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Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) reveals Half-Blood Prince's book to Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint)

Jul 15, 2009 By Chris Tinkham Web Exclusive

The sixth film based on author J.K. Rowling’s massively popular Harry Potter books, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince just might be the Empire Strikes Back of the series, a darkly tantalizing setup film that unearths mysteries, engages in romantic tension and promises an ultimate battle between the Chosen One (Potter) and the Dark Lord (Voldemort), without yet having to deliver it.

Director David Yates wastes no time introducing an atmosphere of menace, opening the film with a spectacular, swooping POV shot as Death Eaters descend upon the Muggle (non-magical) world of London to wreak havoc. Venerable wizard and Hogwarts headmaster Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) suspects that Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent), a former Hogwarts professor, possesses a memory that will help to defeat Voldemort. Dumbledore and Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) entice Slughorn into returning to Hogwarts, where years ago Slughorn taught Tom Riddle, the gifted student who became Voldemort. Harry adds Slughorn’s potion class in order to extract information from him, and in the process, happens upon a textbook that once was the “Property of the Half-Blood Prince.” In the book are scribbled notations of potions and spells that are stronger than the ones printed. In following these notes, Harry becomes Slughorn’s top student.

Meanwhile, Harry’s nemesis Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) has been recruited by Voldemort for a nefarious task that requires Malfoy to begin his own experiments with a Vanishing Cabinet. Concurrently, Harry’s friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) navigate various romantic entanglements that add levity and youthful sparkle to the story, captured beautifully in director of photography Bruno Delbonnel’s warm, kindled frames. Although Harry finds himself increasingly drawn to Ron’s younger sister Ginny, his closest bond is with his mentor Dumbledore, who seems intent on prepping Harry to be his successor.

Screenwriter Steve Kloves, who adapted the first four films of the series, has a lot to tackle, but nothing feels crammed or forced. One of the visual highlights of the film is how Harry explores Slughorn’s memories, which Dumbledore has stored in vials. Some memories from the book were left out of the film, but this serves the novelty effect of the sequences. Half-Blood Prince is a lengthy film at over 2 hours 30 minutes, but that’s not excessive by Potter standards, and it never lags. There are Quidditch matches again, and while they’re not pertinent to the larger arch, they’re still thrilling. If anything is missing from Half-Blood Prince, it’s the character development of Malfoy. He was almost a no-show in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the previous film in the series, and his dialogue in Half-Blood Prince is limited, despite his emergence as a formidable villain.

A year after Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull left a black mark on the Indiana Jones saga, it’s heartening to see that, six titles in, the Harry Potter films are gathering steam at a point where other franchises succumb to reboots. Credit the charming young actors who have grown up before our eyes, credit the staggering collection of supporting talent that has elevated the stature of the films, and credit the accomplished craftsmen who have brought J.K. Rowling’s magical world to life. But credit them knowing that she is the auteur whose stories have made Harry Potter the most consistently satisfying movie franchise in history.

http://harrypotter.warnerbros.com/harrypotterandthehalf-bloodprince

Author rating: 8/10