Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Price is a good movie that progresses the storyline in the now epic battle between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort. Before I talk about any of the other acting in the movie, much must be said about Alan Rickman’s portrayal of Severus Snape. The man is brilliant. Each word he speaks during the movie is embroiled with the hate that you know Snape has for Harry’s very existence and, at the same time, it is mixed with the hidden love that Potter fans know Snape had for Harry’s mother. For those of you who aren’t Harry Potter fans, Rickman is the same guy who played the bad guy in the first Die Hard, Hans Gruber. For this fan, it’s safe to say that without actors like Rickman, Smith, and Carter (more on them in a minute) this movie would be mediocre at best.

Two quick mentions for Maggie Smith and Helena Bonham Carter who play Minerva McGonagall and Bellatrix Lestrange, respectively. They’re fantastic. Smith brings the class and dignity that one would expect of her to a role in fantasy movie that could be very easy to screw up. However, the poise and calmness that Smith adds to her character is noticeable and a good touch. On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, no one could be a better Bellatrix Lestrange than Carter – a woman who has that crazy person look about her at all times! Carter’s ability to play a crazy person is evident in this movie and I think she really steps up to the plate and hits a home run as a lunatic. Excellent work by both of these talented actresses.

Daniel Radcliffe continues to do a good job as Harry Potter, though Radcliffe is aging quicker than they can film these movies!

Fans of the books know the plot of this movie, but the big event that takes place is the death of Albus Dumbledore at the hand (wand?) of Snape. Again, if you want to see good acting, then watch these two extremely talented actors in this critical scene for both the movie and the series. The reservation that Snape shows before he carries out the most secret of missions is tangible on the screen. And the way that he completes the mission (killing Dumbledore) with such nonchalance is performed brilliantly.

That scene alone is worth the price of admission.

This is a movie that Harry Potter fans have probably already gone out to see. But for those of you who haven’t seen it, you may want to consider giving it shot just for the acting of Rickman, Smith, and Carter alone. I think you’ll enjoy it.

I thought that the movie version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was okay – nothing spectacular. Not too bad, not an award-winning film, but certainly not a bad movie by any means. There was so much more in the book in terms of details, yet the movies provide a great visuals for future readings (but of course, there is only one book left to read so it doesn’t really matter any more, huh?). The ending fight scene in this movie is very well done as is the part played by Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge.

For those of you that don’t know, Umbridge is a snobby, giggly bureaucrat who comes in and takes over the magical Hogwart’s Academy. This is a role that you’ve got to have real talent to play because the character needs to conform to a variety of descriptions, which Staunton does well.

Severus Snape is also played brilliantly again by Alan Rickman as is Albus Dumbledore by Michael Gambon. Of course, Daniel Radcliffe was great as Harry Potter (and thank God he was fully clothed throughout the entire movie). The rest of the teenagers in the cast also performed well. There is a certain manner of their performance that is very “regular.”

By that I mean that you can watch one Harry Potter movie and then watch the next and feel as though there is very little break in the character developments, which is great. This is something that the novels accomplish by simply repeating a ton of information (J. K. Rowling isn’t writing hundreds upon hundreds of pages with 100% brand new material, folks – maybe 80% new at best). Anyway, it’s nice to have a smooth character development with the characters in the movies.

That being said, the Potter movies are facing a big problem in the coming years – namely that these “kids” are all hitting and completing puberty! There’s something about having young children begin these movie roles and then having grown-ups in the final movies that doesn’t quite jive with the books. I mean Radcliffe (who turns 18 next week) has already performed NAKED on the stage in London! Seems sort of weird that he’s playing a teenage wizard of 15 or 16 years old and then he’s naked next to a horse in between movies. Blech!

So here’s hoping that the movies continue to come out quickly for obvious reasons. As for The Order of the Phoenix, I don’t think you need to go out and see this one in the theater unless you’ve got little buggers who won’t stop screaming until you take them to see it! This is probably a good movie for a movie night at the house or a bored afternoon DVD rental. Good performances by all, though.