Seven months late and two years after the last book was published, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince took an impressive £19.7 million at the box office. It’s not surprising really, seeing as throughout the decade Potter films have consistently appealed to thousands upon thousands of movie-goers. But why is such a popular series so often recieved with average reviews and little acknowledgement at prestigious awards ceremonies?

It’s probably because it’s near-impossible to make a cinematic masterpiece out of the franchise without causing major upset to the die-hard fans. Alot has to be cut from the books as it is, and this time horcruxes are reduced to a passing explaination, the character of Scrimgeour is cut altogether, and Ralph Fiennes’ Voldemort is nowhere to be seen. Even so, HBP still feels awfully rushed, and that’s no mean feat for a film that runs to over 150 minutes. Not for the first time in the series, the film just doesn’t feel concise enough to become truly (excuse the cliché) spell-binding. But all things considered, it would be difficult to tell the story any other way without prompting the die-hard fans to stage a boycott. The haunting climax is genuinley chilling whether you know what’s coming or not, and the ending is surprising in just how powerful and moving it is. Don’t be surprised if you need a few tissues.

Patchy story-telling is more than made up for in visual wow-power, which is, frankly, amazing. Some of the cinematography here is more than worthy of an Oscar nod, with some really powerful shots and genuinley awe-inspiring special effects from beginning to end. The real tour-de-force is when Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) parts his self-made battlefield of fire in spectacular Moses-like fashion, but there are so many moments of quality directing that shine through, from passing shots such as Ron (Rupert Grint) falling off the back of a chair in the background of an otherwise normal frame, to full set-pieces, such as when a much-loved Potter institution is destroyed by Death Eaters.

The acting is, as ever, temporamental. The “adult” cast pull their weight effortlessly, especially the ever-deadpan Alan Rickman as Severus Snape and the amazing but criminally under-used Helena Bonham-Carter as nutcase Bellatrix. Daniel Radcliffe still has a tendancy to take acting tips from planks of wood, but at least he gets the chance to show some potential as a comic actor. Bonnie Wright struggles as Ginny, especially with the romantic side of things, which sadly makes for a very cringe-worthy scene where she and the bespectacled one share a kiss. But decent performances are turned in by the reliably funny Rupert Grint (Ron), the blossoming Emma Watson (Hermione), and, most surprisingly of all, Tom Felton. His portrayal of Draco Malfoy takes him out of the realms of cliché school bully and into the meatier territory of tormented anti-hero. The newcomers are of a particularly high standard this time as well, with Jim Broadbent perfect in the role of returning teacher Horace Slughorn, and the young actors playing young and teen Voldemort both giving unnervingly sinister performances.

Director David Yates and his creative team have assumed that the audience are growing up with the characters, and the result is a film that’s as much about teen angst and romance as it is about the witchcraft and wizardry. At times there’s even a hint of sexual tension – note especially a hard-not-to-laugh moment in which on/off love interest Ginny bends down to tie Harry’s shoe-laces. Awkward. But most of the romantic sub-plots are welcome distractions from the otherwise dark and often downright confusing main story, such as newcomer Jessie Cave’s hilarious performance as Ron’s girlfriend Lavender, which is one of the highlights of the whole film. Hermione’s feelings for Ron will be relatable for much of the teenage girl demographic, but the Ginny/Harry romance is treated so messily and performed so woodenly that it’s difficult to really care about them.

The trouble is that a Harry Potter film will never be outstanding, or rather never can be outstanding. Completely re-working the book to make a more Hollywood-friendly production would enrage the bazillion-strong fanbase, but staying strictly faithful to the bulging source material is difficult to translate into an acclaimed cinematic masterpiece. As it is, the franchise is getting by on compromise. Lots is cut, but enough remains to keep the die-hards content; and for Potter amateurs the film is told well enough to still be pleasurable, but risks being horribly confusing in places. Half-Blood Prince is the funniest and best-looking picture in the franchise yet. In terms of plot it feels a more like a prelude to Deathly Hallows than a story in its own right, but with an ending so moving, effects so stunning and performances at their best yet, enough is done to keep fans itching for their next dose in Autumn 2010.

3/5