The Half-Blood Prince

Warning: If you have not read the books and seen this movie yet, spoilers ahead.

I actually liked this 6th installment movie better than some of the earlier ones. It is still not as good as the books but passable. Other aspects of the movie aside, my bouquets and brickbats have to be directed chiefly against the casting director --

-- Alan Rickman as Professor Snape is a brilliant choice! I have loved him from the first movie. Toward the end of the movie, he could have shown a bit more emotion on his face especially when he reveals to Harry that he is the Half-Blood prince. Instead, I thought it was a singularly emotionless, passionless dialogue delivery.

--Dumbledore is/has been one of my biggest disappointments in this movie. Back when I started reading the series, Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey in LOTR, was my mental image for Dumbledore. He still seems like the perfect person to have played the role. The actor playing Dumbledore currently seems singularly wooden and uninspiring. What a pity that the director missed McKellen!

-- Daniel Radcliffe is mediocre. He seems to do good in the funny sequences but when it comes to showing other emotions, he seems to get his expressions wrong. Disappointing.

-- I don't know why but the movie Ron Weasley annoyed me. He looked so wooden that I wanted to just bonk him on the head. Same goes for Ginny whom I expected to have a little more fire and mischief.

--Emma Watson as Hermione was good!

Anyways, if this series had managed the acting coup that Lord of the Rings pulled off, maybe it would be on a totally different plane.