This "reinvention" isn't worth the time. they really crapped all over the beginning. No Dursleys, nor Gaunts. Instead they added extraneous material not in the book and for the most part wasn't worth the time.(Although I can understand the "No Elves" attitude. I don't expect Dobby or Kreacher in the last movies. And if they do show up, how will it make any sense considering their absence from the previous films?) No Ministry, no obvious evidence that the ministry is even doing anything remotely connected to opposing the Death Eaters. It was a relief to see Lupin and Tonks for all the brevity they gave the characters. Which was a shame considering the nice subplot they had in the book, which wasn't existent in the movie. Snape should have had more time for the buildup to what comes later. I have no doubt that when his death comes it will be as anticlimatic and unemotional as Dumbledore's was. The ending to this movie was just a disaster.… 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!

Out of all the Harry Potter movies, this was my least favorite. The beginning was slow and too much time was spent on teen angst while other, more important issues were ignored or skimmed over. Ending was anti-climatic. Not a bad move but I kept waiting for it to get better and it never did.

Very pretty with some nice special effects here and there, but overall much, much too long, and problematic and unsatisfying in terms of pace of plot and character development.

Ive read the books, the best is still to come and this movie was great considering the material was quite boring as it is (in the 6th book).

Overlong, overhormonal, overboring. Radcliffe needs his salary cut by at LEAST 85% - he is almost a table in this one (i.e. wooden). Weakest of the six so far, no emotional impact whatsoever. On the other hand, good music.

I know there are good movies, but i just don't like 'em

Deep like the harry potter's that came before it (with the exception of the prisoner of azkaban, a bizzarly bland entry) THe Half blood prince introduces itself n such a way that continues throughout the movie, using what they never used in the past installments, WB emphasized on excellent lighting, wound, and weather effects. Each key is struck in the visuals department, the magic is much more fluctuous and mysterious, warming with a dash of welcome harry potter succeeds in places the earlier installments failed, pays all tributes very well. With all of the matured characters, the environmental amplification of hogwarts, and the overall chaos and tyranny written the plot itself and followed the book almost exactly the way it was meant to be, despite the fact Lord Voldemorts originality was partially stained by Harry's choice to say his name.… Expand

Technically good, but it feels very much like a book that was completely stripped of all the emotional and contextual details that made it great, leaving behind an impressive but two dimensional skeleton of a story.

Very Boring. I don't read the books, but liked all the other movies. This one was very bad.

Definitely the weakest Potter yet. The next one's better kick ass to make up for this crap!

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 :)

As a movie, this is an enjoyable film and is worth anyone's money. However as a fan of the book I was quite dissaponted. There were too many things to name that I wish were there while other things I wish were excluded (The burning of the burrow comes to mind). I have been frustrated so far with Yate's first 2 movies but with the next movie being split (and having a HUGE budget to work with) I can't help but look forward to them. As a movie it deserves its 7 (if I had never read the book it may have earned an 8 or 9) but prepare to be dissapointed if you've read the book.… Expand

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.

Don't bother watching this movie and just stick with the novels. If you enjoyed the book, avoid this adaptation at ALL COSTS. It's like they just randomly chose parts from the book to film; unless they show all the missing events and details in a flashback, Deathly Hallows is going to be full of plot holes or an even worse adaptation than Half-Blood Prince.

Quite possibly the best one yet. There are gapping holes - like not much explanation on who the HBP is and what the rest of the horcruxes are, and way to much focus on the R/Hr stuff that got boring by the end. The acting, especially for the youngsters is superb, the score is beautiful. And as someone who did not enjoy Luna in the books or morvies, I was glad that she barely had screen time this time. She's very one note.… Expand

Man did I find this disappointing. I love the Harry Potter books and have enjoyed the movies (not great, but fine nonetheless) and after reading all the hype and excellent reviews about this move I was, in a word: "amped". In the ed however, the new film actually had me bored. It focused waaaaaaaay too much on the romance side of the story (seriously, if we want over-the-top pathetic romance, we will watchTwilight). The director, for some god-forsaken reason deamed it fit to add a completely pointless 10 minute scene in which the Burrow is destroyed. This added nothing to the film at all. And what the hell happened to that cool fight-scene at the ned of the book. There was essentially no storyline in retrospect and what there was could have been made into a half-hour film. Again: this film disappointed me heavily.… Expand

This was a bit disappointing. The movie edited out so many scenes that I couldn't follow along. I supppose you can fit only so much of 700 pages into a two hour movie, but the movie was overall disappointing.

