The best one yet. I saw it the day it came out and they made it 99% like the book. Awesome.

Dazzling visuals, some incredible performances stand out Emma Watson, and some emotional depth make this easily one of the best film's in the franchise. I give this film 95% of a good movie.

Best HP movie yet! Makes up for "The Order of the Pheniox" which was extreamly dull. I lvoed how Snape (Alan Rickman) is seen so much in this movie compaired to the others.

The best in the series. Script, directing, acting were all very well done. The character development is great. And to differ with some posting, I think the storyline is carried very well. There's a lack of closure which simply leaves you want to more. Highly recommend it.

I'd say HP6 is the best one of the series with a good balence of action and comedy. I say it delievers in a way never thought possible by any Harry Potter movie.

The atmosphere sets the tone, PERFECTLY for this dark adaptation! It's the grittiest Potter film out, and everything about this film is directed impeccably, from the eerie orchestration to the incredible cast of bright characters in the perpetually perennial flick.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Half-Blood Prince is one of the best Potter films. It is dark, emotional, and sleek. The acting is great (especially Alan Rickman) and as always the score is stunning. Those who haven't read the books will find it better then those who have, but fans of the book will still love this. I didn't much like how they sort of brushed over the very important Half-Blood Prince thing, and just have Snape randomly say it at the end. But that aside, this is still a fantastic movie.… Expand

Loved the film-noir style. Also, the juxtaposition of teenage relationships and the not-so-distant war was superb. It was nice to see a Harry Potter movie that was more about developing emotion, character and intent. This movie is intended to be the "calm before the storm" that will be the adaptations of the 7th book, and it does so in an emotionally satisfying way.

I thought the film was fantastic. Although it did not have as much action as the other films it certainly was able to capture a dark atmosphere very well. Most people seem to say that if you haven't read the book you won't really understand the plot but I understood it just fine and I haven't read any of the Harry Potter series. The movie overall was very balanced. Great acting, CGI, emotion and atmosphere make this something for everyone.… Expand

Great HP movie...perfect lead-up to the two last movies.

I read the books once I finished watching movie 5. I think this movie is one of the closest to the books so far. I'm a huge fan of Harry Potter and it was interesting to see the character's turn into young adults, and it's a bit more easy to relate to the move now then before. I think it's a great prelude to the final movie (Part i and Part II).

Extremely dark, and thoroughly intriguing. One of the most anticipated films of the year, living up to its hype.

I saw this movie twice and loved it both times. Great addition to the franchise.

Beautiful cinematography, an immaculate ensemble, and a storyline that brilliantly mixes the humor of teenage lovestrucks with mystery and horror elements. I liked it a ton.

Wow... I think this was almost the best Harry Potter movie. It was darker then other, and the actors were actually good! Well... better then last movies. But I liked watching this one!

I've got the chance to see one of those very very very rare special screenings. Now Harry Potter is in IMAX and at times in 3D. I don't recomend it, it was much worse than last years Harry Potter . When the 3D wrecked the movie and the ending action sequence. Anyway, this is a movie to see. Harry Potter 5 was a fairly all right movie, it needed to ponder the art of a more magical and devloping structure around charisma and the fulfillness of magic teachings. You see in the Order of the Phoenix, Harry taught magic, but director David Yates never gave us the chance to enjoy watching the teachings, rather than watching him and his students blowing out fumes from their wands. They used spells without even casting them. That was lame, but everything else was okay. I'm kind of reviewing the last one mind you. Let me get to this one. I always wondered if Ron were to be in quiditch. And he is, this year at Hogwarts is much better than the last 2 years. He is much more of a character this time, their is much stronger charisma and relationships. Theres a bit of a romance happening, with an intense soul within the romantic boundary. The special effects are fair. The acting is and has always been above average. This isn't just a very normal Harry Potter movie, like the last 4 films. This is a very swift, smoothly paced masterpiece. This is probably in the top 3 best hary potter films. The first two have always been in first place. Just because they have the strongest surface within character, Hogwarts itself, magic, and that creepy sensation. It's very similar to it's previous sequel, but this is so much better. Last time, all Ron was was simply a by-standing follower who does absolutely nothing really. He only has like 15 lines in the whole movie. But in this, many beaming lights shine on his face this time. The situation could have been a bit bigger, but at least it's getting somewhere and doing well at it. Meaning it's doing well portraying a journey when all the film pretty well takes place is at Hogwarts. Thats what this series has success at. The first two journeyed through the history of Hogwarts. The next two were pretty well just the understanding of sn uprising evil. But the next two build and build a surface to contain riveting and intense art so that the audience can be on the edge of their seats. Dumbledore's death was truly emotional and not as lame as Serious' death and over-the-top as Cedric's. This movie is shaped so we know what to expect next time. This movie is when the true war begins. And David Yates succeeds so well in entertaining us. The only problem I have with the last three films altogether is that they are very similar, they are said to be the best ones. But they develop so much that by the end it was for nothing. If their spending 8 movies on killing Voldemart, then they must be wasting their time. Te amount books that J.K. Rowling has for Harry potter is too much, but phenomenal for her success. Even though the last book sucks. They need to really get somewhere with this series for once and stop atht chitter chatter that keeps the characters overdwelling on the very little. Anyway, I'd give it a 9.5/10, but a 10/10 if it weren't so pointless. But I guees when you round stuff up, 10/10 is the answer. But I watch a lot of movies. And this was very good. Wortht seeing, it's one of the best Potter films to date.… Expand

