Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

Featured Audience Ratings

• John M

  
  Decent addition to the harry potter franchise but beginning to get a bit long in the tooth. Good thing this will be wrapping up soon.

• Alexander D

  
  Harry Potter the character seems to be maintaining solid grades, aside from all the trouble he's been getting into. Harry Potter the saga has entered a film just as lackluster as ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, the previous entry, except this time it's not for atrocious acting and… More
  Harry Potter the character seems to be maintaining solid grades, aside from all the trouble he's been getting into. Harry Potter the saga has entered a film just as lackluster as ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, the previous entry, except this time it's not for atrocious acting and awful adapting. Now, Harry Potter is more like a romantic comedy than anything, and a more reasonable title would have to be "When Harry Met Ginny". I am a HUGE fan of Harry Potter, and I always have been, as a fair warning on my disappointment. And if this had an ending that could fit the whole series, my review would just be a simple "Enough, already!" But in a way, the series has just STARTED. That's right: sixth films in, and Harry is just now finding out how to destroy Voldemort, his parents' murderer and the saga's key antagonist. Quidditch is back. Praise the Lord! Looking at the rest of this film, that little bit does not matter! There's too much of the "Chosen One" clichà (C), magic school drama, and colorfulness to appreciate what stands out.

• Jason R

  
  great movie, best book

• Anthony L

  
  I enjoyed Harry Potter and the half blood Prince as much as someone who hasn't read the books/isn't particularly a big fan can. I'm told by Sister who is very much a fan that the film doesn't come close to the greatness of the book but I found it entertaining… More
  I enjoyed Harry Potter and the half blood Prince as much as someone who hasn't read the books/isn't particularly a big fan can. I'm told by Sister who is very much a fan that the film doesn't come close to the greatness of the book but I found it entertaining enough. I still preferred the previous one though but I think sticking with David Yates as director was a good move.

• Brad W

  
  The film was just amazing, great story and acting, just wished there was more action scenes in the end like the book however. As Harry enters his sixth year, him and Dumbledore must discover what they must do to defeat Voldemort, and they key lies within a old colleague of… More
  The film was just amazing, great story and acting, just wished there was more action scenes in the end like the book however. As Harry enters his sixth year, him and Dumbledore must discover what they must do to defeat Voldemort, and they key lies within a old colleague of Dumbledores, Horace Slughorn. Harry also suspects his long time rival Draco Malfoy has become a death eater, and Harry might also be falling in love, with Rons sister. With a ending that will chill your bones, this is the darkest of all Harry Potters. The plot was genius and cool, but its very slow but for some thats a good thing, and its a build up for Deathly Hallows. The music was amazing and cool at the same time. The effects were well done and I enjoyed how they set a certain mood for Half Blood Prince. The actors get older, and get more experience, and it made this there best performance in the series next to Deathly Hallows. Half Blood Prince wasn't the best, but its really amazing and a tremendous edition.

• Tim S

  
  The 6th film in the Harry Potter franchise, The Half-Blood Prince, brings the coming of the end into the story - and, oh, does it ever get deep. Even the villains are struggling in this one. I still feel that the overall narrative isn't quite as even as it should be, but this is… More
  The 6th film in the Harry Potter franchise, The Half-Blood Prince, brings the coming of the end into the story - and, oh, does it ever get deep. Even the villains are struggling in this one. I still feel that the overall narrative isn't quite as even as it should be, but this is definitely getting to the real meat of the entire story. I also felt that the film's dialogue was mixed far too low. I really had to crank this one in order to hear everything. At times people are speaking only in whispers and it's difficult to get a firm grip on the story without the volume being as loud as possible. Other than those minor flaws, this is a great addition to the series... and things only get more serious from here on in.

