christian Wolff and that some of the twists were a little predictable due to subtle foreshadowing. Other than those minuscule nitpicks the film is remarkably entertaining. The Accountant boasts a talented ensemble cast who elevate some of the weaker portions of the script. 

Ben Affleck has definitely proven himself capable of providing consistently noteworthy performances after temporarily hanging up his cowl to conquer another interesting action hero. Affleck plays Wolff with a dual personality of sorts verging into a serious extraordinary assassin and his socially awkward autistic accountant, both sides of the coin play off one another and he's convincing in both personas. If anything could rev up my anticipation for the Batman solo film he's directing and starring in, it was seeing him at work here. 

Anna Kendrick plays a lively accountant Dana Cummings and she fills the requirements of the role playing well off Affleck, as the two share some great chemistry providing some of the more humorous bits. 

Elsewhere, I was really impressed with Seth Lee who played the Young Chris and was convincing in his portrayal of emotional outbursts and the autistic tendencies. 

J.K. Simmons, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, and Jon Bernthal are all fantastic in the capacity used, playing up their normal sensibilities so there's nothing outside the realm of expectations set for them but they measure up to what's provided. Don't expect too much from Jeffrey Tambor or John Lithgow because they are essentially cameo appearances. 

In summary, The Accountant is an interesting action thriller that thinks outside the box, respectfully depicting individuals suffering from disabilities while also providing amazing action, prodigious performances, and strong direction. It's just the type of originality Hollywood needs right now and is the type of action film that is worth spawning a franchise around.

Film Assessment: A-

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'

I apologize for the delayed review as I just finished rereading the Order of the Phoenix yesterday and it has been a goal of these Harry Potter reviews to complete each book before rewatching the films. Anyways, this week's review of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix continues on the path of Harry Potter movies in my lead up to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. As a reminder, next week I will review Jack Reacher to coincide with the release of it's sequel Jack Reacher: Never Go Back and the following week I will resume this series with my thoughts on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Other reviews that you can most certainly look forward in these coming weeks include The Accountant, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, and Keeping Up With the Joneses. I haven't determined if I will be watching Max Steel or Inferno but if I see either you can expect a review.

'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' Review

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix naturally progresses with the annual continuation of the Harry Potter series as the fifth installment in the franchise sees Harry entering his fifth year at Hogwarts. The Wizarding World scoffs at the idea Lord Voldemort has returned to full form, deeming both Potter and Hogwarts Headmaster to be merely seeking attention, and the Ministry of Magic slowly seizes control of the Wizarding institution with intentions to strictly enforce magical learning.

Order of the Phoenix proceeds in the darker path of the previous two installments, as the characters mature so does the story, and despite the darker tone the film strays from feeling too gloomy thanks to the series' wondrous magic and hopeful undercurrents. Order of the Phoenix also has new creative juices flowing with a new director, screenwriter, cinematographer, and composer for the series. David Yates offers some fresh direction for the series, taking the reigns of director only to carry out the duty for the remainder of the series, exploring the more mature aspects of the series like the political atmosphere of the Wizarding World, something that hadn't really been touched upon to this point.

The production design, visual effects, costuming and cinematography are all top notch, as to be expected at this point, depicting new magical creatures like Thestrals, a wide flurry of spells, charms, and other incantations in a new light. The one nitpick I have in regards to effects was the CGI for Grawp, a giant who shows up in the second half resembling early CG-work.

Michael Goldenberg had a daunting task adapting J.K. Rowling's longest book in the series into a feature length screenplay but manages to pick out the extraneous subplots and incorporate the most important elements of the book making it a faithful adaptation. The new score composed by Nicholas Hooper is equally enchanting and full of despair to fill out the wide range of emotional accompaniment required for the more sophisticated storytelling. The performances once again showcase choice British talent in the plentiful roles to inhabit the vast Wizarding World with many returning cast members and a few franchise additions. 

