Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

This movie and story is totally fiction. But the most apparent fictional aspect of this film is a boy as ugly as Rupert Grint who plays Ron Weasley having a cute girl kiss him. But perhaps this could occur in the state of AZ.

This Harry Potter version was not the best one around. I had trouble determining the plot. It seemed the beginning never ended. It was not Wolverine nor Star Trek but still pretty good.

Daniel Radcliffe returns as the powerful Harry Potter. In this film, Potter was hesitant and this caused the death of a dear one.

The movie begins as the evil one uses his power to disrupt the real world, not the Harry Potter dimension. This forces knocks down a pedestrian bridge which crosses the Thames. Hence, people die. But the movie never returns to this occurence, the footage just rolls on.

Michael Gambon plays the Professor Albus Dumbledore. Not only is he a Prof., he is the school principal and most protective disciple. Him and Potter share the bulk of the scenery. They are are sort of batman and robin but I am not sure which is batman. The movie bounces around to various locations.

Albus knows that Lord Voldemort is somehow spying in the school and able to travel inside the school and out secretly. He somehow uses a cabinet which has the capability of disappearing. Voldemort has been Potter's arch nemesis for some time and seems to gain the upper hand in this film. This film does not contain a happy ending but an ominous and uncertain one. Not unlike the ending of Terminator Salvation which was a massive disappointment though.

The blond haired Tom Felton makes his presence felt again as Draco Malfoy. Malfoy has alwaysw been a spoiled punk but this movie shows how pathetic he is. It is one thing to dislike school but to begin to kill people is entire new ballgame. I wonder what his rich parents think about that. Probably not that different than Columbines' Harris and Klebold's parents think. Bewilderment and confusion.

The cute Emma Watson is back as the Hermione Granger. Hermione and Ron play even more of a second fiddle in this chapter of the Potter series than the previous ones. When Ron has some success on the broom like football/soccer game he gains an overt admirer. When they kiss passionately Hermione storms off and pouts away as Harry attempts to console her. I am not the greatest mind reader of woman but I never thought she had a thing for Ron. I think the audience is waiting for her and Harry to form a union. It would be better if they just got that over with and allowed Ron to have a girlfriend of his own if the creater wanted to avoid any awkwardness.

The garish and pompous Draco has allowed his weak self to be manipulated by Voldemort. Potter senses this and confronts him in the bathroom. They have a magical shootout and in this movie, which is a rarity, good triumphs evil. After this, it is downhill from then. Potter uses his power as Draco displays his foolish emotion which is why Voldemort targeted him in the first place. This is predictable. Those strikes are powerful from the wand and Potter puts multiple holes in Draco. As Professor Severus Snape played by the Die Hard villian Alan Rickman comes rushing into the scene. Potter has suspicions that Snape is evil and this is revealed in the outset when he is having a conversation with a few of Voldermort's despicable disciples. Snape uses his powers to heal Draco, therefore he survives.

Dumbledore seaks out Potter as he has been tasking him and bringing him along throughout this film. They are looking for Voldemort's lair. They find it and this leads them back to the tower house which this movie has been before. Dumbledore returns weakened because of lack of thirst and orders Potter to inform Professor Horace Slughorn of what they have learned. Slughorn is played by Jim Broadbent who I have never heard of. This is his first Potter film and the new character presented to us. He seems to be clueless of the events surrounding but he is critical since he knew Voldermort as a teenager just as he was considering going off the deep end. Someone should have killed him then. I believe society should be more proactive in its dealings with evil. Tom Riddle, played by Frank Dillane, is Voldemort as a teenager. He is twisted from genesis. When Dumbledore meets Voldemore as a 6 year old, it reminds me when Magneto and Professor Xavier meet The Phoenix as a child. Both end up having similiar power. Though this boy is pure evil, The Phoenix is an alter ego.

Well, Potter does not do as he is told. Too bad they do not have cell phones since Potter could just call for help to Slughorn or anyone else while spying on the unfolding events. Malfoy attempts to assassinate Dumbledore but does not pose the strength. Potter chokes here, seeminly to be more of a spectator rather that someone who can take initiative. Snape appears and Potter does not say anything. He chokes again. Voldemort's evil posse strolls in and it appears Dumbledore is in trouble. He is. Snape kills Dumbledore with a lethal strike. Potter then engages the evil team and is put in check. They could have killed Potter here and they should have but they are greedy and reckless. They miss their opportunity. Ofcourse why is Dumbledore doing all this sneaking around without sufficient backup? He is the lone ranger when it does not appear that is necessary. Does Potter have time for home work?

The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Professors and students step out and see their cherished leader dead on the front lawn. The see and sense evil lurking overhead and they unite their wands in unison towards the mocking evil face. Evil backdowns.

Snape and Malfoy and rest of this iniquitous bunch have already marched off to their covert dungeon to plan their next attack. Potter informs his friends he wants to fight Voldemort on his own and pursue this menace. Hermione Granger battles this thought by saying he needs them and they should continue and behave as a team.

With a name like Snape, he could only be on the right side for so long. I would like to see his place in the previous films. Did he fight for Potter? Alan Rickman has been a villian in Robinhood as well, so this is nothing new to him. Hogwarts needs to recruit a security team.

Again, this redactive Potter film shows little musical introduction. The special affects were decent but nothing we have not seen before. I would have to say this may be one of the weaker Potter movies in this highly lucrative running series.

I allocate this film three stars.***