Absolutely Fantastic

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

The sixth installment in the incredibly popular wizard series carries on the tradition of following the books. The half-blood prince probably won't bring with it the expectations that came with the Philosopher's stone but then it is expected to be lower key as the franchise comes to a closure- there remains just one more book after this (deathly hollows). However, this film is darker in tone and should be headed for more mature territory just like the series.

It's witty, yet still dark. While it does have to leave parts of the book behind, it captures the essence that made this book great. While Order of the Phoenix has some kinda lazy VFX, I felt this movie did an excellent job utilizing the effects in new ways. Tom Felton and Michael Gambon make incredibly standout performances here. I do have a considerable bias here considering this is my favourite book in the series.

'Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince (2009)' manages to keep the focus mostly on Hogwarts, giving Harry a mission to accomplish whilst also dedicating significant time to his friends and their teenage troubles, as well as always delivering on the promise of an unseen threat looming close by. Indeed, it's perhaps the darkest in the series so far. This bleak tone is bolstered by a ballsy ending that provides little in the way of levity or triumph. It balances its darkness with some lighter moments peppered throughout that satisfy without overdoing it. The flick is perhaps the most unconventional of the bunch, taking things back to basics with school-life front and centre, and this approach actually pays off while providing a nice counter-point to the two films that follow. 7/10

Very investing movie with some intense moments, and it ends on a great cliffhanger leading up to the finale.