I loved this movie. It's by far the best Harry Potter movie to date. I saw the very first special screening, and their was a huge aplause. I'm very impressed. It'sa very slapstick and enjoyable movie. I love it.

The best cinematography you will ever see with a brilliant story to go with it.

I agree that the film was a bit imbalanced in terms of romatic comedy vs. developing major plot points and serious moments. That is my main problem with the film; otherwise it was beautiful, very funny and touching, intense, thrilling, true to the book (particularly the cave scene), and standout acting from Tom Felton, Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint, good acting from Emma Watson, and wonderful acting from Jim Broadbent. Good job, Yates and co!… Expand

It is the best harry potter movie even darker then the second one,david yates has done a really goood job and it shows in his intelligent and pacy movie direction.

I am totally addicted to Harry Potter. I know like every word to all of the movies and now I have another one to remember. Its awesome!!

I loved this new installment. I saw the movies devotion to the often bleak mood of the book through its enthralling cinimatography and set decoration. As a resonalble fan of the story, that's all that mattered to me in the end. In other news Radcliffe is getting better, Jim Broadbent was fantastic, and Alan Rickman is cool as always.

This film was wonderful. It captured the mixed tonality of the book perfectly. The younger actors are all growing and the more experienced ones continue to shine. The humor worked every time. The effects where spectacular. All around, a film worthy of calling itself part of the Harry Potter universe.

I really enjoyed this movie as a film not an adaption. If i reviewed this as a loyal adaption of the movie, i would have been scaving as i was frustrated with its differences to the book. But the film was funny, dark and kept you fixiated to the screen.

Loved it!!! The best so far... it's darker, and funny, the performances are really good, the music is beautiful, the cinematography is really good too; in the end, a really good summer blockbuster and a good addition to the series, let´s wait DH:P1.

Lived up to the hype, again the 'kids movie' title was dropped. The 'gang' is growing up, and the director's are choosing to highlight this with the subsequent mood and body language of every character involved. Although director David Yates was obviously playing with the plot to suite the final installments, the story told was nothing but perfection.

Excellent screenplay. The movie was able to condense the book and all its nuances and side stories into a tight 2 1/2 hour movie. It may have missed the characterization and development of Voldermort as the arch-nemesis of Harry Potter, but overall it paints a convincing picture of the 6th installment of the Potter story.

Beautifully understated and bitter sweet - this last ever chance for a little happiness at childhood's end, before we and the gang are plunged headlong into the full-on craziness of the Deathly Hallows!

