Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Aroview: The epic sixth movie in the Harry Potter franchise sees Harry prepare for the final battle against his nemesis Voldemort while struggling with his own personal problems - namely a growing attraction to Ron’s sister Ginny.

Although the untouchable fantasy series is now near-incoherent for those unfamiliar with the books or previous films, this installment is a little more user-friendly thanks to its focus on teenage romance, and Dir. Yates elicits the most delightful performances to date from the three young leads as they struggle with unwieldly hormones.

What is missing, however, is a lightness of touch that charmed audiences in previous films, for this solemn outing borrows more from the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy than is necessary for a series rooted in a boarding school for wizards. Still, it remains a perfectly acceptable lead-up to the much-anticipated two-part finale.