• Melvin W

  
  Harry Potter: Snape! He trusted you! "Dark Secrets Revealed" I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Half-Blood Prince is my second favorite installment, only behind Deathly Hallows Part 2. Half-Blood Prince happens to be my favorite book in the series too,… More
  Harry Potter: Snape! He trusted you! "Dark Secrets Revealed" I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Half-Blood Prince is my second favorite installment, only behind Deathly Hallows Part 2. Half-Blood Prince happens to be my favorite book in the series too, so that might have something to do with it. This sets up the events in the next two films to perfection. I love how the last scene was done and how it's used in the last film as well. If you weren't a reader of the books it would be a huge surprise to see the conclusion of this film and how things aren't really what they appear as the films go on. With Half-Blood Prince we are totally manipulated into thinking one way by Rowlings and then the events of Deathly Hallows shock. Yeah the movies can't do it because we already know what's going to happen. But when I read the last two books, I was surprised a few times. David Yates, in my opinion, really improves with his second Harry Potter movie. Granted Order of the Phoenix wasn't a horrible movie, but to me it did seem a bit off or not as good as it should have been. Half-Blood Prince was better than I expected and I was really impressed by it.

• Fernando Rafael Q

  
  A tad more stylish than the previous outings, but with significantly less substance and no plot. Under these circumstances, one would think it nearly impossible to procure some real drama, but it happens somehow. The film is strangely powerful. Sadly, it's also very dark,… More
  A tad more stylish than the previous outings, but with significantly less substance and no plot. Under these circumstances, one would think it nearly impossible to procure some real drama, but it happens somehow. The film is strangely powerful. Sadly, it's also very dark, literally. You can barely see anything. Michael Gambon is noteworthy in a key movie for his character, Albus Dumbledore. Daniel Radcliffe as the titular hero is more likeable than ever and as Lavender Brown, Jessie Cave is delightful.

• E.J. B

  
  Harry Potter enters his sixth year at Hogwarts, and things are darker than ever this time around. The Death Eaters are attacking wizards and witches left and right. Harry finds a book that was the property of the half blood prince and becomes obsessed with its teachings. He is also… More
  Harry Potter enters his sixth year at Hogwarts, and things are darker than ever this time around. The Death Eaters are attacking wizards and witches left and right. Harry finds a book that was the property of the half blood prince and becomes obsessed with its teachings. He is also taken under Dumbledore's wing to learn more about Voldemort's past and what lays in store for all wizards/witches in the days to come. Along the way, he, Ron, and Hermione take on new romantic interests. This subplot adds a lot of much needed and very entertaining humour to an otherwise very gloomy film. This is the best blockbuster of the summer. It shows how a film can have amazing effects while telling a great and involving story at the same time. One of the great things about the Harry Potter series is that the stories aren't just about the plot, or how the wizard world will defeat Lord Voldemort. It is also about adolescence; growing up and learning to cope with the occurences in the everyday world. Not to mention all the great wonderful characters that have been the bread and butter of JK Rowling's brilliant fantasy. Quidditch also makes a grand return. The scenes are as exciting as they were the first time we were introduced to the sport. David Yates, helming the director's chair for the second consecutive Potter film, is the perfect man to finish this saga. He retains exactly what he needs to from the book while changing enough to make this film as tight, concise, and coherent as it is. Things are falling into place, and the stage is set for an awesome finale.

• Matt G

  
  I enjoy the Harry Potter movies, but I was unimpressed with this installment. I was bored at times and was completely uninterested and thought it was pointless. I did enjoy bits and pieces of it, though. I was very close to rating this a half star lower, but I remembered the parts… More
  I enjoy the Harry Potter movies, but I was unimpressed with this installment. I was bored at times and was completely uninterested and thought it was pointless. I did enjoy bits and pieces of it, though. I was very close to rating this a half star lower, but I remembered the parts with Harry and Draco and Dumbledore's death, so I feel as if I'm being very generous giving it this rating. Only view this film if you are a die-hard fan of the series though. Recommended for a one-time viewing.

• Drake T

  
  Everything that was wrong with GoF's teen angst, drama and romance is fixed here in HBP thanks to some well timed comedy, a competent script and a great performance from our leads. Not only that but it's exploration of the franchise's main antagonist Lord Voldemort and… More
  Everything that was wrong with GoF's teen angst, drama and romance is fixed here in HBP thanks to some well timed comedy, a competent script and a great performance from our leads. Not only that but it's exploration of the franchise's main antagonist Lord Voldemort and his past is exceedingly gratifying. If only Malfoy was given more screen time to explore his inner conflicts and struggles with being "good" or "evil" as well. IFONLY. Instead we're forced to watch Hermione x Ron scenes... the end product is still pretty good just not so "brilliant". A satisfying watch and crucial chapter of the HP series. PS. Rowling needs to stop making plotholes in her own universe. First the time-turners and now lady-luck potions? Beyond me why these weren't used later on to beat Voldemort. PPS. The ability to "split a soul through killing another being because it's a violation against nature" is absolute rubbish. Killing is completely natural, the idea that it breaks some law of the universe is complete moral arrogance! Absurd.

