Skip to main content
Games Radar Newsarama Total Film Edge Retro Gamer
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The smarter take on movies
UK EditionUK US EditionUS CA EditionCanada AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
Subscribe now
Don't miss these
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Best Netflix Shows
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies
  3. Family Movies
  4. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Trailer Breakdown: Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince

Features
By Total Film published 6 March 2009

A frame-by-frame staredown of the latest footage...

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Flushed Away

Flushed Away

Poor old Harry. He's got enough to deal with in his life without having his noggin flushed down the loo... Oh, wait... No, it's Dumbledore's magical memory Pensieve thing.

Page 1 of 24
Page 1 of 24
Flushed Away

Flushed Away

Poor old Harry. He's got enough to deal with in his life without having his noggin flushed down the loo... Oh, wait... No, it's Dumbledore's magical memory Pensieve thing.

Page 2 of 24
Page 2 of 24
Misty Watercolour Memories

Misty Watercolour Memories

Like Mr Huey Lewis once sang, we're goin' back in time... To a rain-sodden street loaded with foreshadowing and Dumbledore-led narration. "Years ago, I knew a boy who made all the wrong choices..."

Page 3 of 24
Page 3 of 24
Misty Watercolour Memories

Misty Watercolour Memories

Like Mr Huey Lewis once sang, we're goin' back in time... To a rain-sodden street loaded with foreshadowing and Dumbledore-led narration. "Years ago, I knew a boy who made all the wrong choices..."

Page 4 of 24
Page 4 of 24
Twisted Firestarter

Twisted Firestarter

Thats Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, and he's Ralph Fiennes' nephew. This trailer really seems to like its fire...

Page 5 of 24
Page 5 of 24
Twisted Firestarter

Twisted Firestarter

Thats Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, and he's Ralph Fiennes' nephew. This trailer really seems to like its fire...

Page 6 of 24
Page 6 of 24
Watery Grave

Watery Grave

Also, it's really ladelling on the doom and gloom (just as it should since the story is turning darker and darker). Skeletons in the sea? Cool...

Page 7 of 24
Page 7 of 24
Watery Grave

Watery Grave

Also, it's really ladelling on the doom and gloom (just as it should since the story is turning darker and darker). Skeletons in the sea? Cool...

Page 8 of 24
Page 8 of 24
Stare Wars

Stare Wars

He's got a mad stare, that one. "He seemed a student like any other. His name… Tom Riddle." Seems like a nice lad. OR IS HE?

Page 9 of 24
Page 9 of 24
Times A-Changin'

Times A-Changin'

The only thing more frightening than Tom's stare? Dumbledore's outfit. That alone should surely ward off evil.

Page 10 of 24
Page 10 of 24
Voldy's Here!

Voldy's Here!

"Today the world knows him by another name…" Long, dramatic, drawn-out pause even though we all know who he is... "Voldemort!" We see a near-subliminal flash of Ralph himself in his usual Voldemort form.

Page 11 of 24
Page 11 of 24
Crystal Tips

Crystal Tips

"This memory is everything," explains the headmaster as Harry stares at the crystal used to capture it. So it's either vital to the ongoing war against evil, or one of Dumbledore's favourite holiday snaps.

Page 12 of 24
Page 12 of 24
Crystal Tips

Crystal Tips

"This memory is everything," explains the headmaster as Harry stares at the crystal used to capture it. So it's either vital to the ongoing war against evil, or one of Dumbledore's favourite holiday snaps.

Page 13 of 24
Page 13 of 24
Windswept

Windswept

"Worst. Field Trip. Ever", thinks Harry as Dumbledore takes him to a barren outcropping in the middle of the sea.

Page 14 of 24
Page 14 of 24
Memory Stick

Memory Stick

"This memory is a different kind of magic," continues our bearded voice-over expert as Professor Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent) has one of his own removed and examined.

Page 15 of 24
Page 15 of 24
Snatched From The Air

Snatched From The Air

"Very dark. Very powerful," says Dumbledore. Yes, it's one of those powerful elements that never seem to crop up in the Potter stories. Except for always.

Page 16 of 24
Page 16 of 24
Devil Woman

Devil Woman

That'll be Narcissa Malfoy, played by Helen McCrory. She has some tough choices to make in this adventure. But then, that's life being married to Jason Isaacs' Lucius.

Page 17 of 24
Page 17 of 24
Evil Spirit In The Sky

Evil Spirit In The Sky

"Dear Voldemort... I'd like my face-in-the-smoke effect back, please... Cheers, The Mummy."

Page 18 of 24
Page 18 of 24
Jumping In

Jumping In

Helena Bonham-Carter's diabolical Bellatrix Lestrange teleports past one of Hogwarts' heavy defences. Yet more fire!

Page 19 of 24
Page 19 of 24
Friends Forever

Friends Forever

Oh, look... Ron and Hermione! They're in the trailer, too. Don't get to say anything, though - which seems a bit wrong.

