'Half-Blood Prince' the Best Potter Film Yet

(L-R) Actors Freddie Stroma, Bonnie Wright, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and Tom Felton attend the "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" premiere at Ziegfeld Theatre on July 9, 2009 in New York City. (Getty Images)more pics »Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is easily the best film in the series so far, and that's basically all you need to know. Yes this movie is awesome. No you will not feel cheated when the screen goes black and the credits roll.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
DIRECTOR: David Yates
STARS: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon, Robbie Coltrane, Jim Broadbent, Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter, Warwick Davis, Maggie Smith, Tom Felton
RATING: PG
RUN-TIME: 153 Minutes
IN A NUTSHELL: The best Harry Potter film to date. Given that the sixth Potter book is arguably the best in the series, that shouldn't seem like a surprise. Best source material. Best movie. But the disappointment of the last two films left me skeptical that this would be any better. Thankfully, the actors have matured, and director David Yates finally has a handle on the material. The result is a powerfully dark, atmospheric film buffetted by comic relief stemming from romantic tension that feels realistic for the very first time.

Following the death of Sirius Black during the all-out wizard brawl at the end of the fifth movie, Harry, Ron and Hermione are quickly thrust wands-deep back into the fray. This time, the lines are clearly drawn as the sides battle over good and evil in a war that's begun to spill from their world into ours. The opening shots establish a somber tone as Harry, bleeding and beaten, is photographed with Dumbledore moments after seeing his godfather killed by Bellatrix LeStrange.

That somber tone persists through screenwriter Steve Kloves' 153-minute screenplay. Kloves wisely cuts the story down to its barest essentials when dealing with the esoteric details of J.K. Rowling's wizarding world. He declines to explain the finer details of the Cruciatus curse, the exact workings of the Room of Requirement, or the backstory of the evil werewolf Fenrir Greyback. Instead, he spends his time developing the central plot and characters while refusing to become mired in their complex histories.

Kloves, who has written every Potter adaptation except the fifth one, was nominated for an Oscar for his work on Wonder Boys in 2000. It's not crazy to think this ultra-tight screenplay could land him once again in the running for best adaptation. Yes, I'm serious.

But the list of things done right doesn't end there.

We aren't saddled with Ron making funny faces (too much) or over-long Quidditch matches that break up the rhythm of the movie. The cast is on top of its game with Jim Broadbent lending his considerable talent in the role of Horace Slughorn. And the effects have never looked better.

To top it off, cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel (Across the Universe, Infamous), resurrects the bleak look of director Alfonso Cuaron's third Potter installment. Desaturated skin tones and sweeping exteriors combine to create a world in which horrifying zombies can coexist with a brightly-colored phoenix gliding into a mountain sunset. Even Quidditch looks cool for the first time.

The best part is that the movie successfully recreates the gutshot that is the ending of book six. Not to spoil things, but when this book came out, some people were outspokenly angry for several reasons. The surprise death of a beloved character, and the revelation of the evil Half-Blood Prince's identity were both major bummers back in the summer of 2005.

Sitting next to my girlfriend who has never read the books, she seemed visibly angry over the ending -- recreating the effect the book had on its fans right down to the sullen way people walked out of the theater.

For only the second time in the Potter series has the film transcended the source material (the first time was Cuaron's aforementioned film). That doesn't mean it's better than the book. It means that that the film stands on its own and does not limit itself by trying too hard to be faithful. Undoubtedly, readers will miss a few scenes that have been omitted, but that's what the books are for.



"Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince" Premiere

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"Potter" premiere gets soaked

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