• KJ P

  
  This is an unbelievably fantastic film! After a sloppy addition to an otherwise perfect franchise, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince comes back out on top, while not being the best, grabs all that is left that is good and rips the soul out of it, leaving us burning with fear in… More
  This is an unbelievably fantastic film! After a sloppy addition to an otherwise perfect franchise, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince comes back out on top, while not being the best, grabs all that is left that is good and rips the soul out of it, leaving us burning with fear in the end. The final sequence of this film had me gasping, and now the franchise can finally get back up on it's feet and bring us a finale that will stun us. As Harry is faced with torture throughout this film, it is no question that the true finale is brought to life in this film. It tells that Harry must find 7 horcruxes, hidden by Voldemort in everyday objects around the world. In order to destroy the dark lord, all 7 must be found. We are left with nothing but devastation in the final few minutes of this film, and honestly, there is not any happiness left to be seen, this series has hit it's darkest moment. And so, the end begins!

• Michael E

  
  I have only seen 2 Harry potter movies because I don't have much care for them, but the two ive seen are the first, this one, and an hour of the deathly hallows part 1 including the end. And I was surprised by how well put together this film was. I saw this movie only because I… More
  I have only seen 2 Harry potter movies because I don't have much care for them, but the two ive seen are the first, this one, and an hour of the deathly hallows part 1 including the end. And I was surprised by how well put together this film was. I saw this movie only because I thought it was going to be much more of a comedy than an action movie from the trailers, not the case. It had funny scenes but it was completely dark and brooding to watch. I actually cried when Dumbledore died, and ide only seen him in one movie. Plus the action was pretty good and so was the acting

• Zach B

  
  I would like to take the time to go back to the late 1990s. During that time, there was a man named Roland Emmerich who went and caused the greatest failure in cinema: the creation of the fill GODZILLA. That film was, in a lot of ways, is considered to be the failure of the entire… More
  I would like to take the time to go back to the late 1990s. During that time, there was a man named Roland Emmerich who went and caused the greatest failure in cinema: the creation of the fill GODZILLA. That film was, in a lot of ways, is considered to be the failure of the entire GODZILLA series in America due to that being this Generation's look at the franchise. Now, once the company named Toho who created Godzilla realized their error in allowing the American remake, they had the film Godzilla: 2000 released which was like, to Godzilla fans, a can of air freshener being sprayed after someone had, excuse the crude saying, terrible gas in a room. Now, you might be wondering why I am mentioning Godzilla in a film review for Harry Potter. Well, the answer is simple: That is what watching this film is like after the previous abomination in the franchise. Watching this film again, I felt relieved to have the old Potter back. This film is basically everything that was wrong with the previous done right. Now, let's get to the details. For direction, I will say that David Yates is growing on me. At first, he did not seem like he knew what he was doing with the series when he directed part 5. Now, he has more control with how the film should be and go. Seeing him work with this film shows promise for the last two films. Next the acting. Watching this film, I can not imagine what had gone wrong with the previous film. It seemed like everyone got their heads back done to earth, drank my coffee, and finally got their act together. Now, the acting that I think is needed to be mentioned would be that of the principal cast (mostly our three plucky heroes). Like in part four, I find it funny when they start acting like real teenagers because after all that they have been through, you would have thought that they would put things like romance and relationships aside. But this film reminds us that they are still teenagers and this film exploits that in a very well way. So, for acting, it is nice to see that they are bringing their craft back. For the script, I only have one thing to say: THANK GOD they brought back Steve Kloves. Seeing this film, I was in shock at how much he has talent with adapting these films. Now, I know that in my review for the Goblet Of Fire, I criticized him for not doing that well with the script and adapting. But, here, I am just grateful that he returned. He brings back the whit, charm, and just wonderfulness that made the other films great. It is with that, I am glad that he is writing the last two films. For the score, that is where things are still the same as the previous films. Personally, I would have liked it if they were able to do something new. Something fresh, with what they have. Overall, this is a great return to the original Potter films, but has something extra added in that makes this film marvelous.

