Warning: This review CONTAINS SPOILERS. Seriously. Don’t read if you haven’t seen the movie or read the books.

I grew up with Harry Potter. Alongside him, is more appropriate actually. I picked up the first book from Barnes and Noble at the age of 9, and I remember the anticipation as each book came out. Each midnight release as my friend Emma’s mom, Ann, bought us root beers and cookies at the Barnes and Noble café while we trooped around in big rimmed glasses with lightning bolt scars drawn on our heads, awaiting 12 AM when the book would finally be in our hands.

As Harry grew and adventured and experienced, I did too. I felt the pangs of first love, the loss of old friends, the joys of new ones with a fictional character who was as real as anything to me. As I read the seventh and final book cover to cover last year, I felt like a piece of my childhood was gone. I was finally grown up.

The movie franchise, however I might feel about them, has been a bit backwards. As each film has been released I’ve been less and less excited. I thought they started out splendidly. I remember tearing up in the theater at the age of thirteen when I heard Sir Richard Harris mutter the line, “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” I was terrified of the basilisk, and in love with Kenneth Branaugh as Gilderoy Lockhart. But as the kids grew up in the films and the CGI was relied on more and more, the magic was slowly lost for me. Especially in Movie 5, Order of the Phoenix.

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Back in 2001, legendary director of “family friendly” films Chris Columbus teamed up with Warner Bros. to bring the works of J.K. Rowling to the silver screen with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. They managed to do so with such amazing prestige and results that the rest of the films were sure to follow in line. This trend stayed true for a few more years with Chamber of Secrets and Prisoner of Azkaban. The movies were getting better and darker as the titular character grew older. Sadly, with the latest installment, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the only thing the audience gets this time is awkward emotions and a sense of loss.

With The Half-Blood Prince, which is based on the sixth book in the Harry Potter series, the viewer is treated differently. Rather than open their minds to a secret world of magic and wizardry, they are already inundated with such things We have all just gotten over the loss of Harry’s “uncle”, Sirius Black, and the very first battle is waged between good and evil. This movie should carry on the excitement and those feelings, right? Sadly, not in this case.

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Now packed with even more Harry and Dumbledore, this new Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince featurette, um, features some extended scenes of Harry and his mentor/father figure trying to decide just what to do about the things going on these days at Hogwarts and in the world of Muggles. Of course, they don’t decide to just sit around and talk but instead embark on a perilous journey to retrieve the one final piece of the puzzle that will help them destroy Voldemort. Did you really think they wouldn’t?

Plus, as this is a “behind the scenes” video we also get some cast and director interviews explaining some of the finer plot points as well as a further look at the filmmaking process itself. All in all, a rather interesting video that adds even more fuel to the fire of excitement for this movie to finally be released. Fortunately, we don’t have to wait much longer as the film will hit theaters on July 15.

If you’re a Harry Potter fan, be sure to watch the full video after the jump.

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Warner Brothers has begun airing two new TV spots for the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The film, the sixth cinematic incarnation of the franchise, again follows the adventures of the Hogwarts kids Harry, Hermione and Ron and their attempt to learn magic, grow up and try to stay alive against the growing tide of evil that surrounds Harry and his mysterious past.

Of course, we’ve covered this movie quite a bit before and will keep doing so because we’re fans. These new TV spots give us further insight into the movie and show some of the action we can expect. Plus, they look pretty cool. And, because its Sunday, we’ve thrown in a few new photos from the film as well for your enjoyment. So, enjoy. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince hits theaters on July 15th.

Check out the TV spots and the photos after the jump.

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Once more we bring you news of your favorite tween wizard and his pals. Previously, we’ve shown you some video, a cool poster and more from the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth movie based on J.K. Rowling’s novel of the same name.

This time around, we’ve got a brand new poster (the ‘Dark Secrets’ edition) from the film, via MSN, and its all Harry all the time for this one with his Potterness front and center, wand at the ready and about to kick some Voldemort butt. He’s flanked, of course, by his trusted pals and mentor Hermione, Ron and Dumbledore.

I wonder what those ‘dark secrets’ could be? I guess we’ll find out when Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince hits theaters July 15th.Until then, you could always go back and read the books again — or for the first time. They’re quite good and, I believe, rather popular.

Be sure to check out a larger version of the poster after the jump.

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Apparantly, we’re big fans of the Harry Potter franchise aroiund here because we keep bringing you information about the upcoming latest installment known as Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. In the past few weeks there’s been some TV spots, a poster and other stuff to help you pass the time until the film opens.

This time around, there’s a brand new TV spot called “The Chosen One” for you to take a look at. And yes, this one focuses pretty much exclusively on your beloved tween wizard. Please enjoy. If you want to check out the previous TV spots, head on over here.

Over at MTV, they’ve got some new stuff for all you Harry Potter fans anxiously awaiting the latest big-screen installment of the franchise Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which opens on July 15th.

New this week at MTV is a featurette which, well, features some new footage from the film as well as cast interviews with stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, producer David Baron and director David Yates.

There’s also lots of running, jumping, flying, fire, explosions and, of course, magic. All the things you would expect from a Harry Potter film. As a somewhat reluctant fan of the franchise, I have to say its grown on me over the years and turned into something I look forward to seeing. From this footage at least, it looks like this film is going to be the best of the series so far and a lot of fun. Check it out.