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince was by far the best film of the series since Chamber of Secrets in 2002. After the good third and fourth entries and the average fifth entry, This film did everything right. The film was comical in a sense and left the movie crowd laughing. Many things became the subject of jokes including the fact it has been eight years since the series began and yet the cast is to be in their late teenage years. One scene has Dumblerdore taking a magazine to pursue his sewing. Several items from previous items including Tom Riddle's diary and the map which monitors everyone's movements from the third film. The film however was dark like previous entries and had some grim situations. A major character dies which was depressing, yet realistic. It will most likely affect the next film in many ways. Their was a romantic kiss between Harry and Ron's sister Ginnie which was nice and assisted the film in small ways. The only major problem with the film was not a true confrontation between the Dark Lord and Harry which makes this the second film in which he does not appear. Overall an excellent entry which makes up for the weaknesses of the fifth film and defines the series in every way.… Expand

In no way a disappointment, HBP the film IS a faithful take on the book - as one critic put it, in fact, it's a much tighter rendition of the story than Rowling's overwritten original. As for these silly negative comments from people who've hated all the Potter films... what did you expect when you went to see HBP? Seriously? Did someone force you at gunpoint to watch a film you had no desire to see? And by that action, did you feel compelled to slate it on Metacritic? Grow up, people. For fans of the films and Harry Potter universe (i.e. those people who WANT to watch this film), be assured that the emotional weight, comedy, romance and horror all add up to the best Potter film yet. Can't wait to see how Yates tops this with the two-part finale.… Expand

This was by far the best film version of one of the Harry Potter books. I really enjoyed the added touches of humor amidst an otherwise very tense and dramatic story.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince does not disappoint. The characters are likable(like always), the plot is great, and the director did a magnificent job including all of the important parts that were in the book. This Harry Potter film adaptation is pretty close to the book, with everything being included except for a few minor scenes. David Yates's directing has improved since he did Order of the Phoenix, which left a lot of important parts out. I was amazed by this improvement. This is the second best Harry Potter film, right behind Goblet of Fire.… Expand

This movie is one of the superb among HP series and can keep its viewers excited throughout it.However, as usual its story line has become like summary to the book.

Although i had some issues with this one , i still enjoyed the film a lot! good balance between romance and more seroius stuff. I liked the latter more. The cave scene was brilliant! I guess Harry Ginny relationship is not shown in the best way, but the books is no better in this one for me so not big deal. I totally loved Lavender. The bottom line i can't think of anyone not enjoying ,at least a bit, the last installment.… Expand

I saw a sneak peak with my friend, and i have to say that this is one of the best harry potter movies out there. Way better than the 5th which was horrible, and if you say it was good, you are not a potter fan.

If you want to complain about the voting system, do it some other way than giving legit movies a low score.

Amazing film. I haven't seen a movie magical like this in 4 years (last one being Goblet of Fire, OOTP disappointed). The art direction was beautiful, the action was amazing, the yellow tinge was a nice touch, and the performances, especially of the trio, Gambon, Rickman, Broadbent, Smith, and Carter were powerful. If you liked Goblet of Fire, you'll love this!

Oi all you dickheads that think this film is bad are retarded this is by far the best film of them all. It is actually true to th books and all of you bsbies who are upset that it is actually good now should go suck your bitch of a mother

Daniel your so cute and i really like all harry potter movies and i wish that you come here in Philippines because we love you so much....... and i really love you :) your number one fan here in Philippines, Vanessa joy Castillo :)

It's Excellent. Very entertaining and magical. It's more slapstick but less dark and more fun. It reminded me of the first two Potter films. The best one yet.

Really fantastic: Epic and tragic.

For those who love the series, this might make you both happy and sad. For both what happens in this movie, alone, or through out the series. It makes you impatient for the final two movies, but also keeps you the viewers entertained and wanting more.

This movie is by far the best from the harry potter franchise. The snogging could have been less, but even so, the acting gets better as this series goes along and that is all one can ask for. i can not wait to see how it all ends.

Best of the series, there's no doubt. It even links and closes some plots better than the source material, Rowling's book, which is just incredible. Of course, some scenes are missing and some action is added, but that's just necesary for a film adaptation -you have to remember, it's not a book anymore, the pace HAS to be different, and therefore, some minor changes have to be made to keep you interested. And even with that changes, it's one of the most faithfull adaptations, maybe after the first two -which were ABSOLUTELY faithfull, which is not really good. Why? Again; it's a film, not a book. This one is entertaining, moving... well, immersive. Great photograhy, even greater GCI, well-connected plot (as I said, better than the book in some places). It's a 9 film for me. But not a 10, because further mention and research of the Half-Blood Prince identity and Voldemort's would have been really helpfull. But I can forgive that, because the rest of the film is amazing.… Expand

Best Potter film in a long time. Some changes will leave fans wondering why they were made, but the over all story is intact and is very enjoyable. Acting was superb, I even thought that Radcliffe did a great job.

