Here we go again, another Harry Potter movie from the series by J.K. Rowling. I wrote about the series back in 2001/2002 with the release of the first film in conjunction with my views regarding the comparison between Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings. In that review, and subsequent others, I noticed these films in many ways aren't really that different. Despite a few die hard religious fanatics, I hold and contend today, just as I did then, that Harry Potter is fantasy much like Lord of the Rings, The Wizard of Oz, and other films of the sort.

With the exception of some fanatics holding to their conceited theories regarding the film, let me hold to a point I made back then: very few of those individuals have seen the film, read the books, or are consistent with their logic as to the ridicule of the film. There is their supposed giftedness of discernment which is not theologically sound or supported in logic or reason either, especially since so many of those with that giftedness have since apologized since Rowling has written her last book with what, according to some, is an even clearer messianic Christ figure than is contained in The Lord of the Rings.

In one way I am saddened by the inappropriate dogmatic views of some, and on the other, I find pleasure in knowing their criticisms help promote a quality and worthy story filled with religious analogies not much different than the analogies used to support such films as The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis or the Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien. I find that J.K. Rowling may be on the fast track to associating herself among those great literary giants who understood the power of using a children's tale to teach lessons on the impact of fantasy in addressing the battle of good versus evil, not only for children but also adults who find themselves on the journey with their children.

The sixth in the series of Harry Potter films, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is not only a continuation of a beautiful tale, but a beautiful visual experience. The fact that the producers have kept the cast intact has allowed us to watch the characters grow. This includes not only the young characters who have attended Hogwarts, the school where Harry and his friends are fine-tuning their crafts, but we have also seen a progression in the staff and background characters.

The development of such actors as Daniel Radcliffe is a refreshing thing in movies such as Harry Potter. The entire cast seems to understand the epic journey they are taking their audience on. Not only have the actors matured, so has the production team. Don't take me wrong here; this is an accomplishment due to the fact that the first movie of the series started off on an exceptional standard. The continued progression of this series is nothing short of astounding. Among the excellent direction, storytelling, sound, score, and more, we also see wonderful special effects, especially in the very opening scenes of the movie.

Another wonderful, and unique, aspect of this series is that each movie, although a part of a series, stands alone on its own merit. The viewer doesn't have to watch all of the preceding movies in the series to enjoy any film in and of itself. This holds especially true for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. One of the reasons for that is the development of the characters and the fact that we see the characters in different stages of their life. We see, for example, characters that are now older and discovering their sexual identity, not in an inappropriate or disgusting way, but a way each person can relate to that has gone through this age. We also see adult characters allowing the younger characters to grow up, and in the process, helping them become young adults to accomplish their purpose.

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