This film makes up for the extremely dull "Order of the Phoenix".

Really fantastic: Epic and tragic.

If you bothered to read the previous reviews, 'Anon A' and 'arbie review', you'd see that they saw it at special advanced screenings, and thus they would be perfectly entitled to give their opinions and vote on the movie. This movie has been finished for a long time. It was supposed to be released in November 08 but Warner Bros wanted a big summer blockbuster so they postponed releasing the finished movie until July.… Expand

I was thoroughly disappointed with the first half of the movie when comparing it to the book. Where's the scene where Dumbledore mocks and chastises the Dursleys for their treatment of Harry? Where's Harry's endless investigation of Draco Malfoy's comings and goings and the angst he suffers as nobody, even Ron and Hermione, believes him? And how about the entire opening chapters where the Prime Minister of England meets the Minister of Magic? And the other three memories that Dumbledore and Harry explore which are pivotal plot points in the book? I just thought the screen writer missed on a lot of these plot points that wouldn't have taken away from the dark, brooding, anticipation-laden storyline. I thought it came together quite nicely for the climax, but there were big chunks of the movie where I found myself asking, did the screenwriter even read the book?… Expand

One of the worst films of the year. They made us wait an extra year to see 2 hours of big budget soap opera drama and the acting talent from the diminutive cast is, as one could expect, as wide and inventive as that of monkeys addicted to crack cocaine. When all is said and done the film keeps one hoping for it all to start and at the end of the long haul one wonders when anything at all will happen that will make up for losing so much time to something so unfinished. Where are all of the great action sequences from the books? I believe that films should take liberties to make a book work for celluloid, but removing the best bits makes no sense. Bottom line: Terrible rape of an average (to begin with) book.… Expand

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

I went to the midnight premiere last night and I have to say this was the worst premiere I have ever been to. It was ridiculously bad, no action and was VERY slow. If you are expecting a lot of talking then sure go see it, but if you wanted the original fighting/wizard battles then you won't get that. Usually there is a big battle at the end between Harry and someone else, this time there was not and it was just BORING.… Expand

Could have been great, but there was too much gossip girl and not enough emphasis on the death eaters. the climax didnt come until about the last half hour. as a stand alone movie, it was decent; but overall as a HP film, it was a bit disappointing, especially the end.

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!

Terrible acting, terrible attempts at dramatic pathos, terrible pacing, terrible exposition (and lack thereof!) terrible teen romance dialog. Any impact the sixth book has was dulled: my friends and I saw it at the midnight opening. One third of us left greatly disappointed, one third left wondering what had happened, one third fell asleep.

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.

Absolutely brilliant. Maybe not quite Prisoner of Azkaban levels of brilliant, but brilliant nonetheless.

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

I am surprised that many fans consider this the best movie of the series; the first two were by far the most magnificent. While this movie did try to stay close to the book (quoting some scenes word for word), it was lacking very much in coherency and movement. No explanations or descriptions were ever given and, unless one had recently read HBP, the scenes often appeared unrealted and random. Also, there was WAY too much (awkward) silence. Silence is a good effect, but can be (and was) over used. Despite these flaws, the movie is still worth watching.… Expand

I'll admit to not being a 'fan' of the series. Not that I didn't enjoy the first, what, 5 movies, in fact, I liked them better. Having not read any of the books may be starting to hurt my perception of the series, but I found this movie to be slow and always leading towards something that never comes to fruition, though I'm not quite sure what it is. I didn';t not like this film, I just didn't seem to enjoy it as much as the fanboys in the audience with me.… Expand

