Despite its status as a sure-fire hit, the latest instalment has garnered lukewarm reviews in the UK and is dividing opinion among die-hard fans

It’s already looking like it may rival Transformers for the title of biggest film of the year at the UK box office. But what do the critics so far think of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth instalment of JK Rowling’s tales of witchcraft and wizardry? Well, they’re not exactly bowled over, but few seem willing to condemn David Yates’s second effort in the director’s chair out of hand.

Most seem of the opinion that Half-Blood Prince is a perfectly entertaining if somewhat workmanlike addition to the canon; that Yates is capable of some transcendent action sequences, and while the actors playing Harry and his pals are still not quite there – one wonders now if they ever will be – the supporting cast is still made up of the finest British thesps available. Helena Bonham Carter, as the insane Bellatrix Lestrange, and newcomer Jim Broadbent as the slimy Professor Horace Slughorn are singled out for praise.

The consensus seems to be that these films are never going to be remarkable standalone cinematic experiences – fans of Alfonso Cuarón’s startling The Prisoner of Azkaban might disagree – but that the Potter phenomenon is so unstoppable that they remain enjoyable experiences nonetheless.

“The latest instalment is more of the same tried and tested formula to be sure, but it’s a formula that produces pure gold as far as the fans are concerned,” Wendy Ide writes in the Times. “The Potter movie experience is bigger than the sum of the individual talents that contribute to its making. David Yates, the director, orchestrates the picture with dizzying energy and confidence, but the might of the Potter phenomenon dwarfs his individual artistic contribution.”

The Telegraph’s Sarah Crompton writes: “Voldemort never actually appears, and there are surprisingly few action sequences – adapter Steve Kloves, back in his chair after a one-film absence, has taken the surprising decision to junk the one big battle in the book. But those there are – a chase in the corn between Harry and the Death Eaters, the scene in a forbidding cave where Harry and Dumbledore seek to unravel Voldemort’s secrets – crackle with a chilling sense of threat.”

“Director David Yates knows how to play all the cards,” writes our own Andrew Pulver. “Although a touch ungainly, his film is solidly constructed, with lots of fine effects. If, as Potter approaches his final confrontation with Voldemort, the wizardly battles begin to resemble Lord of the Rings, it’s hardly a handicap; this is tried and tested cinematic language, and does all it needs.”

Perhaps the most damning review comes from Ella Thorold, 15, who the Independent have drafted in to offer a teenage perspective.

“The scriptwriters bungled several key set pieces, including the funeral scene,” she writes. “Although they almost make up for it with a magical passage where students and teachers raise their wands in tribute. Tears poured down many faces in the cinema at that moment.”

She added: “The Half-Blood Prince is frightening, funny, romantic and entertaining but as the end credits rolled, I still felt disappointed. I had waited all year to see my second-favourite Potter book brought to life. If I wasn’t a die-hard fan, I’m sure I would have loved it. My gripe is that the film was simply too different from the book – the writers inserted pointless scenes and took out others crucial to the narrative. It just could have been better.”

Meanwhile, over on Twitter, Ella’s peers can hardly contain their excitement. “Gosh! i cant wait for Harry Potter! after 1.5 year. emma watson looks so pretty! so relief rupert is kicking swine flu’s ass!” wrote francescaarchie.

“Harry potter filled summer holidays coming up with @ashleighontrol we are SUCH GEEKS xD” wrote Laurabeth6, while DriadeNunes said: “@tommcfly Oh, I want so much watch Harry Potter too, but here in Brazil still 7 days :(“