Summer lovin' had me a blast
Summer lovin' happened so fast
I met a girl crazy for me
Met a boy cute as can be
Summer days driftin' away, to uh-oh those summer nights
The opening lyrics to a memorable ditty from a more than 30-year-old movie musical might seem like an odd way to begin a review about the sixth installment of the venerable Harry Potter movie series. Yet, it's quite appropriate considering that the young kids we were first introduced to in the original 2001 film have now grown up into teens and are experiencing the ever-intensified joys and angst of adolescent puppy love.
Heck, rather than be titled "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," this easily could have been named "Harry Potter and the Hormonal Rage." But diehard fans shouldn't get their Quidditch brooms all in a knot thinking that director David Yates (who helmed "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix") and screenwriter Steve Kloves (who penned all of the Potter films save for that fifth work) have taken author J.K. Rowling's novel and turned it into teen tiger beat pulp or, worse yet, something akin to "Twilight."
And that's because while romance is clearly in the air, something dark and sinister is still afoot in the halls and grounds of Hogwarts and elsewhere. Following Harry's climatic confrontation with Voldemort last time around, he shows up weary and a bit bloodied, while the Death Eaters are wreaking havoc out in the real world, including making London's Millennium Bridge akin to the famous Tacoma Narrows Bridge on steroids.
Evil poster boy Draco Malfoy is still up to no good, and Professor Dumbledore rehires former professor Horace Slughorn and then wants our title hero to do some undercover intel on him to find out what he remembers (or not) about a certain troubled student before he grew up into the despised lead villain. Throw in all of the "he likes her, but she likes him" teen romantic angst, and the stage would seem set for an uneven and even melodramatic outing (Disclaimer -- I haven't read the source novel or any of the rest of the series).
Thankfully, all of those involved in front of and behind the camera nicely balance the seemingly disparate elements, resulting in a good (but not brilliant) and fairly entertaining offering that thankfully doesn't just feel like filler as was the case -- at least for yours truly -- with "Order of the Phoenix."
While some of the material has apparently been trimmed down (resulting in the unexpected return to a PG rating after the last few have been PG-13, although this one easily could and probably should have received the same), the action scenes and moments of peril are decently handled. And yes, the various small details and supporting characters all make yet another return, although some of both sets have lost some of their figurative magic by now, due to overuse and repetition.
It's the main cast, however, that really makes the film work. By now, they're all obviously quite comfortable in their roles, and the likes of Michael Gambon and especially Alan Rickman still delight in their parts, while Jim Broadbent is quite good as the latest addition that's a mixture of comedy and pathos.
Although Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are starting to look a little old for their roles, they take them to entertaining new heights, what with those pesky teen hormones messing with their feelings, behavior and better judgment. It doesn't feel fake and overwrought as occurred in "Twilight" and instead comes off as fairly natural and thus - benefitting the overall film -- engaging for all viewers.
As usual, the production design is stellar and the special effects first-rate, while composer Nicholas Hooper expands upon John Williams' signature chordal themes. The entire endeavor might have cost a lot of money (reportedly in the $250 million range), but at least it shows up on the screen.
While it's a bit long (at 150+ minutes) and occasionally drags a bit here and there, the film should appease diehard fans while being accessible enough to entertain casual viewers who aren't completely versed in all things HP. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" more than adequately greases the stage for the upcoming two-part finale and thus rates as a 6 out of 10.
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