• Raymond W

  
  Half-Blood Prince is a much more dark, thrilling and mature film than the rest of the Potter films, as are the characters which are played well by Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson. Humour also finds it's way into the film giving it the much needed comic relief.… More
  Half-Blood Prince is a much more dark, thrilling and mature film than the rest of the Potter films, as are the characters which are played well by Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson. Humour also finds it's way into the film giving it the much needed comic relief. Visually stunning, and in the end emotionally satisfying as well, Half-Blood Prince is by far, the best Potter film yet.

• Jeff "

  
  Sixth entry in Harry Potter franchise is yet another thrilling adventure. As the films progress, Harry Potter becomes more conflicted and he must defeat Lord Voldemort. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is yet another solid entry. The filmmakers have done a terrific job at… More
  Sixth entry in Harry Potter franchise is yet another thrilling adventure. As the films progress, Harry Potter becomes more conflicted and he must defeat Lord Voldemort. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is yet another solid entry. The filmmakers have done a terrific job at adapting the book to the screen. Half Blood Prince is an entertaining film that is a lot of fun to watch. Half Blood Prince has darker themes than previous Harry Potter films, but it still manages to have a few laughs here and there. Half Blood Prince is a superb film and it has everything you'd expect from a Harry Potter film. The cast do a fine job as usual, and by this fifth entry, you see many changes in maturity of the characters as they prepare to help Harry defeat Lord Voldemort. Half Blood Prince is one of the best films in the series, and It's said many time in my reviews of the Potter films, but it's hard to pick one film. They're all wonderful and magical. However storywise, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is really the one that has the darker themes that J.K Rowling crafted in her books. Half Blood Prince is really, at this point of story, one of sadder, more melancholic and darker films in the series. The film is much darker than previous entries, and it would ultimately culminate in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollow Part 1. A well done sequel that is entertaining and always thrilling.

• Bethany M

  
  It was another 'alright' film. It leaves you feeling bored after a while. They really are too long and they get dragged out way too much. Average.

• Jason L

  
  A Spectacular rendition of the sixth Harry Potter installment. It is brilliantly acted, blend of action and comedy, and it wonderfully explores areas of the wizarding world.

• Nikhil N

  
  Amazing opening sequence, absolutely stunning. A fun movie with a series undertone. Great acting, funny at times. A great set-up for the last two films. As the series is winding down, the excitement is just heating up! Really worth seeing!

• Dead A

  
  Believe me, I have this book and I read it more than ten times (not like I'm a big fan, I just like to read when I eat). And this movie was a bit disappointing. So long but couldn't show half of the originality. I think this is the reason why some reviewers didn't liked… More
  Believe me, I have this book and I read it more than ten times (not like I'm a big fan, I just like to read when I eat). And this movie was a bit disappointing. So long but couldn't show half of the originality. I think this is the reason why some reviewers didn't liked this (me is always there). I do welcome a new twist but I sure hate a lame one. Harry asked out a girl? I thought he was shy in this matter. Ginny seemed like a two timer (correct me if I'm wrong but I haven't seen her breaking up with Dean in here). I imagined Horace (and also Cormac) differently and he was <i>supposed</i> to get angry in first place (when meeting Harry) not amused. Did they changed the Voldemort teen character? I liked the old one better. And the kid Voldemort acting was unsatisfactory (to me). Was Lavender invisible for the past few movies? If they felt the urge to add this character they should have done this from the beginning right? She was like out-of-nowhere. Okay enough ranting, I still got some more flaws but I don't feel like writing it anymore. It just makes me sad. If I judge this movie without reading the book, it's okay. Not mind blowing like the rest but not bad either. But when you read the book, you expect more. And this definitely didn't meet my expectation that much. Sigh.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings