Half

"Harry Potter and theHalf-Blood Prince" — The sixth movie in J.K. Rowlings fantasy series about the young wizard is the franchises best so far, blending rich drama and easy camaraderie among the actors with the visual spectacle that until now has been the real star.

The hocus-pocus of it all nearly takes a back seat to the story and characters this time, and the film is the better for that, brimming with authentic people and honest interaction — hormonal teens bonding with great humor, heartache that will resonate with anyone who remembers the pangs of first love. The movie escalates the peril for Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his best pals, Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), while giving the threesome that first collaborated as prepubescent kids their best platform yet to show their maturing acting chops.

Director David Yates, who made the fifth film and is doing the final two, stays true to the Rowling recipe yet infuses it with a freshness and energy that make it seem like a new start, not the stale old chapter six it could have been. Harrys main challenge this time involves an assignment from headmaster Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) to retrieve a critical memory that a new teacher (Jim Broadbent) possesses about the evil Lord Voldemort.

Along with the splendid visuals, the movie offers stirring support from Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane and other co-stars. PG for scary images, some violence, language and mild sensuality. 153 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four.