I consider this movie the BEST of the BEST! It kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole film! I will most likely go see it 5 more times. It is a must see for all HP fans!

Best movie yet. Missing some details, but what do you expect with a two and half hourish movie. I think it captures the feeling of the book much better than any of the previous ones. This felt more like a movie. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I still captured me. There are some clues to the next installment if you pay attention enough.

Amazing!!!! the best movie in the series since azkaban and one of the best of the year!! cant wait 4 deathly hallows!!

Simply beautiful! I left completely in awe! Everything worked so well together, easily my favorite Potter movie now and I am a hard sell. A must see!

Fans who read the books may be left with a sense of anti-climax with the ending. Other than that, this is easily the best Harry Potter movie yet. Simple as that.

Overall, it was a very good movie. It was dramatic, romantic, and at times violent. However, I gave it a 9 because they made the ending too sad to conclude a movie.

As someone who has read only the first 3 books, this is by far the most captivating installment in the series. Filled wth more laughs and more tears than any to HP movie to date, this masterpiece will not disappoint and -for the first time - is a breathtaking watch for fans of the books and movies alike.

There is no doubt to the fact that this film should have been absolutely terrible. It wasn't. It's beautifully artistic both visually and linguistcally and can still get the enjoyable funny laughs when it wants to. It never once during the movie did the producers seemed like they were 'overdoing' it. Small parts can sometimes seem boring and irrelavent, but completely worth your money to see. 90% ***… Expand

Fantastic , absolutely loved it. My favourite of the films so far, for afew reasons -1. there is no bad acting, as much as i love azkaban there are some terrible acting moments in that.....2.the cinemtagrophy is stunning.....3.funniest of the films yet with a great script, ...and 4.most emotional by far, everyhing has much more weight and consequence....it may be building up to the really good stuff at the end, but man what a build up. Fantastic!… Collapse

Excellent Adaptation!! Completely thrilling from beginning to end!! I can't wait for DH1 & 2!

It's is very different from the book, but is the best movie ever. The only thing missed was the information about the other Horcruxes.

Excellent movie. Spectacular effects.

The best one yet! Thrilling action and set pieces combined with oscar worthy acting and occasionally funny moments make Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince the best movie of the summer.

This is the best Harry potter movie so far! It is very funny and emotional.

I think that this is one of the best Harry Potter books yet. i love the humor and it had enough action to keep you interested. For anyone that read the book would know that even the book had a lot of snogging and it was more about getting to see the character mature, there was very little fight scenes in the book as well so I think they did a great job putting into a movie that you could enjoy in only 2 1/2 hours. Well Done!!… Expand

The movie was extremely well done. If I had not been such a Harry Potter fan I would have probably enjoyed it a little more. I understand that some changes and cuts must be made in order to not have a 10 hour movie, however, a couple of these changes and cuts did hinder the storytelling of the movie. The way the book presented some of the information led to a much bigger shock and greater suspense and sense of mystery throughout. Except for those couple alterations, the movie was otherwise a masterpiece. I highly recommend it to Potter fans and non-Potter fans alike.… Expand

A great, exciting,fun, emotional, ride!!!! A real treat for potter fans.

I had read Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince about three times before I saw the movie and while some of the changes in the movie may have been a little extreme like the burrow burning and not showing the battle of the astronomy tower, it is a great movie with great acting and really shows how harry ron and hermione are growing up

I loved this movie. It was, for me, the best of the series, packed with humour, intelligence, heart and thrills. The visual look of the film is delectable, courtesy of genius DOP Bruno Delbonnel. The acting from all of the cast is stunning, particularly the performances of Broadbent, Felton, Gambon and Rickman. The action is taut and powerful, with the opening attack on London exceptionally realised. The score by Nicholas Hooper is exquisite, and the visual effects are subtly flawless. However, the biggest praise must go to director David Yates and writer Steve Kloves, who masterfully adapt J.K. Rowling's book into a beautiful, lyrical film. I can't pay this movie a higher compliment. It's one of the year's best.… Expand

[***SPOILER***] I myself have actually read all seven of the harry potter books, and I absolutely love them. That feeling of reading a book then watching the movie conversion is just so rewarding (unless, of course, it's eragon). I walked into the theater expecting to see only one thing: the zombies, and i'm happy to report that they were'nt at all absent. The only thing I would've suggested would be to make it a little more intense, but other than that, flawless.… Expand

This is the best potter franchise so far. i loved it. Wonderful job by David Yates after the fifth disappointment.

