Half-Blood Prince – page 1
Rupert Grint’s Rave Reviews for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
“This leaves sun-avoider Rupert Grint as the highlight of the three leads, soaking up the frequent comic relief scenes with surprising ease, his Ron being less gormless and more charming than expected.”
“Radcliffe, Grint and Watson are again all pro, really digging into their now familiar roles with style. Grint in particular gets to shine by showing strong comic chops as he deals with girl problems in the form of the aggressively horny Lavender Brown (a hilarious Jessie Cave.)”
“And Grint has certainly bulked up.”
“These three young leads have built up a strong chemistry over the years and are at their best joking with each other.”
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a tour-de-force that combines style and substance, special effects and heart and most importantly great performances from all of the actors young and not-so-young.”
“We’ve seen Ron and Rupert Grint both grow into themselves, and it lends Ron’s Quidditch success much more depth.”
“The same is true of Rupert Grint, who has always served as comic relief among the key “Potter” characters, and who comes very close to walking away as MVP (most valuable player) of this film. He’s grown into a very confident young comic performer, and in scene after scene, he finds the exact right pitch at which to play Ron Weasley.”
“Rupert Grint was ‘hilarious’ as Ron, she said, and ‘even’ Daniel Radcliffe had managed to be funny.”
“As Ron Weasley, Rupert Grint is hilarious, capturing that feeling of uncomfortable, awkward youth.”
On the acting front, the aforementioned Radcliffe, Grint and Watson do their best work yet, a world away from the awkward stage-school stylings of their early performances. Watson is turning into quite the leading lady while Grint is now far more than just light comic relief, the pain palpable as he watches Hermione flirt with another.
“Rupert Grint as Ron once again showing himself to be a gifted comic actor.”
“Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson once again settle back into their respective roles with great ease.”
“The three principals now have an easy familiarity that shows real affection for each other. Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson get a highly emotional ride, and Rupert Grint, who always enjoys the lighter moments of his character (the effects on him of a love potion are hysterical), moves centre stage for once.”
“Grint’s comic delivery absolutely shines, especially in the love potion scene. I’m really looking forward to seeing what he does with future, non-wizard roles.”
“The depth of the relationship between the three main characters appears to have grown immensely, and there is a maturity in Radcliffe, Grint and Watson’s acting which really brings the film alive. I found the scenes with the main characters to be both compelling and very believable. You see a much more holistic Ron and Hermoine in this film; you see their emotions coming through and see a wider range of their life at Hogworts.”
“I was highly impressed with the acting from an amazing British cast, and a special mention should go to Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood), Jim Broadbent (the aforementioned Prof. Slughorn) and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) who all did a superb job in this film.”
“Grint’s Ron – who seems to have put in quite a few stints at the gym – constricted by being Harry’s cheeky sidekick in many of the previous outings, gets a real part, which, as the most naturally charismatic of the three, is welcome.”
“Rupert Grint, as Ron, has always looked a tad older than the others and continues to while showing more character.”
“That said, the Hogwarts kids have matured. They’re as chaste a bunch or 16 and 17-year-olds as you are likely to find outside an Enid Blyton novel, but Harry and his classmates have awakened to the opposite sex. Ron Weasley attempts to evade the simpering clutches of Lavender Brown, a girl who appears to have learnt everything she knows about romance from the inside of greeting cards. [...] Ron is the inadvertent recipient of a love potion that has him hugging bits of furniture and grinning like a loon.”
“At the same time, Daniel Radcliffe as Potter and Rupert Grint, who plays Ron Weasley, brought humour to the mix as girls get in the way of their spells…”
“Though reinvented as a stud-muffin, Ron is still there for light relief.”
“For the rest, there is a fair amount of humour as Harry and his pals discover that life isn’t only about saving the world, it’s also about girls, and star-crossed love. Ron (Rupert Grint), pursued by the amorous Lavender Brown, is given a knowing line in teenage disillusion. ‘These girls will be the death of me,’ he moans, at one point. At another, when asked why he and Harry are always at the scene of any trouble, he responds: ‘Believe me, I’ve been asking myself the same question for six years.’”
“This, I think, comes down to two qualities that have helped to make the Potter films the most successful film franchise of all time. The first is the relationship between the central trio of Ron, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and Hermione (Emma Watson). Film-goers have seen these actors grow up, and watched their performances deepen and change. Increasingly, they give the films their backbone, a central truthfulness on which all the magic hangs.”
“Rupert Grint is a growing comic talent.”