I was totally psyched for The Half Blood Prince when I first saw the trailers. However, after much anticipation and sitting through the 2 and a half hours, I must say I was not impressed. Settings and mood were set beautifully by the lighting and dark scenes, but the movie left me aching for more... yes folks, I must say this movie did not live up to my expectations. The storyline focused way too much on the skittish love lives of the teens, and much of the interesting and important parts of the plot are left out (example: Majority of Tom Riddle's past). The movie definitely did start out with a bang, but slowly fizzled out in the end. The climatic battle that I expected was non-existent, as the struggle between good and evil became a petty effort of vandalism of Hogwarts, highlighted only by the dramatic death of Dumbledore. However, I must admit, some scenes did make me chuckle, but for the 6th installment of the Harry Potter movie, I didn't want watch it for giggles, but wanted a dark, plot moving installment. Instead, I got teen love drama with the occasional escapades about some impending evil.… Expand

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.

Started with good pace and in the best mood of a really good Potter movie. As the movie continues most of the plots does not make sense (thankfully I have read the book). Even do it has extraordinary visual effects and good acting from our fellow students, in the end the movie finishes with a "is this all?" feeling as the Director has not given his best performance in comparison to "Order of the Phoenix". The best scenes of the book that are shown in the movie could have done much better in my opinion. Giving a 6 out of 10 is truly very generous from my side. My least favorite movie of all six. See it as a "getting ready" for the finale.… Expand

It was really good if you didn't recently read the book, they might have focused to much on the teen drama. But all-in-all, GREAT movie!!

HBP is my favorite in the series so I was incredibly excited to see the film at midnight last night. I enjoyed it a lot, but have to say it did not live up to its written version or my expectations. The movie spent so much time focused on love potions and teen angst that the really important issues felt rushed and glossed over. The book is my favorite because it reveals so much to us about Tom Riddle/Voldemort… Expand

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.

This movie was bloody AWFUL. The WORST of all of the movies, by far. And, as a fan of the books, I left there absolutely outraged over the ending and all of the plot changes and major occurrences that were left out entirely. The ending was the biggest slap in the face, though. If you've read the books, be prepared for a huge disappointment with this movie. They reduced that wonderful, fantastic, awesome book (my favorite book of the whole series) to nothing more than a big-budget prelude to the final two movies. Shame on them.… Expand

This was not the best one I've seen. To be honest, my favorite still remains the third one. But it was by no means a bad one. The good actors, like Alan Rickman, return with stirring new performances, and the scene where (spoiler!) Dumbledore dies generates much more emotion than the book did. Quite a few people are giving it bad reviews because it wasn't that true to the book. That's because this isn't a movie adaptation, this is a film based off a book. The writers and directors took creative freedom rather than adhere strictly to the book (which the first two movies were actually berated for). Many people went to see that movie expecting it to be exactly like the book. Myself and many others went in expecting to see a movie. With this one, don't expect, just watch and enjoy what it has to offer (a mature, dark plot, quirky verbal, physical, and romantic humor, and a sobering ending). My main problem is the burning down of the Weasley home. It was meant to make us realize the danger present, and that would have been a good idea, had that event actually been alluded to later on in the film rather than just completely forgotten about. While by no means does this book achieve the status of Jackson's legendary Lord of the Rings movies, which in my opinion are some of the best movie adaptations I have ever seen, this film is enjoyable and should be seen in the theaters, where films always have the most power.… Expand

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.

The movie was funny but it didn't feel like they were even at hogwarts it skipped around to much and not explaining stuff enough the director i guess though that everybody read the books which is stupid cause the only way you no what was going on was if you did my dad hasn't and he was confessed about stuff they should have explained better. The movie seemed just like telling about the Romance nothing else the end sucked in the book it talked about the whole school fighting the death eaters but in the movie harry cast like 2 spells at Snape it was stupid they should of had a big fighting scene like in the book it would have been a lot better. The 7th better be a lot better then this one this one has to be one of the worst.… Expand

I have to say I was really looking forward to this movie and was rather disappointed. The humor scenes were good but more than half a dozen other scenes were so flat that I couldn't help wondering if they had been filmed only once with no thought to getting the scene right in an effort to save on film. Also there was no build up of suspense. Things just happened with no story flow. And then it ended. They need a new director for the final two movies.… Expand

The acting was good. The writing was horrible!

