Rated PG

Directed by David Yates

Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Tom Felton, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon

Heidi’s Illustrious Rating: 3.5

Warning: Maybe I’m a wimp, but this movie scared me, so I can only imagine the nightmares it would give some children under 13. I would advise parents to think twice before bringing the wee ones to this movie.

The book, “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince,” was release on July 16, 2005, and the highly anticipated movie based on the book hit theater this past weekend where it has raked in $159.7 million in just five days. The film is based on the sixth book in the seven book series that has sold more than 400 million copies worldwide.

As a side note, J.K. Rowlings, author of the Potter series, has an estimate worth of $798 million and in 2008 was ranked as the 12^th richest woman in Britain. According to the Sunday Times, she is richer than the Queen of England.

I have not read the Harry Potter series, so each time a movie arrives in the theater the story is new to me, however over half the moviegoers in our nearly full theater appeared to be fans of the books. Some even sported scarves depicting the colors of the different Hogwarts School of School of Witchcraft and Wizardry’s, and spent the entire movie laughing prior to the joke actually occurring on the screen (only slightly annoying).

If you are one of these crazed fans, it’s likely you’ve already seen the newest movie in this moneymaking franchise, but for the rest of you, here is my review. Personally, my favorite Harry Potter film will always be the first one. I enjoyed the newness of it, plus, it wasn’t as sinister as the films that followed, and “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince” continues down the path of darkness.

We join Harry Potter on summer break from Hogwarts. The previous months have been filled with malevolent happenings; Muggles (non-magic users) and Wizards are being ruthlessly attacked by Death Eaters, the dark Lord Voldemorts loyal disciples. Something is amiss and when Harry Potter returns to school for the term, it seems not even Hogwarts is safe from this onslaught of evil. Even Draco Malfoy, Potters nemesis, seems more menacing than ever.

Though this film is dark, it is also peppered with amusing scenes of young love. The gang, including Ron and Hermione are getting older, and interest in the opposite sex is becoming an increasingly fun, yet tricky part of their life adventure.  

With the usual spectacular special effects, including a few scenes reminiscent of another successful book-to-movie franchise, “Lord of the Rings,” the newest Harry Potter is worth seeing in the theater, but don’t expect a happy or completed ending. This movie leaves the audience with more questions than answers; a smart move by the writers and producers who are looking to cash in on a two-part film adaptation of the final book in the series, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows,” due to be release on November 19, 2010, and July 15, 2011.

And so the saga continues, at least until 2011, when bookstores and movie studios will anxiously seek out the next smash hit to excite throngs of readers who will want to see their beloved tale brought to life on the big screen. They may have to wait awhile. Series like “Harry Potter” don’t come along very often.

Also appearing in the Berthoud Weekly Surveyor.