I tried to see this film at the midnight showing, but a score of nerds beat me to it. The line wrapped around my local cinema, and many kids and young adults were wearing Potter-esque costumes. So, I had to wait until the evening to see the movie, and people were still dressed up. While some aspects of the movie were disappointing, on the whole I really enjoyed it.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Rated: PG (I strongly suggest that young children not be taken to this film because of a scene described below…Spoilers Ahead!)

Starring: The usual cast of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, (the lovely) Emily Watson, (the brilliant) Alan Rickman, (the acceptable) Michael Gambon, and an assortment of various British actors in lesser roles.

IMDb Rating: 8.2

There are three intertwining plotlines in the book: Harry and Dumbledore’s journey through various memories involving Tom Riddle and their search for the Horcruxes, Draco and Snape’s missions, and the mystery surrounding the moniker, “The Half-Blood Prince.” While I felt that the first two plots were sufficiently portrayed in the film, the final one, from which the film derived its name, seemed as though it was merely an afterthought. There was no mystery, no build-up, and it didn’t even really fit into the film very well, especially the big reveal at the end.

That said, I did enjoy this movie. The acting, especially, was great. Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy, really impressed me this time around. Before, he was simply the school bully, a brat with no real reason to be the jerk that he was. Here, there is plenty of motivation for him to be moody and withdrawn, and he portrays Draco with such burden and doubt that it can even be seen in his eyes. This is the first time I’ve really noticed Felton’s acting as anything other than annoying. He did a terrific job.

Another delight was Alan Rickman as Severus Snape. Not since the first film has he really been given a chance to shine as the character, and here, while he doesn’t say a whole lot, his face is simply stricken with grief over what he must do in order to save the Muggle and Wizarding worlds. And, of course, the rest of the cast was good, with notable turns by Evanna Lynch as the brilliant Luna Lovegood, and the appearance of my favorite characters Lupin and Tonks.

While there were some strange pauses in the movie (which I can only attribute to poor editing or direction), this is quite a funny film. But the film is also an emotional roller coaster, dragging the audience down into the darkest depths of Harry’s life. I mentioned in the film outline that this film is rated PG, and I sincerely believe that was a mistake, an attempt by the industry to lure in more ticket sales through unsuspecting parents bringing their younger children.

One scene in particular shows Harry forcing Dumbledore to drink an obviously painful potion to the last drop, while Dumbledore begs him to stop, almost to the point of death. It was an incredibly emotional and traumatizing scene, and the young children in the audience could be heard gasping and crying. I might have shed a few tears myself…

On the whole, if you can forgive the wonky plot and the strange pacing of the film, this is a great addition to the series. It really paves the way for the film, The Deathly Hallows, which has been split into two parts. Since The Deathly Hallows was my least favorite book, I imagine I won’t like the films much either. But hopefully they suprise me.