Firstly, disclosure – Yes I am a little Harry Potter mad, and yes, magical realism is my favourite genre. But I’m fairly certain that bias aside, The Half-Blood Prince is both a great film and by far the best in the series.
The most sinister Potter film yet, The Half-Blood Prince features few magical creatures, only a handful of classes and barely a Quidditch match to speak of. Instead we are treated to 153 minutes of human drama, anticipation and despair as Harry, Hermione and Ron face a dark, adult world.
Yates does a great job of balancing out the tension with beautifully funny moments of teen angst that had the sell-out crowd alternately squirming in horror and laughing uproariously. The great part about this being the sixth instalment is that we have grown up with the characters and know them intimately. This means we can feel heartbreaking empathy at just a subtle glance from Hermione to Ron, and desperate horror at the look on Molly Weasely’s face. Yates treats us as Harry Potter fans eagre to get down to the business of the story and the result is all killer no filler. The only sound in the theatre at the poignant climax of the film was a few tell-tale sniffles. Magic.
It has been a few years since I’ve read the novel so I’m fairly confident that my wonder at the film is not too influenced by my knowledge of the story. Instead I think that these young actors have matured into fine thespians before our eyes and can each now hold their own and draw us into their magical world. And what a breathtakingly beautiful world! The stunningly detailed sets are eye-popping in 3D IMAX. It really does feel like you’re right there with Harry and Dumbledore and no Potter fan should miss it.
The Half-Blood Prince is a tense drama peppered with jump-scary frights and touching humour. Those who are not devotees of the books will enjoy it as a film in its own right but aficionados of Rowling’s work will be blown away.
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