Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Watched Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince with Ed, Gs and Yl yesterday at Balestier. The review and synopsis are as follows.

Lord Voldermort is wreaking havoc throughout Britain as Harry Potter begins his sixth year at Hogwarts. The pressure to defeat the Dark Lord grows stronger in the young wizard. Using an old Potions Book which previously belonged to the 'Half-Blood Prince', Harry is able to increase his magical knowledge and prepare for battle. However, he must first help Dumbledore discover the secret to Voldermort's quest for immortality - the location of his Horcruxes. But the quest for the Horcruxes and the resulting battle at Hogwarts produce a tragic outcome - leading Harry to believe that he must head out on his own to conquer the Dark Lord.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is one of the funniest and also one of the darkest Harry Potter series as Voldermort extends his grip with his expanding group of Deatheaters and the immense havoc they are about to create. The movie starts off with the destruction of Millenium Bridge in London and the evil seeks to penetrate from within Hogwarts with the help of Draco Malfoy. Harry, Ron and Hermione have more room to showcase their acting chops this time round with more character development in their respective roles.

Love, infatuations and teen crushes get more airtime as the former kids are now full fledged teens, and they generate more laughter and emotions with the ensuing jealousy, love potion concoctions, harmless flirtations, and the tender heartache when one is not able to be with the desired person. Also, the special effects are grand and visually impressive, the storytelling deft and experienced, and the story engaging and entertaining.

At a duration of 153 minutes, I barely felt its length and i wanted more. I think that Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is one of the best in the Harry Potter movie series so far, despite the many loose ends that it leaves hanging in the air when the movie ends.

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