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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Reviewed by Lisa Ann Cockrel | posted 7/14/2009 11:22AM

If my friends and family are any indication—and the legions of Hogwarts fans online tell me that they are—the latest Harry Potter movie is being greeted with a great amount of anticipation. ...

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Brett

Posted: August 19, 2009 11:40 AM


great movie loved how snapes charchter was in movie

Jen	Posted: August 15, 2009 10:15 AM


I love these movies! And if you are a fan of the series of movies, then this one may be the most fun yet since they focus a lot of going deeper into the lives of the main characters. So fun!

Harmony Wheeler

Posted: July 29, 2009 9:07 PM


I've encountered many of these responses, pro and con, and have argued pro Harry Potter myself for numerous reasons. See my comments here: http://athistable.blogspot.com/search/label/Harry%20Potter

Jeremiah

Posted: July 28, 2009 7:19 PM

Harry Potter in no way will make your kids want to practice real occult witchcraft since the primary requirement of these movies is a school that doesn't exist. I pray for Christian parents that cannot teach their children to differentiate right from wrong. Here is my advise to you, start by teaching them the Ten Commandments. As far as the movie is concerned. I haven't seen it, but I have read all the books and the theme of good vs. evil where good seems to prevail is much better than alot of what Hollywood spews out.

Fantasticman!

Posted: July 27, 2009 5:05 PM

Eowyn, you leave Terrie alone! You have no idea what she's been through in her life. And now she tries to offer her own insight and you pick on her. Just like the Slytherins. Why do you have to be so mean? Can't we just all get along? And for everyone else, don't you get that when J.R.R.Rowling is writing about witchcraft, she's using it metaphorastically and analagologically? Just watch the movie and you'll see what I mean. It's so funny - except when Dumbledore dies - that's not as funny. Cheers, my American witches and wizards!

Eowyn

Posted: July 23, 2009 3:45 PM


@ terrie: Good grief. The author of "The Lord of the Rings" is the peerless J. R. R. Tolkien, not C. S. Lewis. The latter wrote Narnia, among many other books, fiction & nonfiction.

Chris Todd

Posted: July 23, 2009 9:07 AM

This movie is necessarily a prologue to the last book in the series and so feels like it has no proper beginning or end. But it does a good job at fulfilling its function. As for the subject of witchcraft, what the Bible condemns is the real world kind, which is a form of paganism in which one calls on other gods or demons, invoking them by name and seeking by formulas to bind them to do one's will. The "magic" we see in the Potter books is closer to the powers of superheroes. They are born with it and need not seek infernal beings to use it. And since they are born with it, you can not choose to be a wizard or witch in the Potter universe. If you can't naturally use magic, you are a muggle and can't be recruited to be a magic user!

terrie

Posted: July 21, 2009 8:20 AM


what Bewitched was in the 70's Harry potter is now. This does not promote witchcraft anymore than C.S Lewis Lord of the Rings does. Or any other C.S Lewis stuff that has magic in it. IF it's going to be judged bad that C.S Lewis writings are bad too. Now, I didn't like this episode of Harry Potter simply because I thought it was pretty lame and boring.

Francis Mondana

Posted: July 20, 2009 2:04 PM

This movie is a fantasy, no better or worse than any other fairy tale. It is not some kind of evil attempt at converting kids to witchcraft or the occult. Kids are far smarter than they are given credit for and I'm certain most do not come away from these movies or books wanting to become witches. Or expecting sticks to shoot fire. If they do then they have issues that need to be addressed that have nothing to do with a book or movie they may have seen. These stories have very Christian themes, very much like the C.S. Lewis books. No mention of God is made in those books and "magic" is used so why are Lewis' books fine and Rowling in portrayed as some kind of "witch". Is it because Lewis was a Christian so therefore "good"?

Debbie

Posted: July 20, 2009 9:53 AM

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie! It was a little darker in theme and color (check out the Quidditch costumes and compare to the first movies), but it was appropriate - the Dark Lord is getting stronger. And to the people who claim the Potter books/movies are "the devil", have you even read them? The themes are good vs. evil - and there are good wizards vs. bad wizards. It's a great story, and allegory, if you will. Have you never heard of The Wizard of Oz? The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe? They (the HP books) even celebrate Christmas! Please get your facts straight before you judge.

Claudia

Posted: July 19, 2009 5:21 PM

Yet again Christianity today sits on the fence. Please could you wake up and realize that Hollywood does not care. About families or family values dare I say it is anti family and anti GOD. The fact that you pay someone to go and see a film that has a hand in introducing children to witch craft to me is just mad. I can see it now Christianity today in the line to buy a ticket to see the Anti-Christ movie and then go at post it online.

Dave	Posted: July 18, 2009 10:11 PM


The evidence is undeniably clear that Potter promotes an interest in magic and the occult. Parents, whether Christian or not, must take an active role in what their children are being exposed to and determine what is appropriate. Christians especially should be guided by God's Word, the Bible. WAKE UP CHRISTIANS. His powers are not from God, what does the Bible say about that !!!

