Ellington

CASEY PHILLIPS: There are those who still consider "Harry Potter" a children's series, but this sixth entry defies that categorization. "Half-blood Prince" is easily the darkest and most mature film so far. It also happens to be one of the best, surpassed only by "Goblet of Fire" as my favorite film in the series.

David Yates is the first person since Chris Columbus to sit in the director's chair for two consecutive films (last with 2007's "Order of the Phoenix"), and the benefits to the consistency of the films' tone and appearance are readily apparent.

Both employ darker, muted color palettes and have scenes of treachery and heartache that are a far cry from the feel-good warmth of the earlier films. In fact, there are some scenes of violence and eerie goings-on that may frighten some viewers. I saw more than a few people leave the theater weeping, so adults and kids alike may need hankies for the emotional ending.

HOLLY LEBER: Harry Potter is a world unto itself. There's a culture, a language and a history to it, and if you are fluent, you'll have the opportunity to either love or hate the movies in greater detail. Unlike my illustrious partner, I am not fluent in the language of Harry Potter. To me, watching Harry Potter movies (yes, I've seen them all, but just once, and read pieces of the books) is like being in the Netherlands -- I understand only a smattering of Dutch, can utter only a few words, but still appreciate my time there.

You have to respect someone like J.K. Rowling, who can create this extensive, imaginative subculture and still manage to keep the central characters grounded in reality, a feat that translates to the screen. As Harry struggles with his not-always-magical wizardly destiny, so do he and his compatriots struggle with another source of cruel trickery -- hormones. The film successfully incorporates the emotional turmoil of adolescence into the characters so as to avoid any potential herky-jerky feeling as the story moves between the magic and the, well, less-than-magic.

CASEY: Rowling wrote characters who matured realistically, and Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) and Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley) have all aged comfortably, but not complacently, with their roles. As a result, the film's heavy dose of teen angst, confusion and rage seems entirely genuine. We'll see how believable it is when they're in their early 20s by the time the final film is released in 2011.

HOLLY: I think they'll be fine. Actors in their 20s play high-school kids all the time. Besides, won't the final two installations have them out of Hogwart's for the most part? I'm looking forward to seeing how it's all wrapped up, both for the story and for the visuals. The cinematography, art direction and set design on "Half-Blood Prince" was thrilling.

CASEY: It's been tough being a post-adolescent, male "Harry Potter" fan, but as the series has reached this darker, more mature phase, that admission has become easier to make. After "Half-blood Prince," I fully expect more of my peers to come out of the broom closet with me.