***1/2 StarsSimply put, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is the best film of the series. It is the first film from the phenomenally successful franchise that I can truly call great. With the final two films approaching fast (the last book will be broken up into two movies), this installment is an epic setup to what should be an epic conclusion.
Director David Yates took over the franchise with 2007's mildly entertaining Order of the Phoenix, but it's his second entry that secures his spot as the strongest director of the series (even more so than Alfonso Cuaron's fantastic Prisoner of Azkaban). The cast is stronger than ever, with Daniel Radcliffe clearly coming into his own. Although he is still playing Harry Potter and will likely find it hard to get away from his familiar performances after the series has ended, Radcliffe is and always will be the heart of these movies.
This chapter has Harry in his sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft. The girls are more noticeably attractive, dark secrets are revealed, and once again Dumbledore needs Harry to take care of all the downfall that comes with the world of magic. The movie runs over two-and-a-half hours, but it moves like a streak. Unlike the other successful summer blockbusters that choose action over story (cough Michael Bay cough), this film is down to earth and oddly touching. For a movie that relies completely on imagination and the tools of magic, this Harry Potter easily holds the audience's attention with more emotional arc than one would expect.
The film is rated PG, but don't think for a second that this film isn't dark. I'm surprised at this rating because it seems just as dark and powerful as the last two efforts that were PG-13, but I'm so glad the MPAA finally got it right. The message is PG rated, and for me, that's what matters the most. J.K Rowling knows her audience, and when creating the novels she knew that her story would only work if she kept the characters real and their emotions grounded. The friendships of Harry Potter, Hermione (Emma Watson), and Ron (Rupert Grint) are so well developed I feel as though they are living right down the street. Without that bond, Harry Potter would not be the Harry Potter the world has so unanimously fallen in love with.
I admit, I am in the minority of those who haven't read all the books (I've only read the first), so I can't compare the film to its source material, but I promise you that this blockbuster is a wonderful entertainment. It may never reach the heights of The Lord of the Rings, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited for the two-part conclusion of the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
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