“As played with open-faced exuberance by Rupert Grint, the ginger-haired Ron is Harry’s best friend and true confidant. He’s not as expert in wizardry or Quidditch as Harry, which causes some resentment and makes Ron raucous comic relief. The love potion he takes in Half-Blood Prince brings Ron’s immature likability to the fore.”
“Half-Blood Prince escalates the peril for Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his best pals, Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), while giving the threesome that first collaborated as prepubescent kids their best platform yet to show their maturing acting chops.”
“Radcliffe, Watson and Grint have lived these roles for so long — almost half their lives — that Harry, Hermione and Ron seem like second nature to them. Whether their acting careers flourish after “Harry Potter” or not, they have left an impressive little body of work with these three characters alone, developing them into full-blooded youths that feel real despite their fantastical surroundings.”
SF Gate , Cleveland/Associated Press and Long Island Press
“Still, all and all, Radcliffe, Watson and particularly Grint really show their acting chops. We’ve seen them play distressed and scared, but this time around, they impress with a more nuanced, flirty comedy. You get kind of giddy as you watch them grapple with the “keen sting of love,” as Dumbledore puts it.”
“Rupert Grint’s Ron is still the leavening star – striking funny, victorious poses in the series’s last game of Quidditch – but Daniel Radcliffe’s less self-conscious and more self-deprecating Harry runs him a close second.”
“Crossed romantic paths provide numerous laugh-out-loud moments, mostly from Ron’s brilliantly one-sided affair with Lavender (stand-out newcomer Jessie Cave), his wide-eyed, breathless and utterly besotted girlfriend.”
“A game of Quidditch early on is pure sexual pantomime, cheeky close-ups and camera angles making great play of the phallic suggestiveness inherent in gripping a broomstick between your thighs. The subtext? Ron Weasley banishes self-doubt and learns to be confident with his instrument. As it were.
There’s also a lot of simulated drug-taking, in amongst the copious intake of Butter Beer. At one point Ron Weasley takes a powerful love potion and goes around hugging everyone, pie-eyed, until its effects wear off, at which points he plunges into an abyss of apathy and self-loathing. If that isn’t a metaphor for the Ecstasy experience, I don’t know what is.”
“Of more interest, however, is what’s different: Tom Felton gets a chance to do more than sneer as the tortured Draco Malfoy, Alan Rickman’s Snape comes to the fore, and even Rupert Grint gets to act beyond his usual Ron Weasley persona (he gets a snog, at least).”
“Similarly, finale aside, the action sequences don’t really amount to anything (there’s no sense of danger in the wheat field attack, for instance), so the tiny sub plots such as Ron’s luck potion dilemma are actually more emotionally involving than the big dramatic events.”
“Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint in particular (which once again shows a significant comedic capacity) will show as always united and capable…”
“Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint have both developed expert comic timing that adds real charm to their romantic anxieties.”
“On the other hand, there are equally important things to consider, like Hermione’s (Emma Watson) growing feelings for the dopey Ron (Rupert Grint, turning into a stellar comedian), who has gotten caught up in a lovey-dovey relationship with Lavender Brown (a hilarious Jessie Cave).”
“Like Harry, Ron has entered adolescence with backpack full of hormones, and Grint arguably steals the film with his lovestruck antics, first with a dizzy quidditch fan (Jessie Cave) and then with his level-headed friend Hermione Granger (Emma Watson).”
“This is Rupert’s finest hour,” Daniel Radcliffe, who plays Harry, said at a separate press conference. “He is a fantastic practitioner of physical comedy. His scene on the broomstick playing quidditch is like something out of Buster Keaton.”
“And as the teen stars continue to gain experience in those roles, their characterizations only become more nuanced and impressive. (Witness the scene in which Grint’s given the task of conveying a sudden emotional shift through facial expression alone, and you’ll see the progress the young cast has made.)”
“With each movie, the actors are developing and getting more connected to their characters. (…) Rupert Grint is hilarious as Ron Weasley and he had great chemistry with Jessie Cave (Lavender Brown).”
Cinepop (in Portuguese – translated by Wicked Jo)
“”Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson have matured as actors. More expressive, convincing and showing better their characters’ emotions without exaggerating. The trio has a good performance during the more relaxed moments of the movie, particularly when it comes to the love life of each of their characters, but also in the more dramatic moments.”
Cine Players (in Portuguese, translated by Wicked Jo)
“Ron Weasley is seen as the comic element of the movie. Rupert Grint’s chemistry with Jessie Cave (Lavender Brown) had a good effect, resulting in funny scenes, with no exaggerations.”
Pipocacombo (in Portuguese, translated by Wicked Jo)
“Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint seem to be taking their characters, Harry and Ron, in their confident stride now, as they have defined them since their own youth, having more fun with each one’s traits and neuroses.”
“Radcliffe and Watson can be so tense and effortful that it’s a relief to have Rupert Grint, who falls under the spell of a love potion and absorbs the latest Voldemort wickedness with all the vigour of a recently woken dormouse.”
“While Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley gets a grudging award for ‘most improved original kid’ – mainly due to a brace of reasonably funny scenes.”
“As always the main cast do what they [do] best and this time they even get a chance to demonstrate their comedy timing which is refreshing.”
“The stars are amazing and convincing.”
Bild (in German, translated by Kathy)
“Bumbling, funny and gentle, the rom-com tween heartache feels nicely played by a cast more at home with cheeky humour than dramatic heavy-lifting.”
“Diluting the tension comes Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley who finds that Lavender Brown is so lavish with her affections that all he wants to do is runaway. His face is an absolute picture as he battles with his feelings for Hermione and, after eating a box of ‘doctored’ chocolates intended for Harry, becomes entangled with a love spell.”
“Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson have grown with their roles and here, each of their characters suffers the pangs of infatuation. The scene when Harry and Ron are sharing confidences as they lie in bed at night, is quite endearing (as though it is girls’ skin that is the first thing infatuated teens notice about an attractive girl).”
“Mothers, lock up your daughters: Harry Potter’s perpetually nervous sidekick Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) is now the world’s least likely but surprisingly convincing stud, and no longer a whiny downer.”
“Radcliffe, Grint and Emma Watson (as Hermione Granger, lusting after Ron) have come a long way as actors.”
“Best of all, who would have thought Grint would become a comic of Shakespearean proportions? He brings off sequences of unlikely athletic success and amorous silliness that are as delightful and pure as any silent clown’s.”
“Grint, in particular, seems to have grown a foot since the previous movie, and a considerable part of the appeal of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince comes from director David Yates’ willingness to downplay all the stuff regarding destinies, curses, ancient secrets and magic duels in favor of his three central characters and their irrepressible struggles with roiling hormones.”
“Grint comes into his own as more than just comic relief.”
“Providing some much-needed humour is the frustrated romance between Harry’s franchise-long friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson).”
“Love is in the air and Hermione’s amorous preoccupation with Ron (Rupert Grint) gets lift during a couple of well executed Quidditch sequences that lend harmless exhilaration to some of the film’s otherwise darker set pieces.”
“And having grown up on screen, from pipsqueaks back in 2001′s inaugural to the almost-adults they are today, Radcliffe, Watson and Grint evince a rapport and chemistry that feels authentic.”
“If Harry’s not flirting with waitresses, he’s mooning over the Girl Next Door or watching his best mate Ron (Rupert Grint, funny as always) almost blow it the with out-of-his-league Hermione (plucky Emma Watson).”
“Yet the friendship of the central trio remains the key to the magic. The peril, the digital effects and the omnipresent, elegantly realized dread wouldn’t mean anything if we didn’t like these three. Early on in “Half-Blood Prince” Radcliffe, Watson and Grint find themselves back on the Hogwarts Express, chugging toward another school year, and the way these young actors share the scene—and the way Yates films it, in medium shot, capturing their easygoing interaction—you realize audience familiarity, in this case, breeds nothing but contentment.”
“Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as Ron and Hermione find time to look suitably concerned between bouts of their own romantic entanglements; although in Hermione’s case it does seem to be her sole expression.”
“In his sleuthing and wizarding, Harry is again supported by best buds Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson). The trio have been hugely reliable constants throughout the Potter franchise.”
“Daniel Radcliffe and his friends Rupert Grint and Emma Watson… the Harry Potter trio are definitely not kids anymore. And we should be pleased by that. The movies, much like the books, have grown up considerably. As the story progresses, so does the maturity level.”
“Our three protagonists are taller, more polished, more charismatic—after all, they’re movie stars now.”
“Rupert Grint is amusing.”
“Boy, what can you can about Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson. They’re so comfortable now in the roles. It’s [Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince] just a wonderful edition to an already spectacular franchise.”
“The lack of trio-time, however, is made up to us by the scenes in which they do appear being particularly endearing and lovely showcases of their developing comic timing. The natural chemistry between Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and Daniel Radcliffe is permanently on show – look for scenes when Ron and Harry are discussing girls, and when Hermione gets tipsy on butter beer. All three young actors are as comfortable in their characters as one might imagine they are in their own skins.”
“This is largely down to the welcome presence of Jessie Cave who turns in a brilliantly comic performance as the lovelorn Lavender alongside Grint, whose scene-stealing moments have been cropping up since Philosopher’s Stone. It took Radcliffe a few years to catch up with Grint’s natural on-screen ability but Watson has only just managed to make her mark.”
“Radcliffe, Watson and Grint have never been better, individually or as a group, than in Half-Blood Prince.”
“The acting is constantly improving from the younger stars – Daniel Radcliffe as Harry, Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley and especially Emma Watson’s piquant performance as Hermione Granger.”
“That investment of time also means we’ve been watching the film’s trio of youthful principals — Daniel Radcliffe as Harry, Rupert Grint as sidekick Ron Weasley and Emma Watson as brainy Hermione Granger — grow up on screen since 2001. They’ve become as familiar as family members, and Half-Blood Prince trades on that connection to keep us involved when things get slow.”
“With side plots following Quidditch trials and teen love triangles there are some genuinely comedic moments which have always been high points for actor Rupert Grint, and in this latest film the script keeps him playing his strengths. Whereas in previous films Ron and Hermione were Harry’s perpetual wingmen through all dangers and perils, here the side characters stick to side plots. They play out their love triangles and Grint makes an admirable display of comic relief…”
“The lead three teenagers extend what they provided in the previous installments, with Daniel Radcliffe being the most polished, Rupert Grint the most comedic, and Emma Watson the most wooden.”
“Rupert Grint, as Ron, is now a skilled comedian, making the most of a scene of enchanted lovesickness. (Watch how his face expertly drains of dopiness when given an antidote for the love potion.)”
“Add some truly hilarious comic relief from Grint and Watson (hormones and Quidditch brooms fly equally fast here), and there isn’t a performance that can’t do justice to its ink inspiration.”
“As chaotic and unpredictable as the world they live in has become, Harry, Ron and Hermione are still kids finding their way into adulthood, and it’s the human connections that make this magical tale so emotionally rewarding.”
“Half-Blood Prince is a story of maturation. Harry’s quiet fascination with Ginny Weasley (Bonnie Wright) is instantly noticeable all while the untold desires Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) share for one another continue to blossom. There’s a whole lot of ‘snogging’ as love-potions enchant the mind and jealousy bubbles to the surface causing tears and bedside comforting. [...] Those that get riled up by the personal relationships of Harry, Ron and Hermione will truly have a blast and perhaps dub this the best Potter yet.”
“Grint’s Ron and Watson’s Hermione get their moments as well, and both deliver with the aplomb of seasoned actors. Grint in particular does a deft comic turn that ends with a surprising conclusion, and handles it in a way that would rival a performer with twice the experience.”
“Rupert Grint, who has always worked best as the comic relief, does some of his funniest work here.”
“The romantic confusion offers much-needed humour, especially when starry-eyed Ron accidentally takes love potion, because the plot is very dark.”
“Prince isn’t all doom and gloom, though. One of the script’s greatest joys is that it allows for the young characters to explore the many schoolyard crushes that twist through the hallways of Hogwarts like invisible vines, snaring all three leads – with or without the aid of powerful love potions. The various romances might be a bit much for the action-hungry crowd, but they’re handled with a sweet touch that leads naturally and easily to humor.”
“While Daniel Radcliffe looks once more bedraggled under the burden of the title role because he never gets some time off for flirting, redhead Rupert Grint steals the show as Ron…”
“He doesn’t have to hide: Rupert Grint (back) steals the show from the titular hero (Daniel Radcliffe) as Ron.”
Echo Online (in German — translated by Karo)
“Some critics claimed already at the Premiere of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban that, acting-wise, Rupert Grint alias Ron Weasley is much more convincing than Daniel Radcliffe. In any case, it is undeniable that the 20-year old is a rising British comedian. He also proved this in the film Driving Lessons (2006).”
Nurnberger Nachrichten (in German — translated by Karo)
“For Harry and his friends, the hormones are dancing samba. Fumbling and wet dreams are on the agenda – this provides background for many gags and embarrassing moments: particularly Ron, Harry’s best friend, has the laughter on his side. Wonderful: a scene in which he stumbles through Hogwarts like a randy bull after enjoying a bunch of bewitched sweets.”