Very disappointing. Yates should not be the next director....bring back Columbus. Yates left out the final fight scene, Harry immobilized by Dumbledore (hard to believe Harry would just stand there while they kill Dumbledore, but then runs after them....bad screenplay). No indepth study of Voldemort's past.....way too much teen romance and not enough of the substance of the main plot.

Nearly totally ignored the main storyline of the book which was the conversations bewteen Harry and Dumbledore involving the memories. Spent the majority of time with the budding romances, which I don't have a problem with, but I think the director could have spent his two hours and twenty minutes focusing on the more important elements. Really annoyed by the end.

If you haven't read the book I'm not sure how you're supposed to make sense of these seemingly random events of teen-love and a sulking Malfoy--Malfroy? Ahh--who cares. It seemed like they were so busy trying to pay homage to the book they forgot to create a central core of plot and theme around which to develop a comprehensible story. This felt more like a stepping stone to the next film than an actual movie within itself.… Expand

Gutted! im a massive potter fan, i love the books and Half Blood Prince is my favourite book, i love the way it develops the relationship between harry and dumbledore whilst filling voldermorts backstory. all these happens amongst the teen angst and the back drop of voldermorts rise to power. The film achieves none of this! it bumbles around, from half baked story line to pointless new scene. i wont ruin it for those who havent seen it but voldermorts childhood and teen years are largely ignored, most of the main characters outside of harry, ron, hermione and dumbledore barely have a line. i wont even mention the rest of the pivital stuff this movie misses out, however how they have made a movie without the pivotal final scene where harry decides not to come back to hogwarts for his final year is beyond me. the romance between harry and ginny barely registers as happening... i mean they have totally butchered this tremendous book.... in fact i would sooner listen to the brilliant stephen frys audiobook than watch this hatchet job ever again. unfortunately David Yates is back directing both parts of the deathly hallows, so for me that means another hatchet job will be made on the excellent finale... oh how i want del toro to direct them over this useless yates idiot! Gutted!… Expand

This movie left out MAJOR story arks of the book. It left the movie making no sense at all. I am a huge HP fan, I have loved the actors, acting, movie of past - but this one has to be the worst in keeping with the book. I was so excited, waited for the midnight premiere and then left wanting to cry! They messed up so much of this movie that I'm afraid to think of what is going to happen in the next TWO movies. It was a favorite of many for a reason, why screw that up?… Expand

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

The Good: The acting has improved in the younger cast members, and the older actors continue to shine. The romantic plotlines were done well and provided comic relief. The cinematography and musical score were excellent as usual. The Bad: Too many scenes from the book were omitted from the movie, many of which are crucial to the ongoing story. The Durseleys and Kreacher are completely left out. The appointment of Snape to his new post didn't feel nearly as shocking as it did in the book. The revelation of the Half-Blood Prince's true identity is reduced to little more than a throw-away line. The Bottom Line: If you're familiar with the books, you know that many of the events in HBP serve to set up even greater revelations in DH. I can't help but feel that this film didn't accomplish that feat. I'm left wondering how Harry will pursue his goal while not being given enough clues on the screen compared to what he was given on the page. If you're not familiar with the books, this film will probably seem a bit confusing to you as it hurries through some scenes and omits others. Still, what does survive the transition from page to screen is actually pretty enjoyable, which is why I gave it a rating of 7.… 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!… Expand

A decent argument can be made that this is the best installment of the film series. What David Yates lacks in subtlety he makes up for with a thrilling and spellbinding pace. He gets the feeling of reading the series exact right and the actors finally seem to have enough chops to make it work. My issues with the film stem only from some of Steve Kloves' adaptation decisions. The story focuses too much on Slughorn's memory and not enough on the search for the titular prince.… Expand

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

"Harry Potter and the half blood prince " titled after and based on the book by JK Rowling is far detached from the book- for one we never get full mention of who that prince might be until the films slow and uneventful cliffanger finale . Pleanty of back and forth kid romancing and occasional chuckles. Half Blood Prince not only strays away from its title but also never really sees true splendor like its previous installments the drama is there yet a reluntant one. Its true treasure is the cast who have grown and inbodied thier characters. Lets hope the next two films learn from thier mistakes here.… Expand

The greatest disappointment David Yates had the best book of the series and he made the worst movie of the saga.

