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  1. Entertainment
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  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. 

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