Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE is a worthy entry into the HP series.  More than any of the other HP movies, this one really requires that you've either read the books and/or seen the movies, or you might find yourself quite lost.  Here, Harry is about 17, in his penultimate year at Hogwarts, the British school for Witches and Wizards.  His friends Hermione and Ron are worried about his preoccupations and dark moods.  Any older audience member, parent or not, will recognize the moods as teenage angst, although Harry's specialness provides a serious difference.  All three teens are beginning to face romance: the unwanted kind, the wanted-but-rejected kind, the mutual kind.  Where does friendship leave off and romance begin?

The first of the series to be rated PG, this HP is darker both in mood and in actual screen brightness, fitting for its serious subjects.  Our favorite characters are back, including the ones we love to hate.  Enjoy them while you can.