Page 20 of 24
Page 20 of 24
Ring Of Fire

Ring Of Fire

Dumbledore's back! We're guessing he was watching the trailer, too. "Without it, we are blind. Without it we leave the fate of our world to chance..." More destruction. And, yes, more fire.

Page 21 of 24
Page 21 of 24
Structurally Unsound

Structurally Unsound

We were all warned about the wobbly millenium bridge, and now look at it. Okay, so maybe the Death Eaters' dark magic had something to do with it...

Page 22 of 24
Page 22 of 24
Impossible Mission?

Impossible Mission?

A final, rapid-fire montage features more of Dumbledore's wise words: "You have no choice, you must not fail…", Harry getting all proactive ("Fight back, you coward!" he screams at an enemy). And a parting line from Albus: "Once again, I must ask too much of you Harry."

While the trailer had a lot of previously seen footage, the long wait for the movie means more CGI has been completed. After all the talk about each Potter sequel being 'darker' than the last, this one finally looks like it might deliver something torrid and twisted.

Page 23 of 24
Page 23 of 24
Impossible Mission?

Impossible Mission?

A final, rapid-fire montage features more of Dumbledore's wise words: "You have no choice, you must not fail…", Harry getting all proactive ("Fight back, you coward!" he screams at an enemy). And a parting line from Albus: "Once again, I must ask too much of you Harry."

While the trailer had a lot of previously seen footage, the long wait for the movie means more CGI has been completed. After all the talk about each Potter sequel being 'darker' than the last, this one finally looks like it might deliver something torrid and twisted.

Page 24 of 24
Page 24 of 24
Total Film

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine. 

Share by:
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Whatsapp
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Latest in Family Movies
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
More adaptations of Nintendo's hit games are on the way, teases president Shuntaro Furukawa: "We are continuing to prepare for the ongoing release of movies in the future"
 
 
Hocus Pocus
Original Hocus Pocus star is open to return for Hocus Pocus 3: "I’d like to know what they land on for how Dani wound up."
 
 
James Franco in Oz the Great and Powerful
The 32 box office hits you've probably forgotten about
 
 
Kevin, Harry, and Marv in Home Alone.
"I think it should be left alone": Home Alone director on why a reboot would be a "mistake"
 
 
Disney's One Hundred and One Dalmatians
The 32 greatest Disney animated movies ever made
 
 
Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird
The 32 greatest movies about dads ever made
 
 
Latest in Features
Oblivion Remastered
Oblivion Remastered's wildest bug made me choose between losing achievements or living as a fugitive
 
 
A player taking cover and shooting in The Expanse: Osiris Reborn
The Expanse: Osiris Reborn could finally make Owlcat mainstream: "We’d been feeling a growing ambition to go bigger"
 
 
Fable
Fable's black and white morality has been a dead weight since 2010 and I'm glad it's getting cut
 
 
Highguard screenshots
I love Highguard's 2Fort-style sieges – when they actually happen
 
 
Overseer Steph Harper (Annabel O'Hagan) in Fallout season 2.
I'm loving Fallout season 2, but it suddenly has a Star Wars problem
 
 
Photo of a Gengar toy sitting on a pile of Razer and Hori gaming accessories.
There's no end in sight for official Pokemon Gengar gaming accessories, and I'm 100% okay with that
 
 
  1. Veiled Fate box displaying the logo, a maze, and silhouettes heroes, sat on a wooden surface
    1
    This hidden role board game makes me feel like a puppet master, so Traitors fans should listen up
  2. 2
    Cairn review: "This climber has a grip on me – even when it loses its footing with awkward systems, the challenge remains surmountable"
  3. 3
    The Doom Arena Board Game is hell on Earth (in the best way) | Preview
  4. 4
    This award-winning board game is a five star must-have
  5. 5
    Code Vein 2 review: "This vampire take on Elden Ring almost works, but the dungeons themselves lack bite"
  1. Return to Silent Hill protagonist James Sunderland
    1
    Return to Silent Hill review: "Neither an impressive adaptation nor coherent enough to act as a standalone film"
  2. 2
    28 Years Later: The Bone Temple review: "The wildest and weirdest entry into the franchise yet"
  3. 3
    Avatar: Fire and Ash review: "Still a technical marvel, with some of the year's best action filmmaking"
  4. 4
    Five Nights at Freddy's 2 review: "We have waited two years for a Five Nights at Freddy's 1.5"
  5. 5
    Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery review: "Brings Knives Out back to its roots for a sequel that's almost on a par with the original"
  1. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams in Wonder Man.
    1
    Wonder Man review: "A low-key gem that's up there with the MCU's best"
  2. 2
    Starfleet Academy review: "It may feel a little different to what we're used to, but this is Star Trek through and through"
  3. 3
    A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms review: "This Game of Thrones spin-off is a heartfelt and fun return to Westeros"
  4. 4
    Stranger Things season 5 finale review: “Shows off both the best and the worst of Hawkins”
  5. 5
    Stranger Things season 5, Volume 2 review: “All set up for a finale that has so much to deliver”

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...