I've only been excited for another harry potter movie once before, this was for goblet of fire after having seen the wonderful movie that was prisoner of azkaban, this same thing has happened to me for half blood prince and i am honestly anxious to see the next installment

Very well made! It was a great movie, anyone can enjoy it, but only people who read the books will fully understand what's going on. There were some unnecessarily boring scenes, but overally I liked it. Of course the movie fails to give you the emotional punch, the book did so well, but it's by no means a bad movie. Every HP fan should go and see it.

Perhaps the best in the movie series, and the movie of the year. Despite disappointing some cinema-goers with a total remove of the fun and playful magic seen in the earliest movies the film stays as close as it can to it's page-turning roots. The life and death of the later books are well reflected in this movies. With only some disappointments to the book-readers such as the anti climax "fight" at the end. Managing to retain most of the actors youthful appearances added to the atmosphere. This proves any doubters harry potter can still make a fantastic translation to the screen.… Expand

Although not as close to the book as the other have in the opening scene, the rest of the movie works pretty well. They definitely showed the important parts of the book. For those who are a bit confused, I suggest reading the book (again if you have already).

Awesome like the others, wonderful story filming writing. Great and appeals at everyone. Even the elderly man in front of me was laughing and excited.

This movie is so great that you forget the mistakes of the old and the 5th, which was the most of the series.... (movie wise).

Great movie, which entertains on all levels.

A wonderful treat for people who have read the book, but they will be quizzed on their ability to tie things together from the book to the movie. You will be very confused watching this without the experience of the book. It is not even revealed that Dumbledore's hand is black because of the curse from Gaunt's ring.

The first time I saw Half-Blood Prince was in Disneyland's downtown Disney theatre on July 18 and I didn't get anything out of it. But after recently seeing it a couple of days ago, I found the sixth installment to be the best of the series. People will disagree with me because apparently the adaptation isn't very good. But I don't care how similar or how dissimilar the movie is to the book because I'm just there to watch the movie. And as a whole, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is swell with romance, humor, and magic. A great setup for Deathly Hallows.… Expand

Really good movie. It's better than the book.

The best HP yet. Great character development and story-telling.

A little more edgy, a little darker than the other Harry Potter movies. This movie is enjoyable for all ages, and yet, as an adult, it appealed to more than the previous HP films. It has a depth and a complexity (especially with Malfoy's character) that the others did not have.

I enjoyed all the Harry Potter movies for many reasons, but most of all, just because they were fun. This movie showed Draco Malfoy to be a more complex person than one originally believes, and it adds a new dimension to this particular movie. Highly recommended.

Extremely beautiful movie. Although there are a couple of odd scenes; people kissing to the right in the middle of one of the darkest scenes with Malfoy, the parts with Ginny, the whole showing of "Harry is old enough to kiss now"-part and so on, it had some great effects, very nice (and spectacularly different) images, and an experimenting change between the different genres. The part from when Harry drinks the potion of luck and 15-20 minutes ahead, is almost Tarantino'ish in it's dialogue and acidness, which made it some of the best couple of minutes I've seen in a while in a non-Tarantino movie. I usually hate the Harry Potter-movies, but this one was almost half as good as the book!… Expand

I thought the movie was generally well done, it kept my attention just like the other Harry Potter's and it added some extra dark elements into it. The only complaint that I would have to say about it is that you do feel it drag on a bit in parts, but I come to expect that in any fantasy movie anymore.

This movie was awesome and better than "Order of the Phoenix", which should have been made into two parts.

EXCELLENT!!! The special effects were outstanding! This is by far the best Harry Potter movie yet!

Although the movies could never live up to the perfection of JK Rowling's Original creation, this movie is as close as you can get in an adaptation. Great Job!

Best Harry Potter movie since the first, excellent. Should be a resounding success. We saw the show in a large screen stadium style seating theater (recommended). The theater was nearly filled to capacity for a ten AM showing, and we had purchased our tickets in advance online (good idea). When showed up, 40 minutes early, the theater was already filling up. A great show, very entertaining and a lot of fun to see.… Expand

IT WAS AMAZING. I saw the midnight showing, and it was crazy. If you're a HP fan, this could easily be the best movie. SEE IT.