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.

Pacing was terrible. Radcliff can't act. Not enough explanation about anything that was going on for people who did not read the book. I explained a lot to my wife during the movie because it doesn't make too much sense if you haven't read the book. The ending was less than emotional. Sure, I heard about 3 people in the theater bawling but they were little teenagers that are so wrapped up in the book that they can't differentiate between. The book was emotionally jarring but the movie lacked the right kind of build up. At the end of the movie, I almost didn't care.… Expand

The movie still makes the characters appear like juvenile kids. At the current age of the characters in the movie, you would expect them to be more mature that they are shown to be.

Excellent movie. Spectacular effects.

Very good movie, but jumped around a bit too much from one thing to another. Perhaps there was so much to try to fit in that there was not enough film time for more natural flow throughout the movie. I'm going to see it again, though, this time not at 12:01!

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.

It was a Harry Potter movie in NAME only! David Yates (Director) must have sat in his office and said,"Now, how far can we gut this book and still be able to call it a Harry Potter movie and make some money off all those Potter fans?" There's the book "The Half Blood Prince", and then there's the movie "The Half Blood Prince"......One has absolutely nothing to do with the other!

Its no more a kids movie, way too serious and matured and kinda dragging. The movie was dark just like how the book was, but the thing what i didn't like was that the story wasn't explained properly. The director cannot expect everyone to have read the book. I actually went with a friend who hasn't read the book, he was left fully confused i had to explain the story on the way back. In the previous movies they put only little things from the book and explained it well but here they have tried to put more story and failed to explain it. Even then there was some scenes which were very well taken. The background score could have been better, some parts would have been better if there was a music at the background, without being silent. The comedy was very good. What i think is that the movie would have been much better if they have put the climax fight from the book by removing some unwanted scenes which wasn't there in the book. There wasn't much magic or fight in the movie which my friend was expecting and it also failed to satisfy me by not showing the plots properly. Even though this movie lacks magic which the previous movies had one thing has improved a lot, the acting specially Dumbledore, when i watched the 4th movie i was very disappointed by his acting, instead of being calm and matured he was so jumpy and overactive but here he performed very well by bring out the real Dumbledore from the book. My suggestion for the movie makers would be to bring back John Williams, the music he composed for Prisoner of azkaban is one of the best composition i have ever heard. Overall it was fine.… Expand

Brilliant acting, beautiful cinematography, fantastic effects, and moments of emotional power are completely undercut by the nearly complete incoherence of the story. Order of the Phoenix left me thinking that you had to know the books in order to make sense of the story. David Yates and Richard Kloves have taken that to an extreme in this film. Large elements of the film make absolutely no sense whatsoever unless you've read the book. If you've read, then you can plug plot holes with what you know. Otherwise, all the characters seem to know things the audience is never clued into for the entire film. That's a cardinal sin in storytelling. I'm a huge fan of the books and films, and my expectations for Deathly Hallows' storyline have been reduced to zero by this film.… Expand

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

Two consistent complaints--(1) that the movie recklessly, if at all, adapts the book and (2) that the movie has no central story--ironically settle one another. In fact, Rowling's book lacks a self-contained story and is itself a hodge-podge of fillers that simply builds an emotional bridge to the conclusion. So the film represents the basic play of the book very well. In fact, considering that #7 basically saves Hogwarts for a final fireworks show (and otherwise forgets it), Yates basically had no option but to treat this as Hogwart's/Dumbledore's farewell (and Malfoy's/Snape's hello/grander hello). That being said, switching out a few teen tryst scenes for a few scenes more directly following the book's slightly elevated arc of a plot would have resulted in less viewer confusion--and fan frustration. Treating the movie as-is, this installment bravely decides to rest on the shoulders of the actors and largely succeeds in the endeavor. Broadbent's Slughorn matches Staunton's Umbridge from Phoenix, which is saying something, and Rickman's Snape presses the character to new places. For my money, only two movie characters absolutely embody their counter characters in the books: Snape and Luna. Which leads to the concluding note: as the movie wages so much on the talents of its young actors, it suffers because the actress who plays Ginny just isn't up to the task. The "romance" (ick) scenes between Harry and her are uncomfortable, to spin it positively. Since Yates doesn't mind taking liberties with the novels, let Harry end up with Luna and don't worry about explaining it (we're used to a lack of explanation at this point).… Expand

It was good and very funny but the ending could have been better, there was no massive duel with the death eaters. generally i liked it but i just wished they had made it a little more accurate to the book, they changed partys of the plot for no apparent reason. it was good but could still have been better for me.

