Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (www.the-usher.com)

"But I love her"

At the start of his sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry Potter (Radcliffe) is the centre of attention again. With the magical world knowing that the Dark Lord has returned and his Deatheaters attacking not only their world but the muggle’s one as well, it has never been a more dangerous time to be a good witch or wizard. With Hermione (Watson) and Ron (Grint) distracted by young love, it is up to Harry and Professor Dumbledore (Gambon) to discover the key to defeating Lord Voldermort by looking into his past.

When it comes to describing one of the franchises in movie history, you can’t get much bigger than the Harry Potter series but can the sixth film in the franchise be as good as the previous five?

Since J.K. Rowling’s boy who lived stepped from the printed page to the big screen each adaptation as taken the box office by storm. ‘The Philosopher’s Stone’, ‘The Chamber of Secrets’, ‘The Prisoner of Azkaban’, ‘The Goblet of Fire’ and ‘The Order of the Phoenix’ have all taken millions of dollars at the worldwide box office and set the standard for family entertainment. With only one story left to tell, ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’, the sixth movie in the series had to deal with the repercussions of the return of the Dark Lord and preparing for the coming, inevitable confrontation between the forces of good and evil but unfortunately there isn’t enough plot advancement to keep all Potter movie fans happy.

The sixth movie in the franchise feels like a stopgap between the events of the fifth movie and what is to come in the finale. There are two main story advances and a few that have been hinted at in previous films. The investigation into Voldemort’s past by Harry Potter and Professor Dumbledore to find a way of fighting him is the most pivotal plotline and one that leads to a dramatic end to the story. We also have the Dark Lord’s Deatheaters positioning themselves to attack and taking leading figures within the magical world. This includes a mission for Draco Malfoy, who has to step into his father’s shoes after he is sent to Azkaban and a revelation about one of the Hogwart’s teaching staff with links to the Deatheaters. While you would think that this would be the main emphasis of the story but unfortunately it takes a backward step to accommodate the true emphasis of the sixth film, teen angst.

With the fight against the Dark Lord reduced to the B-Story, the plot that takes up most of the movie is young love. It has been hinted at for the last few movies but almost all of the middle section of the film is given over to whether Ron and Hermione will get together, with both of them dating different people. There is also the possibility of a new love for Harry, one that fans could have seen coming since ‘The Chamber of Secrets’. While this is all well and good but it takes up far too much of the movie and takes away the element of danger and dread that should have engulfed the sixth story after the return of the Dark Lord. These moments are very funny however, showcasing the skills of Rupert Grint as Ron and Emma Watson as Hermione, as the two dance around each other. Daniel Radcliffe is also very good in the comedic situations, as he has now truly grasped the character that will define his career.

The rest of the cast is also superb. Along with the returning big hitters like Michael Gambon as Dumbledore, Alan Rickman as Professor Snape and Helena Bonham-Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange who is leading the Deatheaters, this is the movie that Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy comes into his own. With a large burden placed on his shoulders by Voldemort, this is chance that Felton has been waiting for to show the range of his skills. As with every Harry Potter movie, there is a new member of staff coming to Hogwarts and this year is no different. The brilliant Jim Broadbent is the latest British big hitter to join the cast and as Professor Horace Slughorn and he steals every scene is graces.

‘Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince’ is probably the worst of the series but it has some very hard acts to follow. The movie is still entertaining however but with the lack of any real progression of the story and too much emphasis on teenage angst, this is the most incomplete story of the six and feels too much like a stopgap to the coming confrontation. The magic hasn’t completely gone but Harry, Hermione and Ron need to work on their spell for the next movie.

PICTURE & SOUND

The Blu-Ray disc presents the movie in High Definition wide screen 2.35:1 up to 1080p, with Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound, the magic of Harry Potter is vividly brought to life.

BONUS FEATURES

Disc 1

Maximum Movie Mode
Watch the sixth Harry Potter in a new way with focus points, picture-in-pictures featurettes, photo galleries and much more popping up while you watch the film.

Warner Bros. BD Live
Place the disc in an Internet connected player or PS3 and gain access to even more extra features.

Disc 2

Close Up with the Cast of Harry Potter (28.34 mins/HD)
Entitled ‘Editing with Daniel Radcliffe’, ‘Special FX with Matthew Lewis, Oliver Phelps and Tom Felton’, ‘Owl training with Jessie Cave’, ‘Stunt Training with Rupert Grint’, ‘Costume Designs with Evanna Lynch’, ‘Art with Bonnie Wright’, ‘Behind the Camera with James Phelps’ and ‘ Make up with Emma Watson’, the Harry Potter cast introduce us to the people who make the movies come to life.

One-Minute Drills (6.45 mins/HD)
Watch James and Oliver Phelps, Bonnie Wright, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Tom Felton and Emma Watson talk about their character’s journey over the first five films of the series.

J.K. Rowling: A Year in the Life (49.46 mins/HD)
A documentary following the world’s most famous author over a year as she finishes the seventh and final book ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’. If you have not read the final story of the series, this documentary does includes plot spoilers for the upcoming two part movie, so beware.

What’s on your mind? (6.43 mins/HD)
Draco Malfoy actor Tom Felton asks quick fire questions to all your favourite characters about their likes and dislikes.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Sneak Peak (11.40 mins/HD)
The cast and crew talk about the development of the new Universal Orlando Resort Harry Potter experience in Florida.

Additional Footage (6.51 mins/HD)
Entitled ‘Harry and Hermione walk through the halls of Hogwarts’, ‘Harry and Hermione discuss the Marauder’s Map’, ‘Harry, Ron and Hermione discuss the vanishing cabinet’, ‘Harry and Dumbledore arrive at the cave entrance’, ‘Harry and Dumbledore leave the cave’, ‘Clouds gather over Hogwarts as Flitwick conducts the Choir’, ‘Harry joins Ron, Hermione and Ginny in the Common Room’ and ‘Harry and Hermione discuss Ron at the Astronomy Tower’, these additional scenes suffer from a lack of commentary or introduction to reveal why they didn’t make the final movie.

OVERALL

The Blu-Ray treatment for ‘Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince’ is one that fans will enjoy. With the cast introducing most of the featurettes and the documentary on J.K. Rowling been extremely good, this is a must buy for any fan of the Boy who Lived.

BLU-RAY

Harry Potter Years 1 - 5

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2009