July 19, 2009 -- Now that all the actors playing children in this series of movies have grown up and become adults, finally we get to the first movie in the series that allows them to act like children, however briefly. This refreshing respite from the heavy depressing overtones in the series makes “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” perhaps the best of all the films based on the popular series of children's books. Alas, the film's lighthearted mood only lasts so long before we get to back to the relentless depressing themes of the series. Why is it, do you suppose, that people who see the world through such dark lenses are so insistent that theirs is the only legitimate world view? Doesn't that seem to indicate some kind of entrenched insecurity? Whatever the reason, they seem happy to spread gloom everywhere they go. I guess they just can't keep their suffering to themselves, the wimps.

In this film Harry Potter (played again by Daniel Radcliff) learns more about the mysterious Dark Lord, who was once a student, much like himself, at the Hogwarts School of magic. Harry's mentor, Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon, also reprising his role from earlier films in the series) enlists Harry to go undercover and befriend another professor, Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent of “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”). Harry's mission is to try to learn from Slughorn what memory he is hiding concerning Tom Riddle, the student who would later become the evil Lord Voldemort. Dumbledore assumes correctly that this hidden memory is crucial in the war against the Dark Lord. This isn't much of a plot for a movie more than 2.5 hours long, so some lighter material involving teenage crushes, budding romances, jealousy and awkward teenagers trying to romantically relate to each other fills the gap, and this light interlude turns out to be the best stuff in the film, where some actual character development occurs, for a change.

One character given a much more significant role is Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton). Felton has grown significantly since the last film and his acting ability seems to have grown as well. Malfoy has a lean, hungry, tortured look about him as he reluctantly does the bidding of the Dark Lord. In previous films, Malfoy was basically just an irritating little snot. In this film he is a more sinister, more sympathetic and more rounded character. Ginny Weasley (Bonnie Wright) also has an expanded role in this movie, paving the way for her increasing important part in the future of this series.

As the more serious part of the story picks up steam, the Christ-like characteristics of Harry Potter and Dumbledore become more blatant than ever. We have something like the last supper, a couple of tortured Judas Iscariot characters, a character sacrifices himself for some greater purpose down the road. This film is sort of like Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers in that trilogy of movies. This film, like that one, serves a bridge from the earlier films to the last part of the story, which will be revealed in two future films, so this saga won't be completed for years. This film gives it a good boost towards the liftoff of the final stage. This film rates an A.

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Copyright © 2009 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
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