I think it's the best of the series, fairly easily, and a testament to why occasionally throwing a massive budget at an endeavor of this scope can be considered a reasonable decision.

If Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a roller coaster, it's the tiny train meant for only the very youngest kids, the one that seems to go round and round forever without really ever picking up any pace.

All in all, despite the verve that drives the grander set pieces, it's hard to avoid the sensation of a film toiling overtime to convince itself of its own solemnity.

This series continues to disappoint. The acting, the story, the characters--nothing worked for me.