Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” marks the point in J.K. Rowling’s series of books where I stopped reading. Before now, I would walk into a showing for any of the previous entries and more or less know what I was going to get. This time, the flick was a total surprise. I had no idea what to expect and to be honest, it made my experience much more enjoyable.

To say the sixth installment in the franchise is darkest is a complete understatement. Think of the most gloomy horror picture you can remember, subtract the brutality and other factors that would cause a film an R-rating and you’ll have an idea of the mood that engulfs “The Half-Blood Prince”. How this film managed to grab a PG rating is beyond me. There are points in the movie that are absolutely unsettling. Nevertheless, J.K. Rowling knew what she had in store for this once delightful franchise and it’s obvious she wasn’t going to grant Harry Potter a happy ending so easily.

The visuals are flawless and the camera work is remarkable. These two elements are what really make “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” stand out from its predecessors. The only previous entry that even stands on the same level as far as the spectacle is concerned is “The Order of the Phoenix”, one of my least favorite “Harry Potter” sequels. There was so much going on in the book that it was merely impossible for the screenwriter to make a two and a half hour feature from the material and maintain the interest of viewers. This sixth installment, however, is so intriguing that ingesting a bottle of nighttime cough medicine prior to stepping foot in the theater couldn't make one doze off.

Perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of the film and all of the “Harry Potter” movies for that matter are the characters. It’s tremendous to see how far these young actors have come. They’re no longer the adorable kids we all remember from “The Sorcerer’s Stone” and even “The Chamber of Secrets”. They’re young adults that are forced to make adult decisions. To see the choices these characters are forced to make is truly engrossing. Then there’s the fact that nearly every one of these actors have given up their childhood to continue work on this franchise in an attempt to please fans of the series is astonishing. For this, I can’t even begin to showcase the respect I have for them.

“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” is a masterpiece. It’s the best entry in the series thus far and at this point the best motion picture to come along this year. It’s a film about hope, love, courage and tragedy. It’s heartwarming at times and at others sheer frightening. If you see one movie this year, there’s no arguing that this should be it. “The Half-Blood Prince” is undoubtedly a must-see.