****Most film franchises have blown themselves out by now but 6 films in, the tale of Harry Potter goes from strength to strength.
I'd argue (probably to the disgust of most fans) this film is an improvement on the book which was perhaps a little flabby in places.
It's true that some of the intricacies of the story get lost in the constricts of a 2hr film such as the mystery surrounding the identity of the Half Blood Prince himself and indeed the battle in the grounds of Hogwarts which is practically non-existent here. However the film manages to cover everything else without feeling bloated nor lacking in circumspect - a considerable achievement
Many film goers will be disappointed of course. There's no showdown between Harry and Voldemort, in fact the Dark Lord is never to be seen, yet the sense of pending doom bubbles under sinisterly from the moment Dumbledore appears with his blackened, wizened hand.
In fact this film, if it focuses on any single character, could be really about Professor Snape, Rowling's most complex character, whose allegiance and intention is still so clouded in mystery. See him first colluding with Death Eaters only then to appear Dumbledore's greatest ally.
The film culminates in a wonderful sequence where Harry has to fight his instincts and trust in Dumbledore and Snape only to watch on as he and Dumbledore are betrayed. This climatic scene is played with such great ambivalence that it is surely the best sequence of any of the films to date.
That the film still manages to make you laugh, indulging in the teenage love triangles of Hogwarts young students and Jim Broadbent's hapless and guilt-ridden Professor Slughorn, is to be saluted. It is incredible that as the emotions of the lead characters become that much more complex, the actors, so young when first selected to play the roles, have managed to mature in their skill and not only their years.
Perhaps none more so than Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy, burdened all term by the terrible act he has been given responsibility to commit. As the others flit through their love lives, Draco is seen brooding in the shadows clearly preparing himself for the event.
His relationship with Snape is almost as intriguing as Harry's and at the films climax we are still unsure of whether Snape's 'unbreakable vow' to protect him is one of genuine concern or of simple necessity. Either way the intrigue is limitless.
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince could well be the pinnacle of the series. From here on in there's a certain inevitability to events. The beauty of this installment is in Harry's personal plight and how trust, authority and duplicity can have an effect on every young man who thinks he knows where he stands in the world.
If not the best Harry Potter film so far, it's certainly in the top 1.
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