SFT Live (in German — translated by Karo)
“Instead, director David Yates allows his young actors, first and foremost Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley, to prove their talent for comedy.”
Neues Deutschland (in German — translated by Karo)
“Daniel Radcliffe, an old man in the body of a young one [...], Emma Watson, increasingly sexy, and Rupert Grint, the talented and captivating redhead, are back for adventures more dangerous than ever before.”
Pure People (in French — translated by Karo)
“The main cast members are growing splendidly with their characters. Watson and Grint understand their roles’ nuances, and Radcliffe even showed comedic acting skills.”
“But in the end, the weight of the film lies heavily with Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint. We see our favorite characters change through their performances.”
“Grint steals plenty of scenes as Ron Weasley, having developed a range of emotions to add to his comic chops.”
“… and Hermione (Emma Watson) watches in jealous disgust as Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), Harry’s bff and Ginny’s brother, imbibes a love potion that makes him the sex slave of Lavender Brown (Jessie Cave). I exagerrated the kinky part—the movie is rated PG, though Grint is a comic delight in hormonal transport.”
“I’m still not convinced Daniel Radcliffe can act and I’m still absolutely convinced that his backup wizards Emma Watson and Rupert Grint definitely can.”
“Radcliffe and Watson are very good, and as usual, Grint does most of the comic heavy lifting. (He’s turning out to be a gifted comedian.)”
“There’s a strong dose of comedy, particularly in the performances by Grint, who’s a natural clown, and Broadbent.”
“Prince finally does something with the flirtations between Ron and Hermione, allowing Grint and Watson an opportunity to tango with teen-centric stabs of petty jealousy and comical miscommunication. As always, the actors make pure joy out of their second-banana roles.”
e Film Critic (Brian Ondorf)
“Rupert Grint gets his best material of the series to work with and steals the first hour from underneath Radcliffe’s feet.”
“The Harry Potter franchise is benefiting from a couple of good decisions made right at the start – namely the casting of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint. All are terrific in the film, especially Watson and Grint, the latter of whom proves to be a hilarious comic actor.”
“No question, it’s more fun to watch Rupert Grint ham his way through love and Quidditch as Ron Weasley than mope around with unhappy adults.
Grint is one of the standouts of this film, along with moody Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy. I loved every second of Ron Weasley with Lavender Brown (Jessie Cave), Ron Weasley with his love potions, and Ron Weasley with Hermione Granger (Emma Watson).”
“Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley: Blimey, Ron used to be saddled with simply saying blimey. Not anymore, and Grint has grown into the perfect comedic sidekick for Radcliffe’s Harry. Ron’s getting things done on his own as well, with snogging girls and playing some spot on quidditch. Grint is very comfortable as the slightly lower class every-teen that allows us access into this wizardly world.”
“Rupert Grint, easily the most charming of the young actors here, does a decent job of comic relief).”
“The children who grew up on screen as Harry and his friends have matured physically and in acting ability, most notably Rupert Grint as the hapless Ron, and Tom Felton as the burdened and troubled Draco.”
“Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint return to their familiar roles and, once again, they’re all good. Look for Grint, who’s clearly grown as an actor, to get extra laughs this time around.”
“All of the returning characters, from Daniel Radcliffe’s Harry Potter, to Rupert Grint’s Ron Weasley and Emma Watson’s Hermione Granger give engaging performances that manage to make their characters seem fresh and new, despite the fact we’ve been following them nearly eight years.”
“Harry Potter aficionados have no doubt enjoyed watching Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint grow up and progress as actors. Though Watson and Grint adequately fulfill their roles as Hermoine Granger and Ron Weasly, Radcliffe seemed to slip in crucial emotionally pumped scenes.”
“It’s a similar story for Ron and Hermione, and it stands as a testament to how these young actors have exceeded their talent-level, rising to the occasion that this storyline demands.”
“Here’s a fun Harry Potter ranking from New York magazine, which is pretty close to my own conclusions and includes some clips that remind us that Rupert Grint has come a long way as an actor,”
“The acting is also notably better. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson have all done other projects at this point, and their age and greater experience really shine in Half-Blood Prince.”
“Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) struggle with jealousy and their attraction to each other, while Harry realizes he has feelings for Ron’s sister, Ginny (Bonnie Wright). Their interconnected relationships are incredibly funny, sweet, and believable, and the whole young cast proves that they have matured along with their characters, providing some of their best work yet.”
“Emma Watson, Bonnie Wright and Rupert Grint all do a fine job.”
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