Each of the characters is given a very thorough fleshing out and this helps not just to get the audience to invest in the characters, but also to make them something the actors can bite into. No one does this better than the always pleasing Alan Rickman as Severus Snape. Rickman is finally given the ample screen time he and the character have been lacking in the recent films and he delivers a spot on performance in every scene. That being said, I was most impressed with Jim Broadbent as Horace Slughorn. While some of the “one off” characters who come in for a film and then disappear back into the magical world have been almost too cartoonish, but still pleasing, Broadbent manages to make his addition to the franchise a living, breathing and most importantly, sympathetic person who seems as real as anyone you might meet on the street, be it Diagon Alley or Time Square.

Playing younger versions of the Dark Lord are Frank Dilane and Hero Fiennes Tiffin. Both actors do a fantastic job of capturing the progression of a would-be serial killer/madman and each offers a uniquely chilling performance that never seems contrived or what you might expect. In fact, when young Hero says, “I can hurt people” the darkness in his eyes seems more at home as an adolescent pet killing psychopath from a Stephen King novel than a young wizard from the mind of JK Rowling.

Daniel Radcliffe once again shows an increasingly growing talent and his performance as the title character is much more layered and humanized than in past films. Emma Watson and Rupert Grint deliver excellent portrayals of Hermione and Ron yet again and the romance between their characters is one of the main subplots of the film and very enjoyable to watch. Bonnie Wright, who plays Ginny Weasley (and Harry’s love interest), delivers a wonderfully simple, but still very powerful performance with just the right amount of confidence and vulnerability that make it clear why Harry would fall for her.

Helena Bonham Carter delivers an enjoyable if not sadly too brief performance as well and Michael Gambon as Dumbledore delivers an amazing performance. We see a man who has always appeared to know it all showing his vulnerabilities, but without looking weak while doing so. His moments onscreen range from oddly eerie to deeply poignant and each and every one of them is superbly acted by a true artist.

Behind the scenes, the production team led by production designer Stuart Craig doesn’t really have any new set pieces to show off this go round (with the blissfully silly exception of the Weasley Brothers Joke Shop), but all the familiar rooms and halls of Hogwarts and other magical locales look better than ever with wonderful touches of magic throughout. The visual effects in the film are practically seamless as well and the Quidditch match in the film is the best realization we’ve seen of the sport on ...