Skip to main content
Games Radar
  • Newsarama
  • Total Film
  • Edge
  • Retro Gamer
  • SFX
Total Film The smarter take on movies
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • SFX
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
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
View
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best Netflix Shows
Recommended reading
Harry Potter
Fantasy Movies The best Harry Potter movies ranked from worst to wand-erful
Brec Bassinger in front of a deadly fire in Final Destination Bloodlines
Horror Movies Final Destination Bloodlines Review: "Meticulous murderous mayhem"
Upcoming movies: Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible - Final Reckoning
Action Movies Tom Cruise completes yet another slew of death-defying stunts in new Mission: Impossible - Final Reckoning trailer shown behind closed doors
The Phoenician Scheme trailer
Comedy Movies Sicario star leads Wes Anderson's new movie in weird and wonderful new trailer
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning trailer
Mission Impossible Movies New trailer for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is a giant love letter to the franchise and Tom Cruise's action star career
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Animated Movies 20 years later, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is still as clever and funny as it was in 2005
Tom Cruise hangs from a plane in Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning
Action Movies Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning review: "Wraps up this spy franchise in spectacular style with Tom Cruise in peak condition, even if its villain lacks terror"
  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 March 6, 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. 

See more Movies Features
Read more
Harry Potter
The best Harry Potter movies ranked from worst to wand-erful
Brec Bassinger in front of a deadly fire in Final Destination Bloodlines
Final Destination Bloodlines Review: "Meticulous murderous mayhem"
Upcoming movies: Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible - Final Reckoning
Tom Cruise completes yet another slew of death-defying stunts in new Mission: Impossible - Final Reckoning trailer shown behind closed doors
The Phoenician Scheme trailer
Sicario star leads Wes Anderson's new movie in weird and wonderful new trailer
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning trailer
New trailer for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is a giant love letter to the franchise and Tom Cruise's action star career
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
20 years later, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is still as clever and funny as it was in 2005
Latest in Family Movies
Rachel Sennott in Shiva Baby
The 32 greatest movies under 90 minutes
A Minecraft Movie chicken jockey scene
We finally know when A Minecraft Movie will be streaming, and it's in just a few days
A promotional still from Step Brothers
The 32 greatest movies about siblings
The Lego Movie
The 32 Greatest Animated Movies of the 2010s
Sonic 2
Sonic 3 star says she "would love" to do a Tails spin-off series – and she's already got an idea for it
Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles in Sonic 3
As Sonic 4 release date is revealed, fans are theorizing what story the next movie will tell
Latest in Features
Heavy Metal Death Can demo screenshot
I got a nicotine rush and set zombies on fire in this PS1-style survival horror demo, and it's basically Resident Evil on a submarine
A PSVR 2 review image next to the marketing reveal image of the Meta Quest 3S, separated by an orange line
Xbox finally has a VR headset, but it's not the PSVR 2 rival I was hoping for
Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster image showing a giant city built upon a hill by the sea
Bravely Default's remaster is secretly the Switch 2's must-play RPG, but it's still flying under the radar
Rematch players celebrating in a large stadium
"The essence of football is not in the rules": Rematch's creative director on nailing that five-a-side feeling and making a game "about kicking a ball rather than kicking heads in"
Sean Gunn as Maxwell Lord in Peacemaker season 2 trailer
Maxwell Lord - The comic history of the villain who mind-controlled Superman and almost destroyed the Justice League
Donkey Kong Bananza gamesradar+ summer preview 2025 DK and Pauline looking scared
Donkey Kong Bananza is a destructive delight that's basically Super Mario Odyssey+, and I can't believe it wasn't a Switch 2 launch title
  1. Sam fires at the ghost mech squid boss in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
    1
    Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review: "This tarpunk delivery epic is more Metal Gear Solid than ever, for better and worse"
  2. 2
    Rematch review: "As with Rocket League, the just-one-more-game pull is magnetic"
  3. 3
    Tron: Catalyst review: "Disc slinging is a thrill in this gorgeous rendition of the series, but I'm let down by a time-loop story that falls flat"
  4. 4
    FBC: Firebreak review: "A disappointingly bland multiplayer FPS that's missing far too much of what made Control special"
  5. 5
    Dune: Awakening review: "Both extremely compelling and extraordinarily boring, sometimes at the same time – yet still a true Dune love letter"
  1. A T-rex in Jurassic World Rebirth
    1
    Jurassic World Rebirth Review: "An unscary sequel that needed a little more time in amber"
  2. 2
    M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion"
  3. 3
    28 Years Later Review: "Enough terror, splatter and suspense to satisfy”
  4. 4
    Predator: Killer of Killers review: "Great characters, thrilling action, and gorgeous Arcane-esque animation"
  5. 5
    From the World of John Wick: Ballerina review: "Brilliant action, even if the plot gives you a sense of déjà vu"
  1. Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun in Squid Game season 3
    1
    Squid Game season 3 review: "A staggeringly excellent final season wraps up one of the greatest Netflix shows ever"
  2. 2
    Ironheart review: "A relic of Marvel's content-at-all-costs era"
  3. 3
    Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 review: "The show's most assured run of episodes to date"
  4. 4
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: 'The Reality War' is "a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling"
  5. 5
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: 'Wish World' is "an exciting and ambitious" start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision

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

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers
  • Do not sell or share my personal information

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

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...