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Movies / Upcoming / Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

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Reviews Counted:242

Fresh:201

Rotten:41

Average Rating:7.1/10

Consensus: Dark, thrilling, and occasionally quite funny, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is also visually stunning and emotionally satisfying.

Rated: 12A [See Full Rating] for scary images, some violence, language and mild sensuality.

Runtime: 2 hrs 33 mins

Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy

Theatrical Release:15-07-2009

Synopsis: Though HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN director Alfonso Cuaron still holds the crown for best film in the series, David Yates is making an attempt at a coup with HARRY POTTER AND THE... Though HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN director Alfonso Cuaron still holds the crown for best film in the series, David Yates is making an attempt at a coup with HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE. Dark, gleefully funny, and beautifully shot, this adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s novel should please fans despite numerous changes to the 650-page source material. In this sixth film in the series, Harry’s (Daniel Radcliffe) inevitable confrontation with the dark wizard Voldemort grows closer, and Hogwarts headmaster Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) wants the young student to be prepared. He guides Harry through a memory of a young Voldemort, but an important moment is missing. Harry must extract this memory from the new Hogwarts teacher, Horace Slughorn (a perfectly slimy Jim Broadbent), who is as eager for fame as he is reluctant to revisit this painful moment. Meanwhile, romance rules the school of witches and wizards, with Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) refusing to admit their feelings for each other. Harry also harbors a secret love of his own: Ron’s younger sister, Ginny (Bonnie Wright). But despite his crush, Harry keeps an eye on Snape (Alan Rickman) and Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton), who may be responsible for attacks on the school. HALF-BLOOD PRINCE deftly balances the humor of Hogwarts heartbreak and the thrills of dark villains attacking the school. The cast is as talented as ever, and the youngest members--Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson--have developed their talent well. However, this film is most remarkable for its fine cinematography from AMELIE director of photography Bruno Delbonnel. Using a muted palette, Delbonnel makes Hogwarts look hauntingly beautiful in a way that fans have never seen. There’s always plenty of fun and adventure in the series, but this entry boasts impressive visuals as well. [More]

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Tom Felton

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Tom Felton, Michael Gambon, Jim Broadbent, Helena Bonham-Carter, David Bradley, Bonnie Wright, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Helen McCrory, Hero Fiennes Tiffin

Director: David Yates

Director: David Yates
Screenwriter: Steve Kloves
Producer: David Heyman, David Barron
Composer: Nicholas Hooper
Studio: Warner Bros.

[See More Credits]

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Reviews for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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This is a Potter film that will be quickly forgotten, even by Harry’s most ardent fans.

Full Review Source: Sunday Times (UK) | comment 17 Comments
07/24/09
Cosmo Landesman
Cosmo Landesman
Sunday Times (UK)

The film's plot is oddly wispy, the mood intentionally darker, the tone solemn and ominous, the jokes, such as they are, much broader and the special effects state-of-the-art.

Full Review Source: Observer [UK] | comment Comment
07/24/09
Philip French
Philip French
Observer [UK]

David Yates is a solid hand as director, he does nothing but let the taps run, leaving us with little more than a bath full of comfortable if lukewarm water.

Full Review Source: Little White Lies | comment 5 Comments
07/17/09
Little White Lies

Too deep into the saga to win over any Potter virgins, this is payback for those who've followed the series from the start, with some of what was best about the books finally making a comfortable transition to screen.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment 2 Comments
07/17/09
Catherine Bray
Catherine Bray
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The strangest thing about the new Harry Potter movie is not that it’s unusually good, which it is, but that it unequivocally illustrates just how poorly we’ve been served by the previous five instalments in the franchise.

Full Review Source: Times [UK] | comment 1 Comment
07/17/09
Kevin Maher
Kevin Maher
Times [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

David Yates knows how to play all the cards. Although a touch ungainly, his film is solidly constructed, with lots of fine effects.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
07/17/09
Andrew Pulver
Andrew Pulver
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Darker, more hormonal, more teenage-angsty and sadly more boring.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment 14 Comments
07/17/09
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

David Yates feels a safer pair of hands than ever, underlining the Potter world's essential Englishness in a string of atmospheric locations.

Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph | comment Comment
07/17/09
Mike McCahill
Mike McCahill
Daily Telegraph
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

After the clumsy storytelling and hollow action of some of this summer’s Hollywood blockbusters, Yates’ latest Potter is a shining beacon of quality.

comment 2 Comments
07/17/09
Charles Gant
Charles Gant
Heat Magazine

Half Blood Prince is one of his most successful adaptations to date.

Full Review Source: Sky Movies | comment 5 Comments
07/17/09
Rich Phippen
Rich Phippen
Sky Movies

This is the least involving of the series so far, with an unclear storyline and action set-pieces that fail to convey the excitement of the book.

Full Review Source: Daily Mail [UK] | comment 10 Comments
07/17/09
Christopher Tookey
Christopher Tookey
Daily Mail [UK]

The hero wizard still has enough magic to make his blockbuster rivals disappear. The Half-Blood Prince is so great that it nudges out The Goblet Of Fire as the best Potter movie.

Full Review Source: Sun Online | comment 2 Comments
07/17/09
Sun Online

Dear me, what a dull fight this has become. At points in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince I feared slipping into a persistent vegetative state.

Full Review Source: Financial Times | comment 16 Comments
07/17/09
Nigel Andrews
Nigel Andrews
Financial Times

This film is a bit like a summer cold: you just have to sit there while it runs its course.

Full Review Source: Independent | comment Comment
07/17/09
Anthony Quinn
Anthony Quinn
Independent

The present film is a stepping stone, neither classic Potter nor scintillating adventure, but it proves the depth and wholeness of Rowling’s imagined world.

Full Review Source: This is London | comment Comment
07/17/09
Andrew O'Hagan
Andrew O'Hagan
This is London

Well-made and watchable, but feels like an intake of breath before the frantic finale.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
07/17/09
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

To say that HP6 is light on incident is like saying that the new Transformers film occasionally gets a wee bit noisy. Understatement of the frickin' Quidditch season.

Full Review Source: News of the World | comment 1 Comment
07/17/09
Robbie Collin
Robbie Collin
News of the World

Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince succeeds in being a much more immersive film than normal. It's still not quite up there with The Prisoner of Azkaban, but it comes close to capturing on film some of the texture and richness of Rowling's books.

Full Review Source: Scotsman | comment Comment
07/17/09
Alistair Harkness
Alistair Harkness
Scotsman

It's just what Potter fans are waiting for.

Full Review Source: Sunday Mail [UK] | comment 3 Comments
07/17/09
Sunday Mail [UK]

Jim Broadbent's casting is a master stroke. He captures perfectly that blend of scattiness, eccentricity, furtiveness and fear that makes up Slughorn.

Full Review Source: Teletext | comment Comment
07/16/09
Victor Olliver
Victor Olliver
Teletext
 
 
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Latest News for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

September 04, 2009: Warner Bros. Takes the Summer Crown Opens in new window
Technically, summer isn't quite over yet -- but no matter what happens over the next few days, we know one thing: Warner Bros. will walk away with the largest box office take of... More...

July 24, 2009: Submit to the RT Show and Earn a Cool $100
Time for the weekly update, folks. As always, thanks to everyone who has submitted reviews and helped contribute to the show. Every week, we continue to bring you a lively,... More...

July 19, 2009: Box Office Guru Wrapup: Harry Potter Has Magical Opening
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