Bloody hell, Harry...

The most recent movie I've seen is Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, and yes I have seen it twice now. I have to admit, I wasn't sure how it would hold up when compared to The Order of the Phoenix. It's hard for me to say it was better because the fifth book and subsequently the fifth movie are my favorite of the series, for many reasons. The primary reason being the turning point we see in Harry and the overall tone of the book. It's considerably darker than the previous four and for good reason. The second and almost equally as prominent reason is in the fifth installment we meet my favorite character: Bellatrix Lestrange. Call me crazy but she is just so wonderfully evil, I can't help but find myself drawn in by her complete lack of sanity. And I would be lying to say that Helena Bonham Carter's brilliant portrayal in both movies didn't solidify Bellatrix's position as my favorite character.

Now, on to the sixth movie. Without a doubt, one of the most surprising aspects of the film was how often I laughed. The Potter movies are no stranger to humor by any means but I was thoroughly impressed by the successful balance the film achieved between light comedy and the serious nature of the plot. Daniel Radcliffe made me chuckle genuinely on more than one occasion, Rupert Grint's impassioned and love struck Ron was extremely funny and Emma Watson's timing when evading her date at the party was perfect! All three of them really stepped up to the plate in my opinion and it's refreshing to see young actors continue to grow and maintain such genuine chemistry. And I can't move on without mentioning how much Tom Felton elevated the emotional depth of Draco Malfoy. Gone is the sneering little rich boy, instead Felton portrays Draco as the broken, terrified, and conflicted mess he is.

The other aspect that I was greatly impressed by was the casting. Jim Broadbent was wonderful as Professor Slughorn and Helen McCrory played a perfectly passionate Narcissa Malfoy. I also thought Lavender Brown, played by Jesse Cave, was true to my own imagination's depiction of her and quite funny. Both of the actors who played the young Tom Riddle were appropriately chilling and quietly frightening, as well.

Helena Bonham Carter and Alan Rickman stole the show for me, once again. Both actors are so perfect for J.K. Rowling's characters that I sometimes wonder if she didn't have them in mind when creating them. I would watch this movie over and over if only to see the scenes in which they played.

Of course there were things left out of the film that would have been wonderful to see but I understand the need for editing and the factor of time. One of the story lines, and two of the characters, that I missed most from this film was the Tonks and Lupin relationship. I would have loved to see the tormented Tonks and resolute Lupin as their romance unfolded. I thought J.K. Rowling's realistic depiction of a love that developed in such troubled times deserved a place on the screen. Alas, small sacrifices.

The sixth film stayed remarkably loyal to the book in my opinion and that is one of the greatest gifts a filmmaker can give when developing a book series. The characters we love are where we expect them and doing what we expect them to be doing. David Yates and those responsible for bringing them to life on screen refresh the storyline not by altering it but by supporting it with dazzling effects, beautiful landscapes, superb direction, and a brilliant cast of British actors.

Perhaps I'm biased because I have long been a fan of Harry Potter and I am by no means an expert of film or acting, but what percentage of the Potter audience is? As a fan of the books and previous films however, I find myself reinvested in the characters and their plight as the movie progresses toward the final confrontation.

...Hen