A thrilling cocktail of gloomy mystery and comical growing pains, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is easily the best of the six films in the series so far, even if it's the one in which very little happens in terms of actual plot development and crucial incidents.

Setting the mood with that terrific opening scene in which evil swoops and soars into the normal world with explosive black trails of smoke destroying London's monuments, the film remains fiercely faithful to the book, and makes no attempts to woo Harry Potter virgins who will struggle to appreciate this as a stand-alone picture.

Starting off at the point where the Death Eaters are wreaking havoc in London, The Half-Blood Prince follows Dumbeldore as he asks Harry to help persuade retired Potions Master Horace Slughorn to return to Hogwarts, with the aim of retreiving a buried memory from Slughorn's past that will prove crucial in the upcoming fight against Voldemort.

Meanwhile, Hogwarts has been hit by a flood of raging hormones. While Harry struggles with his feelings for Ginny Weasley, Ron starts going out with Lavender Brown, which upsets a jealous Hermione. Draco Malfoy is behaving suspiciously too, but he seems preoccupied with a mysterious vanishing cabinet.

Imaginatively visualised and stylishly filmed, The Half-Blood Prince is packed with stunning sequences like the suspenseful chase between Bellatrix and Harry in a wheat field, and a breathless conflict between Draco and Harry in a Hogwarts bathroom.

The film's one sole flaw is that at two-and-a-half-hours it's way too long and unforgivably slow in some stretches.

The genius, yet again, lies in the endearing performances and the lighter moments. Rupert Grint, who plays Ron Weasley, steals the film with his comic delivery, especially that scene he performs under the influence of the love potion; and Brit thespian Jim Broadbent is ace as the bumbling Professor Slughorn.

There is a sense of comfort and familiarity each time you settle down to watch a new Harry Potter film because you know the characters, you care for them now, and you want them to be safe. The relationship between Harry, Ron and Hermione remains the lifeblood of these stories, and it's to the credit of the three actors who play these parts that they bring a degree of warmth and affection to their scenes together.

In a sense, The Half-Blood Prince is really the set-up story for the next instalment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows which will be split into two films. It lays the groundwork for what will happen next and succeeds in leaving you with a foreboding sense of doom.

Complaints against the plot and against the omission of several incidents from the book feel redundant when you look the film as a whole. For followers of the franchise, this is potent stuff and a very worthy companion piece to the rest. I'm going with two thumbs up and four out of five for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Directed remarkably by David Yates, this is exactly what fans have been waiting for.

Rating: 4 / 5 (Very Good)

bad acting and mediocre writing at its best. i like all the other films, but this is poo. no real action, no real storyline, and the acting is just getting worse and worse as each film unfolds. i know that this book was the worst, and all die hard harry potter fans will admit that this film and book are not all that great. not worth the time to stream!

In the sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft, and in both wizard and muggle worlds Lord Voldemort and his henchmen are increasingly active. With vacancies to fill at Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore persuades Horace Slughorn, back from retirement to become the potions teacher, while Professor Snape receives long awaited news. Harry Potter, together with Dumbledore, must face treacherous tasks to defeat his evil nemesis.

I am going to make this simple! The BEST movie of the harry potter franchise. Daniel, Rupert and the beautiful Emma Watson have truly grown up in this movie. Their acting has improved and mature tremendously. Great action scenes and the dumbledore's death scene still leaves me with my eyes wet with tears. Great fun to watch raging hormones play a part in harry and his friend's lifes. A must-see for all viewers. My rating: 9/10

Huge fan from the Potter books, can't say the same about the movies, however this one made me change my mind a little. Never will any movie portrait what our imagination could make out of a book, that's for sure, but this movie was the closest effort so far. Loved the way how dark it gets as the story on the big screen approaches to an end. 8/10.