The 6th Harry Potter movie: based on the book series by J.K. Rowling
Movie Review
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the sixth in the fantasy-adventure Harry Potter film series based on the book (with the same title) authored by J.K. Rowling. As is true for the other earlier released Harry Potter movies (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone , Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets , Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban , Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire , and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ) this film stays true to the plot and subplots of the book Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Director David Yates, cast, and crew created the magical and mundane worlds of Harry Potter's expertly and gives all viewers a film glistening with great entertainment value.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince returns its viewers to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This is Harry Potter's (Daniel Radcliffe) sixth school year. He is an established prize pupil of remarkable talent, which is noticed by the faculty and some of the students. Professor Albus Dumbledore (Sir Michael Gambon) views Harry as "the one" who will help defeat the evil Lord Voldemort. Unfortuneately, in both the mundane (Muggle) and Wizardry worlds, the Death Eaters, cohorts of Lord Voldemort, are currently creating mayhem and bringing terror by their despicable antics. Their agenda is filled with murder and other evil deeds.
Professor Dumbledore with Harry's help convinces Professor Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent), an old friend and collegue, to return to Hogwarts to teach the Potions and Spells classes. This return of Professor Slughorn precipitates Harry and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) grudgingly taking one of Slughorn's classes which leads Harry to inadvertently finding an old Potions and Spells book that used to be "the property of the Half-Blood Prince" that has the answers on how to do them plus some extra methods and spells that have a darker nature. Harry is curious about who the Half-Blood Prince was, but the book does not give any clues regarding who it could have been. Considering the worn aged exterior and interior of the book, this Half-Blood Prince would have to be an adult, possibly the same age as Professor Dumbledore. All Harry can figure out was that the book used to belong to a student of Hogwarts from yore.
Harry Potter finds himself too enamored by the contents in the raggedy Potions and Spells book. He learns some pretty dark stuff. Even Ron Weasley finds his constantly reading of this book unnatural. Ron's sister, Ginny Weasley (Bonnie Wright), out of concern for Harry assists Harry with hiding this book, where no one else can locate it, up in Hogwart's storage room where every thing magical is safely kept. Ginny insists it is a great place to hide something due to how much is already in the storage room. Harry agrees and asks Ginny to hide this book while he keeps his eyes shut to prevent from becoming tempted to fetch it and resume reading the rest of the sinister, yet helpful notes left by the Half-Blood Prince.
Simultaneously, Harry assists Professor Dumbledore once again. This time to pinpoint weakness in Lord Voldemort's evil forces. It is imperative that the Death Eaters' agenda be stopped. What Harry and Professor Dumbledore need to figure out is the 'how'.
Throughout this movie we learn exactly why Harry Potter found Professor Severus Snape (Alan Rickman) difficult to like even though he does not seem all that bad. We further learn more about Tom Riddle (played by Hero Fiennes-Tiffin and Frank Delane), one of Hogwarts' most talented students. This explains much about the childhood of Lord Voldemort; shows more about how he became such a nasty evil guy.
As with the other five Harry Potter films, this one was as good and enjoyable, but left this viewer wanting more because of the ending that was not much of an ending; more of a cliff hanger. I felt the words "to be continued" should have been listed at the end of this movie like they do for a television series.
The plot is continued with a grand finale no Harry Potter fan should miss in the last two movies of this superb series titled Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2012). All eight of the Harry Potter movies are on DVD.
Other primary cast members included (in order listed by credits): Emma Watson (Hermione Granger, Harry Potter's and Ron Weasley's best friend), Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood, a younger student that is there for Harry), Jessie Cave (Lavendar Brown, Ron Weasley's clingy girlfriend), Helen Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange, sister of Narcissa Malfoy and a Death Eater), Robbie Coltrane (Rubeus Hagrid, the one that teaches about animals at Hogwarts and has some unusual pets), Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy, a student of Hogwarts that is recruited by the Death Eaters to murder Professor Dumbledore), Maggie Smith (Professor Minerva McGonagall, who traffics the hallways in order to make certain the students attend their classes), David Thelwis (Remus Lupin, ex-professor and lycanthropic friend of Harry Potter's), Helen McCrory (Narcissa Malfoy, a Death Eater like her sister Bellatrix Lestrange), Mark Williams (Arthur Weasley, Ron and Ginny's father), and Julie Walters (Molly Weasley, Ron and Ginny's mother).
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was rated PG and is 2 hours 33 minutes in length (the time goes by fast while watching). Harry Potter book and movie fan? This film is a "must-see." Like British films and humor? You definitely want to place this one on your "will view" list. Want or need a good pre-teen or teen movie for those hard to please 11 through 17 year old minors at home? Want one they will sit through during family time? Do not be afraid to pick this one up. The family time you share with them during the Harry Potter movie series is worth every minute. This movie and all other Harry Potter films are highly recommended!
Enjoy!
