Written by Kristin Larmore, Relate Intern
For years now, the Harry Potter series has managed to capture the attention of not only younger children, but teens and adults as well!
The newest film addition to the saga, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, is the darkest of them all. Though it’s not chock-full of action scenes like some of the others and is more funny and romantic, it’s a crucial plot set-up for the rest of the story. Voldemort and his followers begin to have a real presence in London and infiltrate Hogwarts, and Dumbledore must really focus on preparing Harry for the battle to come and to help him gain vital information even the headmaster himself doesn’t know. As Harry becomes more and more entwined with Voldmort’s past, he discovers some even darker secrets and continues to question who he can and can’t trust.
But if we’re all being honest, we want to know about the guys. All these foreign actors are back again, but we see they’re even older. Looking back on those young middle school boys we see in the first few movies, it’s amazing how different they look now! The ladies in the film seem to be noticing, too, as the romance and flirting seriously kicks up a notch; love triangles abound. The days of making fun of little Ron and Harry with their squeaky voices are over. And it’s nice because these guys aren’t unrealistically attractive; as we all should know, it’s not all about the looks. A combination of attraction and personality is key!
Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) is still thin, but check out his eyes and handsome face. Without the glasses and a bit of body to his hair aside from the matted, sweaty look it acquries on screen, you’d be surprised!
Daniel Radcliffe. Born July 23, 1989 in Fulham, London. (photo from examiner.com)
Ron’s (Rupurt Grint) got some muscles now, far from scrawny. And if you’re into the long-hair look, he’s got that rugged red going on. There’s still the awkward, goofy smile…but sometimes that can be attractive. Let’s just say he’s exited the “nerd phase.”
Rupert Grint. Born August 24, 1988 in Hertfordshire, England. (photos from exposay.com, teens.aol.com)
Malfoy might be sort of annoying in the movies and slicks his hair back for that “evil” look, but he’s not so shabby himself on a normal day when he’s not playing Potter’s antagonist. Look out for him, blondie fans!
Tom Felton. Born September 22, 1987 in London, England.
Matthew Lewis who plays Neville is always in the background, but he has spruced up a bit! The scruffy looks seems to do well for him, though it doesn’t serve his character well on screen.
Matthew Lewis. Born June 27, 1989 in Leeds, England.
And though James and Oliver Phelps are kind of goofy and long-haired in the movies as Ron’s bros, they clean up just as nice in these suits for a premier.
James and Oliver Phelps. Born Febraury 25, 1986 in the Sutton Coldfield area of Birmingham. (photo from virginmedia.com)
Here’s a video from the New York City premier for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Some of the actors talk about the film and share their hype. Make sure you check out Radcliffe’s passion for his character in the clip….he’s pretty intense about playing Harry!
If you don’t read the books now, you’ll definitely want to read the seventh and final book after watching this movie! Waiting for the final film will be nearly impossible. It leaves so many questions unanswered, so many loose ends.
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