I just finished watching the latest Harry Potter film, and I can tell you without reservations that the special effects were awesome. At least I vaguely remember them as being awesome. You know, the usual: a Quidditch match in the snow, Death Eaters swirling around, another cool form of speedy transportation, Draco suddenly looking as old as me, etc. Why am I unsure of the CGI’s snazziness? Because they were perfectly executed. I can’t remember the last time a movie implemented Hollywood wizardry so perfectly throughout a plot. Compare this to Transformers (the second of which I refuse to watch in a theater), where the robotic shenanigans hit you over the head over and over for over for what feels like six hours. Even the first movie was 30 minutes too long, and the sequel is even longer. Doesn’t Michael Bay know that the shorter the movie, the more showings you can cram into a Saturday and everyone makes more money? I don’t know if I should respect or laugh at his disregard for this common-known Summer blockbuster factoid.

So the difference between these F/X-heavy epics is story. Now you may be thinking “Well DUH”, but there is no underestimating the value of a good story. Potter is based on one of the most popular book series of all-time, the other is written by a cabal who had somewhere around six projects going at the same time yet got paid roughly $8million for the Transformers 2 story. Now I finally understand why Hollywood is pillaging everywhere else for ideas – classic movies, not-so-classics, books, video games, board games(!). Pay me that much and I would write “Chinatown”, or at least outsource to some starving literature student that could do a better job.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Review:

A good movie, probably one of the best theatrically. My favorite aspect of the Potter movies is that they are a who’s who of awesome British thespians. Keeping with the theme here comes Jim Broadbent, who never fails to disappoint. However, I am growing a little weary of the characters. I’m sure there will be some kind of revelation about Snape soon (I have not read the books), and I am looking forward to it. Until then, I never thought I’d tire of seeing Alan Rickman, but we have reached that point. Dumbedore is not far behind – I miss the growling Michael Gambon of “Layer Cake”. Rowling should just spin off the Luna Lovegood character into her own series, or write the screenplay. Her character, and the actress that plays her, is absolutely fascinating.