Seen on: July 15, 2009

The players: Director: David Yates, Writer: Steve Kloves, Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon, Helena Bonham Carter

Facts of interest: David Yates is also directing the two "Deathly Hallows" parts.

The plot: It's his sixth year at Hogwarts, and Harry Potter explores the past of Voldemort as dark forces descend upon Hogwarts.

Our thoughts: The world’s most famous wizard returns to the big screen for a sixth time in David Yates’ “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” a splendidly executed family adventure and yet another superb addition to an already marvelous series based on the novels by J.K. Rowling. You know what? I’m just going to say it right now: as far as I’m concerned, this is the best Potter yet!

Something big is lurking around the corner, and “Half-Blood Prince” does a fabulous job setting the stage for what is yet to come. It’s an all in all incredibly dark film, and even though it may not offer viewers the same amount of intense action the previous entries did, the movie carefully explores the growing characters of its protagonists, an important focus I can only applaud.

Things are heating up in this latest adventure, as Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) gets to explore Voldemort’s past and the Dark Lord’s evil forces slowly but surely try to eradicate what hope and happiness is left at Hogwarts and in the world of muggles. At the same time, Harry and his friends struggle with the challenges of growing up and falling in love.

In terms of character development, I found this film to be more emotionally charged than its predecessors. Harry, Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) spend less time together than usual, but they’re all busy sorting out things every teenager will encounter. Needless to say, love is in the air, and so is jealousy, and connecting with these characters may be easier than ever.

Apart from that though, “Half-Blood Prince” has a lot more to offer. New, fascinating characters like Jim Broadbent’s eccentric Horace Slughorn are introduced, while others (like Draco Malfoy) mature and take on a new purpose in the story. The clouds over Hogwarts turn even darker, and so is the film’s atmosphere, which boosts the suspense and indicates the series will soon reach its climax.

Sure, this one doesn’t necessarily feel as complete as the previous five films, but the truth is this whole thing is one big story. To be honest, this one filled me with the greatest curiosity yet. As someone who never read a single Potter book, I am more intrigued than ever to see what happens next. Indeed, “Deathly Hallows” can’t come fast enough.

David Yates, who previously directed “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” and will also helm the last two installments, does a fabulous job at setting up a compelling mood and generating a fast-paced plot that’s immensely entertaining even without gigantic action sequences. Visually, this one’s clearly a marvel.

Then there’s the ensemble cast – one of the best we’ve seen ever in a franchise like this, in my opinion. Each star has something valuable to offer his or her character and the film as a whole, and they all keep getting better and better. Just look at Emma Watson, whose stunning charm and talent fuel Hermione with plenty of authentic emotions. It’s quite simply a pleasure to watch her steal every scene she’s in.

Freaky quote: "Times like these, dark times, they do funny things to people. They can tear them apart." – Mark Williams

The final word: There is no need to turn this into a 5,000-word review. All I can say is that “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” pulled me deeper into a fantastic cinematic world I really don’t want to leave again. Highly entertaining, really suspenseful and occasionally surprising, this is a perfect summer movie you shouldn’t miss at any cost. To overdramatize it a little: this is magical filmmaking at its very best.

Article by Franck Tabouring