Superb! Best Movie of the Year, Period!

funny, thrilling, engaging, moving, strongly acted. so what if there is an occasional lull. so what if they could have cut out a scene or two. it's all pleasurable, and it's a great ride.

Definitely worth the two year wait. HBP wasn't my favorite of the Potter books but the translation to the screen was one of the best and most accurate in the series. The novel truly came to life. Though the novel and film aren't as action packed as OOTP, Harry Potter 6 features some of the best acting to date in the series despite having one of the weaker stories in the series. Yes Half-Blood Prince is essentially a glorified set-up for Deathly Halllows, but Yates, Kloves and crew definitely deliver one of the best Potter adaptations to the screen.… Expand

Excellent movie overall. Some odd omissions from the book were a bit confusing. The cast was great, and the Inferi Cavern was awesome.

So far, the best movie in the Harry Potter series. The story runs at a good pace, the actors give exceptional performances and the visual effects are awesome. It's very entertaining and the "dark" look of the film is great.

The balance between the grand and the subtle; the humour and the drama; the discovery of new depths of character in the most unexpected places [unless, of course, you've read the books] - all these things combine to form a film that is, but for Alfonso Curaon's darkly brilliant Prisoner of Azkaban, the best Harry Potter film thus far.

I think this has to be the best one yet. Look out Oscars 2010 competition called Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is brewing up a storm.

There is always room for growth in a series that continues to flourish and mature after each outing. With Order of the Phoenix director David Yates at the helm and screenwriter Steve Kloves back after a short hiatus (he was the true source of the last film's weakness), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a fantastic film that is brimming with comedy, drama, love, and loss. As of this moment, I would count it as the best Harry Potter film yet, a quite significant word of praise considering how great each installment has been to this point.

Opening with a shot of Dumbledore and Harry surrounded by reporters during the aftermath of the previous movie's ending and with a high-pitch, barely audible scream of Bellatrix Lestrange, I couldn't have imagined a better way to start this film. It suggested a more confident, risky approach at film-making and it sets the movie off at a perfect tone. Yates and Kloves have hit a stride in their work and now are perfectly complementing each other.

One immediate, noticeable key to this film's success is its seamless transitions between the Muggle and Wizard world. A bright spot of my other favorite Potter film (Prisoner of Azkaban), the incorporation of the "other" world into their own makes the storytelling that much more believable, as well as display some truly spectacular special effects. A scene of the Death Eaters flying through various landmarks of London and causing havoc along the way is truly eye-opening. The cinematography remains extremely strong throughout and the general lack of much color and glamor suggests this newer, even more mature tone.

Of course, not everything in Hogwarts is dark and tragic; JK Rowling knows when to have fun. Romance is a new aspect of the teen's lives that is a huge focus for many scenes. Ron is feeling growing feelings for the always faithful Hermione, feelings that are tantamount or even more so. However, the horny, obsessive Lavender Brown gets in the way and steals Ron from his true partner, causing a feud between the two. Meanwhile, Harry starts to feel love for another person that should be deemed taboo to him, Ron's sister, Ginny. What follows is a typical teen love story that is made the more interesting by the actors' talents and the best part is that this is just one aspect of the film, not its leading cynosure.

The acting also continues to impress, unsurprisingly. Daniel Radcliffe still remains THE Harry Potter, even if his character may be overshadowed by the other, more interesting supporting characters. That is no slight to the leading man, of course. It just shows how rich of a world Rowling created and the breadth of talent and detail her books and the films hold. Rupert Grint is given a more comical outlook this time, usually providing the comic relief when the going gets tough. A particular scene with a overly strong love potion was hilarious to say the least, and even after a close encounter with death, Ron always has a lighthearted one-liner to deliver. Emma Watson returns as a more mature actress with looks to match the talent. Hermione has always been great, but the scenes involving her jealousy with Ron and the conflicting feelings she has show her peak so far, a benchmark that will surely be surpassed in the next film. After a while you wonder why Ron is stupid enough to look over the prettiest girl in the school but the end of the film can only foretell positive feelings for the future.

