Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince advances the plot along considerably. You can begin to see the end of the piece of string now. Of course the Potter series has been more like an amazing woven rug of many colors. This movie seems to me to belong to the centerpiece of the weave. A number of important things happen in relationships among the young wizards and in Harry's eventual destiny - whatever that may be. We also feel the loss of a beloved character.

I've only read the first book, so I don't know the final outcome. Of course I ask many questions after the movies of those who have read the books, but I don't let them tell me too much. I think this is actually one of the better ones in the series, but perhaps I find the older students to be more interesting than children anyway.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is well worth seeing and I'll be getting the DVD for all the background info. This whole Harry Potter phenomenon has been a major cultural event that we have all enjoyed, and the world will continue to enjoy it for many many years to come.