Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Directed by David Yates

(PG)

**

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Harry Potter tides fans over until the finale.

Ho-hum, another Harry Potter movie, said Manohla Dargis in The New York Times. As the global phenomenon nears its end, the film franchise—much like its young hero—has begun to show “signs of stress” and fatigue. With the final two movies at last within view, the sixth chapter in the series feels like “filler.” Harry delves into Lord Voldemort’s past, explores the emotional whirlwind of adolescence, and that’s pretty much it. Though director David Yates helps “keep things moving, flying, and soaring,” the story seems “drained” of its urgency. It’s not suspense that fans expect from Harry Potter films but “respectful familiarity,” said Kenneth Turan in the Los Angeles Times. Since debuting in 2001, “this one-of-a-kind film cycle has become as comfortable and reliable as an old shoe,” and Yates falls back on that goodwill when things get slow. But for real Potter fans, the lack of major plot developments only serves to make the film more interesting, said Rene Rodriguez in The Miami Herald. It’s this “franchise’s Empire Strikes Back”—an episode in which we learn a bit more about the characters while “all hell is gearing up to break loose.”