Stacie Wells

Posted: July 18, 2009 6:35 PM


Best Harry Potter movie yet! Thank you so much to Christianitytoday.com for posting an insightful review. To all the Harry haters out there: stop judging a book by its cover. Unless you have actually read the whole Harry Potter series, then you do not really know what you are talking about when you speak out against it.

Shelly

Posted: July 18, 2009 6:25 PM

I haven't seen the movie yet but I am a big fan of the books and have read them all (so have many of my students - I'm a school librarian). The books are well written, and deal with universal themes such as personal choice, (mis)judging others, overcoming loss, etc. - not to mention good old-fashioned adventure! I am SO glad CT provides thoughtful reviews of books and movies like HP. Please don't let the negative comments here deter you from continuing to do this! - A faithful review reader

Rick	Posted: July 17, 2009 9:38 PM

I would then assume several of you reviewers have stopped reading the Bible, since it has witchcraft, demonic possessions, incest, adultery, murderer, etc. May I also assume that you protested just as loudly against the evil things portrayed in the Narnia and Lord of the Rings books and movies? Or do you just get to pick and choose your sources for reading about evil? The movie was a true 2 and 1/2, not a 2 or 3. Using you reviewers' logic, then I assume you also keep all those sinners out of the church doors so you can be separate from the world and not expose your darling children to those things they might have a hard time differentiating. Yet that doesn't stop the Christian kids from being identical to the world, since they are just as likely to drink, smoke, get pregnant, and do all the usual things the lost do. The enemy is NOT Harry Potter. It is us and our fear of being tainted - treating things and people like lepers - unlike Jesus.

Paul	Posted: July 17, 2009 9:11 PM

Sandi, you are absolutely correct . . .even CT is blurring the line between being "in the world and not of the world". By printing a review, CT is in effect endorsing the movie, and this type of compromise can and will lead many weaker or not even in the faith astray. Brethren, do we uphold our entertainment and leisure choices to our standards ("it's not that bad after all") or to the Almighty's?

Sandi

Posted: July 17, 2009 8:28 PM

I find it very disturbing, even appalling that CT would give these movies any stars at all. God's Word explicitly forbids having anything to do with the occult. The main character uses deceit, lies and the occult throughout these books, and I can't understand how Christians believe it's okay to have themselves and their kids exposed to this occultic garbage. There are lots of places you can go to see details of all the problems for Christians in these works, unfortunately not on CT. I will no longer use CT's website to review movies, as I no longer feel I can trust the reviews.

Mateo

Posted: July 17, 2009 6:13 PM


My parents didn't want me watching the Smurfs because of the witchcraft in the cartoon. Where did people like my parents go? Did they stop caring that the book is about witchcraft? Have they become like Obama who reads this stuff to his kids? I'm disappointed that many Christians in America are no different than their neighbors and this movie is a perfect example.

bob	Posted: July 17, 2009 5:37 PM


Can a small child tell the difference between "occultist" and "mechanistic" magic? Exposing our children to this type of junk just muddles their minds. I agree with Ashley. We should be focusing on the Bible and people... not being sidetracked by entertainment.

Eugene, Manila.

Posted: July 17, 2009 4:35 AM


I find the latest movie a bit too much of a sell out to commercial demands. In my opinion, Yates sacrificed the need to stress on the sub-plots (of adolescent affairs and tensions) rather than the overarching evil that is Voldemort. Perhaps because there is a strong call from giggling-adolescents who will go to the movie houses. I find it really at some points disappointing.

kilty

Posted: July 16, 2009 8:19 PM


The best H P of all time. We have read all of them many times. My kids love them and they range from 4 years to 20 years. We own every movie and we have HP parties several times a year. kiltyone@dslextreme.com

The Church Lady Librarian

Posted: July 14, 2009 5:51 PM

The witchcraft in Harry Potter is totally different from the witchcraft forbidden in the Bible. They have the same name but they are two different things. HP magic isn't occultist, it's mechanistic. Harry doesn't summon the spirit world in order to do his magic. One of the themes of the books is how magic can't solve our problems. The true basis of Harry's power isn't his magic, it is love. In the first book he was protected from the evil Voldemort by his mother's self sacrificing love. In the last book, he defeats the magic of Voldemort not because he's a great magician but because he was willing to lay down his life for his friends.

Potty

Posted: July 14, 2009 1:39 PM


Best Potter movie so far!!! And Lolk, I agree with you!

Lolk	Posted: July 14, 2009 1:37 PM


You are crazy Ashley M.

Ashley M

Posted: July 14, 2009 12:07 PM

Why are Christians watching this movie? The Bible strictly talks against this. “When you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire [an ancient occult practice], or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination [detestable] to the LORD…” -Deuteronomy 18:9-12a As a Christian, my eye and ear gates should be guarded at all times from things that are not of God. My money should go to Godly things, places and causes...paying to go see this movie will only jeopardize me and my family making it into his kingdom.

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