The story is better, the effects are better, its funnier, and just more entertaining than the other Harry Potter movies. Also, Helena Bonham Carter is very very good.

Easily the the worst of the 6 movies thus far. I'm so disappointed. Yates did a passible job directing the last film but this one was totally unacceptable. The cinematography was poorly done; the sets were obviously cheap -- some even looked like painted plywood; the screenplay was boring -- the dialog dragged on in some scenes, but was rushed in others. Critical story elements were left out, while countless irrelavent story elements were added. I am so sad that Yates will be doing the next two films.… Expand

I took my children to see a movie from a book written by J.K.Rowling, not a movie written by David Yates. I, and my children, were very disappointed because this was a Harry Potter movie in name only. Where was the atmosphere from the previous films? Why were the scenes so "set-up", wooden and stiff? And if Mr. Yates had time to invent scenes that were not in the book, then he surely had time to include things that WERE in the book. In the futue, if Mr Yates wishes to make a movie, he should write it himself, instead of gutting and ruining someone elses masterpiece.… Expand

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

Movie left too many key story points out. The movie should have been three hours, if needed, to include these points (order of the phoenix and the DA against the death eaters, Fleur and Weasly, etc). The added scenes at the weasly house and the added scenes with Bellatrix added nothing. These stories get increasingly dark and more violent as the climax of good against evil looms. This movie takes many steps backwards from the creative work done to date in the movies.… Expand

As someone who has read the books, I have to admit that the amount of plot left out of the movie was disappointing. But that said, as a cinematic experience The Half Blood Prince was thrilling and very fun to watch. The acting skills of the cast as a whole have noticeably improved from other installments, and the stronger focus on characters besides Harry was a nice change of storytelling style. Overall, what was used from the original plot-line still made for a good movie, making it one of my favorite Potter films. It shows promise for the next chapter, which, being split into two movies, might allow the final book to be told with a more complete story line.… Expand

This was one of the worst movies they ever did. it was nothing like the book and there was no action they added parts that souldnt of been there and they took out parts that are vital to the seventh movie so overall they screwed up one of the most important movies in the series.

Lacks a proper villain. None of the baddies gets enough lines to reach critical menace. Nice production, good acting. Watchable.

Paced well and beautiful to watch. Yates was able to be much more subtle this time, with many moments (such as Slughorn's memories of a gift given him by Lily Potter) superbly written and well acted. A word to you Potter purists who are complaining because your favorite bits from the book were omitted- the movie was 157 minutes long even without adding Voldemort's backstory or James Potter's cruelty to a young Severus Snape. Decisions had to be made to make this a good movie, and they did a fine job all around.… 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

I'm with Richard B this was not Harry Potter at all. obviously anyone who gave this a good review did not read the books.

Okay, we have the teenage love scenes, the super special effects, and the best selling book to support the film. But we also have a dull scenario filled with stupid dialogues and a lot of added things that weren't really needed. But, it's not so bad. The opening scene, the Harry-Luna on the train scene, the cave scene, the Katie Bell scene, etc, etc. All of them were intriguing and greatly made. Ron ''love scenes'' were hilarious and I enjoyed watching them. What I didn't like is the fact that this is yet another HP movie that tells the book so - fast!!! One minute Harry's on the station, talking to Dumbled - oops, now he's convincing Slugho - oops, he's aboard the Hogwarts expr - oops, now we see Draco with the - oops, Dumbie is dead. Rare is the person who will understand the film without reading the book. ANd also, so many things that are important in the books were cut from the film, while some unnecessary scenes were added, such as the attack on the Burrow. What the hell was that?? All in all, just another brick in the wall. I mean, all in all, another HP film that focused more on the effects than on the script. I even prefer OotP to this movie. I'm not saying HP6(the movie, of course) is bad, it is good. It is a lot of fun and a real summer blockbuster and all. But, for the fans of the book, and the may-be future ones, it's another disappointment.… Expand

I absolutely loved the first 5 movies. They were filled with lots of action, suspense, etc., etc. With all the hype about this movie I just had to see it. I sat in the theater wondering when it was going to get to a good part. It just wasn't there for me. Too little of anything for me. I really expected better.

