The latest installment of the Harry Potter series of movies brings one of the fan favorite books to life.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the sixth installment with one more book that is currently being filmed to be released as two movies in 2010 and 2011.
Half-Blood Prince is directed by David Yates who also directed part five and is at the helm for the remaining two films as well.
The book version is epic in scope and would have to be split into two movies as well to have any chance of encompassing all of the content, which is why they decided to split the final book in two (also the obvious money to be made that way). Being only one film, it comes with the inherent shortfalls of missing critical points from the book.
For a fan of the films who hasn't read the books, there is a good chance they will enjoy this film without the nitpicking of details while pushing up your glasses and throwing your Hufflepuff scarf on the ground in disgust. We all know there should have been more of Greyback and Lupin, but tough cuts had to be made.
Visually, the whole movie is stylish and beautiful. They clearly spent a lot of time and money in post production creating a look to tie the whole film together. The special effects were a focal centerpiece in this one, just like the previous films.
The story is enjoyable and they did manage to keep the majority of the critical plot points in tact from the book.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince feels like it will have the same enjoyment of multiple viewings as the first five had, so that would seem like they accomplished what they set out to do in making a film that the fans will enjoy and buy tickets for.
Art direction is the strongest point in this film, but it is also the most solid overall film in the series. This bodes well with the grand finale coming in two parts in the near future.
I'm giving Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince an A-.