Harry Potter has quietly crept up the list of my favorite film franchises, which is as much a surprise to me as anybody. I never would've thought that the adventures of a boy wizard attending a school for wannabe mages could be this engrossing, thrilling, and far more mature than many other films out there. I'm past the point of seeing this as a bunch of stories for kids, especially since the darker tone it's been taking in it's ramp up to the final throwdown between Harry and Voldemort. The new trailer for The Half Blood Prince shows more of the stunning visual effects, and another glimpse at the terrors in store for Harry. It's scheduled to be released on July 17, and I can hardly wait.