Many other characters continue to remain strong, such as Evanna Lynch's perfect rendition of Luna Lovegood as well as Tom Felton's haunting Draco Malfoy. Draco is given a heightened focus in this installment and his task assigned by Voldemort really defines who he has become. In addition, the Weasley family remains strong, even after a loss that was not in the book midway through the movie. Seasoned readers (such as myself) have been surprised. Hagrid, by Robbie Coltrane, returns all too briefly, but it is just a sign that the kids don't have much time to hang out with the big, lovable half-giant anymore. They need to grow up. Furthermore, Alan Rickman's Severus Snape remains wordlessly perfect, embodying the best character of the series with almost little noticeable effort. His work in the last film will be legendary if he continues along this path and with Rowling's source material. I have faith that he will not disappoint, a perfectly reasonable assumption for one of the greatest living actors at the moment.

Two characters are given the spotlight even more than most aforementioned ones in this installment. Dumbledore, played by Michael Gambon in a way that surpasses the late Richard Harris's standards (no disrespect to that excellent actor however), is an amazing character in every sense of the word. His vast knowledge and magical prowess have always made him a fascinating character with a rich history. Here, in one of his final acts, he once again leads Harry on this path to vanquish, once and for all, the dark lord, Lord Voldemort. Gambon brings so much charisma and energy to the role that the images of Rowling's descriptions and his acting go hand-in-hand. The fate of his character provides for a truly beautiful scene at the end.

The other character is none other than Professor Horace Slughorn, played by Jim Broadbent. Jim is a seasoned British actor and has won an Academy Award in the past, but out of every movie I have seen him act in so far, this is by far his best role yet. Slughorn's persona is improved upon with Broadbent, a compliment considering how much detail Rowling put into it herself. He provides many moments of hilarity, probably to hide his ashamed past. His role with Tom Riddle in years past haunts him years later; Harry has a task to see through the smoke screen and extract this vital info. However, Broadbent's character is not this dark in the long run. He loves to throw parties and cherish his prized students, hoping to gain fame or fortune from being a part of their progression. It may seem despicable but Broadbent makes Slughorn such a charming, somewhat hapless character that you can't help but route for him all along the way.

As mentioned earlier, the special effects are one of the showcases of the film, but thankfully not the film's main trait like the last one. Dumbledore's battle with the Inferni is epic to say the least, and the Death Eater assault on the Burrow is quite frightening. Even the Quidditch match is exciting!! An establishment in the series I usually am quite passive about, Quidditch is given a new outlook with its seamless special effects and concise editing. The visual effects department shone again with this installment but thankfully it is just a complement to every other bright, shining aspect this film has to offer.

In the end, Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince is the best film in the series yet. Forget about any number or rating assigned to this; I believe it is the best movie of the summer. There are a few qualms that can be had such as the fact that nothing essential to the plot occurs until the very end, but this is petty carping that tarnishes an otherwise pristine crown. If you are a fan of the series, you will love it. If not, you will be entranced and possibly hooked to JK Rowling's magical world, maybe enough to read the excellent books. For the first, real time, the film matches the artistic merit of its counterpart.… Expand

By far the best Harry Potter movie to date. Obviously there will be some changes when translating a book to a movie, but for the first time I have to say, I'm fine with what they changed. So much so that I think the movie is better than the book.

This movie was amazing! It was so awesome to see those certain scenes that ive been waiting since 2005 to see, up on the big screen. This is definitely the best movie of the year!!

By far - the best Harry Potter film to date. It's real. It's fantasy, but it's real. Finally we have CHARACTERS, no just twenty minutes of fireworks and amazing battles. Better than I thought.

Seems like I'm simply joining the chorus here, but this is definitely the best, Harry Potter film by far. This is largely because it is the most character driven film of the Potter series and also because of the more mature treatment of the characters, dialogue and themes. As opposed to the other films where scenes exist mostly to drive the plot forward and justify the special effects budget, Half-Blood Prince has several well-written, charming, dramatic and genuinely funny scenes. The characters deal with issues of love, responsibility and sacrifice, and behave more like real people than their usual cute, predictable Potter archetypes. Also, this film is dark. Quite dark. The Potter films have gotten progressively more and more serious as the film series has gone on and this one easily tops them all. This goes for the plot and themes, as well as the look. Great film and great fun. See it. Now.… Expand