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

Given the book, I think they did a good job. The problem is, not a lot of action takes place in the book. Maybe that's why the teen romance was played up so strongly in the movie. The romance was more palatable than the written version but, as it was played for laughs, it did rather undercut the mood of a gathering storm so vividly portrayed in the opening scenes. (That said, you could have heard a pin drop during the last half hour.) I do feel this is best for people who know the books well. It's been such a long time since the last film that casual viewers won't be up to speed, and the nature of this book is such that it's really dependent on knowing what's happened before. I was with someone who has only seen a few of the films, read none of the books. He didn't know who was who, or why they were doing what they were doing. E.g., the scene in the Burrow with Lupin and Tonks was just dropped in and he had no idea who any of these people were or why they were there. I wish they had included more of Harry's grief over Sirius instead of the invented cafe scene. Also, the Half-Blood Prince angle was not well-handled. Film looked great and had some very good scenes, but on a narrative level, it was lacking. Also, I think they've made it more difficult for themselves to explain everything in the next 2. I'm starting to think these books are not really suited to film treatment - starting with #4, the don't really stand alone, which a feature film has to do.… Expand

This was my favorite book, and worst Harry Potter film. The Harry potter films have been going downhill. They need Chris Columbus and John Williams.

This film left a very bitter taste in my mouth. How they were allowed to release a film such as this is a mystery. As diluted as the plot is, you still recognise it as something vaguely to do with harry potter until halfway through the film when you think of any generic action film with bland actors in and cg artists with a bloated sense of self importance. The only good thing was it was shiny enough to distract me from the first few atrocities and some suprises like tom felton out acting most of them by seeming halfway genuine. The way he acted, im glad that michael gambon (dumbledore) has nothing more to do with the series, as no doubt the post death scene will be cut from the 7th films.… Expand

If you read the book, or you simply prefer interesting and entertaining movies, you should probably avoid the latest Harry Potter offering. The movie left out many pivotal scenes from the book entirely, and handled others poorly. It was, in fact, painfully dull. I can only imagine that the Deathly Hallows ( I & II ) will be even less entertaining. It's a shame, since this particular book was quite interesting, and the movie was nothing more than the traditional underwhelming sequal to a hit, delivering as little as possible while still raking in the money based on momentum from previous better offerings.… Expand

How do you make a movie about a book AND LEAVE OUT THE CLIMAX? The Death Eater battle just isn't there. Unbelievable! And how you give a good review to a movie that does this is beyond me. I'm so sick of hearing how good the cinematography is on this. There was WAY too much obvious green screen footage where the actors looked pasted in. That, plus all the silver filtering made the whole thing look like the movie 300 instead of a HP movie. This is the worst HP movie by a mile. They completely copped out on the ending, just ignoring the whole Death Eater battle which was the CLIMAX of the Book.… Expand

As a movie, it was pretty good. As an adaption of a novel, it fell woefully short. Large sections of important plot were left out, others changed or truncated, and a completely pointless new scene was added (which will also necessitate changes in the story of the last 2 movies). This movie makes me wish the director of Prisoner of Azkaban had stuck around for the rest of the movies, as it is still the best of the series.… Expand

The film has a plethora of dazzling visual effects that make it rather rich and fun to watch, the cinematography is impeccable and should be nominated for a Golden Globe. Despite all this, the film, in its entirety, is remarkably...stale.

Worst movie I have seen in years, boring and has no story, all the important and interesting details were omitted in favor of random and pointless scenes invented by the filmmakers. Skip this one and wait for the conclusion, you wont have missed much.