While the movie was lacking some of the more in depth development of many of it's characters (including the half-blood prince) that the book had, it was able to meet the basic needs given it's 2 1/2 hour crunch. The humor was kicked up a few notches, the action was more intense than ever, and it was decent enough for the whole family. While it is no substitute for the book, it was my favorite of the movies thus far.