Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Back to Hogwarts for the sixth instalment of JK Rowling's wizarding series, directed by David Yates. As Voldemort's power grows, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) have to work together to find the key to his downfall - for which Harry must procure a shameful, suppressed memory from reinstated potions master Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent). Meanwhile, Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) undertakes a dark and difficult task on Lord Voldemort's orders.

Wendy Ide, the Times: The latest instalment is more of the same tried and tested formula to be sure, but it's a formula that produces pure gold as far as the fans are concerned. David Yates orchestrates the picture with dizzying energy and confidence, but the might of the Potter phenomenon dwarfs his individual artistic contribution... [The] collective romantic awakening helps to flesh out the characters, making them infinitely more interesting for the adult audience. Kids, however, might not be so keen. (Verdict: 3 stars out of 5)

Wally Hammond, Time Out: Thrillseekers beware - the film's memorable scenes are, interestingly, not necessarily the most momentous: a lionine, wind-tossed Dumbledore framed in the Hogwarts tower with all the grandeur of Powell and Pressburger's 'Black Narcissus'; poor Emma Watson's Hermione crying in solitary heartbreak; blonde bombshell Draco Malfoy pitied in a picture of isolated evil. Rupert Grint's Ron is still the leavening star, but Daniel Radcliffe's less self-conscious and more self-deprecating Harry runs him a close second. (Verdict: 3 stars out of 5)

Sarah Crompton, Daily Telegraph: Director David Yates and his cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel set the tone right at the start, with a brilliant opening scene that shows evil sweeping into the normal world in explosive black trails of smoke, creating dark storms over London and destroying the Millennium Bridge... [For newcomers] I suspect the plot would be almost overwhelmingly confusing. But for fans both of the films and the books, this is an elegant addition to the canon. (Verdict: 3 stars out of 5) ·