The Vatican Likes the New Harry Potter Film. Shouldn’t You?

Barring a decision to hold up the movie for another 6-9 months, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will be hitting the theaters at midnight tonight. So far the reviews are quite good, and expectations are pretty high for a movie that takes place after one of the most painful moments in the series thus far. A lot happens in this one, and if you haven’t read the books I won’t spoil it for you.

Thankfully the Catholic Church doesn’t ruin it either, as they decided to give Half-Blood Prince high praise for its depiction of good and evil:

“There is a clear line of demarcation between good and evil and [the film] makes clear that good is right. One understands as well that sometimes this requires hard work and sacrifice,” the newspaper judged.

The broadsheet paper also praised the film’s clear message that “the search for immortality epitomised by Lord Voldemort” was wrong. It even approved of the film’s treatment of adolescent romance amid the halls and corridors of Hogwarts, saying that it achieved the “correct balance” and made the teenage stars more credible.

While kind of a didactic view of the story, it shows some of what author J.K. Rowling has been weaving into her stories for well over a decade. From the first book onward the idea that good and evil are simply empty concepts has been seen as the ultimate lie set forth by the chief villain in the story. Many  characters in the books are willing to risk their lives to combat this man and his lies, and that doesn’t stop in this volume.

On a related note, it’s nice to see some more Christians embracing this film. For a few years it felt like those of us who appreciated this series were few and far between. I remember the massive amounts of emails, radio shows, and books that came into existence to persuade people against reading it. Thankfully some of this has subsided now, and people who had been adamantly against Harry Potter have softened their tone and begun to see some of the larger themes that go well beyond little boys shouting Latin phrases at each other. Speaking of which, check out The Hog’s Head for some insights into The Half-Blood Prince as well as the occasional “Pubcast” about the series.