Daniel Radcliffe plays a more reserved nuanced Harry Potter but with no less courage to spare running face first into danger without so much as a second thought. Rupert Grint and Emma Watson return as Harry's dearest friends Ron and Hermione serving as an effective emotional and intellectual support system.

Franchise mainstays of Hogwarts include Michael Gambon's perceptive headmaster Albus Dumbledore, Alan Rickman's shrewd Severus Snape, Maggie Smith's compassionate Minerva McGonagall, Robbie Coltrane's amiable Hagrid, Matthew Lewis' more self assured Neville Longbottom, Katie Leung's infatuated Cho Chang, Bonnie Wright's virtuous Ginny Weasley, James Phelps and Oliver Phelps as the mischevious Weasley twins Fred and George, franchise rookie Evanna Lynch as the loony Luna Lovegood, and Tom Felton's underhanded Draco Malfoy. The Order of the Phoenix organization lead by Dumbledore is comprised of Brendan Gleeson's Alastor "MadEye" Moody, David Thewlis' Remus Lupin, Gary Oldman's vigillent Sirius Black, Natalia Tena's Nymphadora Tonks, George Harris' Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Julie Walters and Mark Williams as Molly and Arthur Weasley in addition to some of the aforementioned Hogwarts professors.

On the flip side Ralph Fiennes' wicked Lord Voldemort leads his Death Eaters including most notably Jason Issac's terrible Lucius Malfoy and newcomer Helena Bonham Carter's nefarious Bellatrix Lestrange. Ministry of Magic advocators encompass Robert Hardy's bureaucratic Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge and Imelda Staunton's vile Dolores Umbridge, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and Hogwarts High Inquisitor. 

In conclusion, Order of the Phoenix represents the best some of the best the Harry Potter film series has to offer with exceptional technical prowess, new direction, a faithful screenplay, a whimsical yet serious score, and the ever-so-enchanting ensemble cast.

Film Assessment: A-

'The Birth of a Nation' Review

The Birth of a Nation depicts the Nat Turner Rebellion that took place in Southampton County, Virginia, during August 1831. Essentially the plot involves an enslaved Baptist preacher Nat Turner who is asked to preach sermons glorifying slavery to his fellow slaves in hopes of stalling any uprisings. Turner, motivated by scripture contrary to slavery and upon seeing more and more horrific treatment of his kind, determines that the only solution is violence and a historic uprising alongside his fellowman.

I went into this film with no idea of what to expect, it was lauded at Sundance Film Festival and after some rape scandals surfaced involving director, screenwriter, producer, and star Nate Parker and co-writer Jean Celestin the film received a mixed reception with last weekend's wide theatrical release. I also felt that the historical insurrection was always a little obscure to me in regards to what happened beyond it being a slave revolt and was hoping this film would clear that up and I do feel that I learned a great deal from the film, journeying to the internet afterwards to fact-check for historical accuracy in some areas I felt may have been dramatized.

I'm not sure the world will ever know exactly how much of The Birth of a Nation was historically accurate, considering that history is often written by the winners of conflict but from what I could tell it seemed fairly accurate in regards to the characterization and depiction of events. I feel it's important to view film objectively ignoring the ongoing controversies regarding artists, separating the art from the artists, and that is definitely required for anyone that wants to get anything out of The Birth of a Nation.

Nate Parker makes his feature length directorial debut and in addition both wrote the screenplay and stars in the historical biographic drama. Parker's direction is strong, focused, and excellently wields the atrocities of slavery to both shock and remind the viewer how dreadful slavery was. My only grievance is that the pacing set forth by Parker was a tad uneven at times. Parker and cinematographer Elliot Davis capture some incredible visuals and expertly weave some meaningful imagery into The Birth of a Nation's powerful messages.

While the messages in The Birth of a Nation regarding slavery, treatment of others, and biblical interpretation are filled with passion, the screenplay penned by Parker and Celestin isn't consistent as I'd have liked it to be. The first act moves along slowly, and in the second act there are some shifts in character motivation that didn't feel expanded upon, but intermittently the duo manage to write some really compelling back and forth dialogue for the more emotionally impactful scenes. The film also features a great deal of spiritual music that amplifies the proceedings and great score from Henry Jackman.

