Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (M)

The sixth film in the Harry Potter franchise is another transitional movie, meaning you need to have seen at least its predecessor to know what's going on and also plan to see the series to the end so you don't mind its inconclusive ending.

Its story has Harry's arch-nemesis Draco Malfoy being ordered by an unseen Voldemort to target headmaster Dumbledore, with the reptilian Professor Snape vowing to carry out Draco's mission if he fails.

But the bulk of the movie is a collection of diversions and digressions – with hormonal angst and snogging providing some romantic teenage soap involving Ron, a female fan and an increasingly jealous Hermione, while Harry is still drawn to Ron's sister Ginny.

The last half-hour creates some creepy tension but the movie overall is more trifling and frivolous than meaningful and momentous.

That's not to say it's not generally entertaining; but it has an inescapable feeling of being betwixt and between as important occurrences advancing the series story constitute so little of the movie.

• Reviewed by David Manning; DVDs for review supplied by United Video, Nelson.

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