The performances in The Birth of a Nation are without a doubt one of the films highlights. Nate Parker demonstrates a more nuanced performance and manages to depict his fair share of emotional range in the film's brutal moments. The supporting cast boasts a great number of terrific performers consisting of Armie Hammer, Penelope Ann Miller, Jackie Earle Haley, Mark Boone Jr., Colman Domingo, Aja Naomi King.

Was The Birth of a Nation the masterpiece it was made out to be by Sundance? No, but it's certainly an impressive showcase of good filmmaking that historians and cinema enthusiasts should enjoy.

Film Assessment: B

'The Girl on the Train' Review

The Girl on the Train is the latest suspenseful novel to be adapted to the silver screen and tells of Rachel, a girl who takes a daily commute on a train and peers into the passing communities crafting her own picturesque fantasies of the passerby's lives. A series of tangled events unfold and suddenly Rachel finds herself amidst a missing persons case that oddly involves many of those she's glimpsed upon in the train. 

I'm being purposely vague considering The Girl on the Train's reliance and heavy abundance of twists and turns. The Girl on the Train was deemed by many before it's release to be this year's Gone Girl and after seeing it I can confirm there are some thematic parallels, similar plot points, and both have their fair share of shocking plot twists. Otherwise, they're vastly different films/novels with scarce similarities. 

Tate Taylor directs the dramatic thriller and with cinematographer Charlotte Bruus Christensen frames some compelling visuals of the intricate events with a more muted color palette added in post production. Taylor successfully invokes suspense, but in some of the film's more bizarre moments fails to portray the actors in a sincere demeanor. Danny Elfman synth-driven compositions are an appropriate accompaniment to the melodrama and leave a lasting effect of anxiety throughout. I was shocked to learn the film's score was from Dany Elfman because typically his scores are more extraordinary while this orchestration consisted of fairly good run-of-the mill compositions. 

The screenplay penned by Erin Cressida Wilson adapting Paula Hawkins' novel manages to put the audience on the edge of their seat, but find itself muddled in non-chronological storytelling. The script occasionally flashes back to provide glimpses of the characters' background and the flashbacks are evident but the return to the present day was inconspicuous. The plot twists found in the screenplay range from predictable to surprising, but most typically the latter. The first act makes the lead female characters quite unsympathetic by painting them in a negative light, making the characters feel cold and distant, and it's only in the second act that the characters are redeemed. 

With name talent in the three lead female roles I was psyched to see what these actresses would have to offer consider how impressed I've been with much of their recent work where they each had scene stealing turns (i.e. Rebecca Ferguson in Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, Hayley Bennet in The Magnificent Seven (2016), and Emily Blunt in a great number of things including Sicario, Live. Die. Repeat., and Into The Woods). 

However, it turned out that Emily Blunt was the only one to make any impression here. Blunt handles the unreliable characterization of Rachel exceptionally well. Blunt perfectly embodies an emotionally vulnerable, fractured alcoholic and showcases a wide acting range that I feel would be worthy of an Oscar nomination if the Best Actress race weren't so crowded this year. 

Hayley Bennet plays Megan as over-sexualized in surprisingly specific strokes that the role calls for and Rebecca Ferguson's Anna is a thinly sketched concerned wife and mother. Both are fine in the capacity used but neither actress lived up to their true potential in my eyes when their previous performances are taken into consideration but I feel that it's either a result of the lacking source material or poor direction. The other supporting performances are hardly worth mentioning, for either lack of effort or minimal screen time, but include Justin Theroux, Luke Evans, Édgar Ramírez, and Allison Janey. 

In summary, The Girl on the Train is filled with bland performances, mediocre direction, and it's all headed by a messy screenplay. The Girl on the Train's saving graces are an outstanding performance from Emily Blunt, a Danny Elfman score, and some unforeseen plot twists but it's not quite enough for me to recommend you see in theaters, if you're truly interested check it out with the home media release.

Film Assessment: C+