In an @ The Movies interview in 2007, Daniel Radcliffe said there was a moment during the filming of the climactic battle scene at the conclusion of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" when Sirius Black star Gary Oldman whispered to him, 'Basically, Dan, we're Butch and Sundance.'"

"And," Radcliffe cheerfully added, "I was Sundance."

But unlike Sundance in the 1969 classic, Harry survived, and has risen from the ashes of the costly battle for "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," the highly anticipated sixth chapter in the film saga based on author J.K. Rowling's blockbuster book series.

And while the loss of Sirius Black remains a painful memory for Harry, he is finding inspiration in "The Half-Blood Prince" through the guidance of Professor Albus Dumbledore -- a mentoring relationship similar, perhaps, to Obi-Wan and young Luke.

"That's a good one -- that's very accurate, actually," an ecstatic Radcliffe responded in an @ The Movies interview Thursday. "I like that. And I think Michael could probably do a good Alec Guinness if you asked him to."

The comparison of Luke Skywalker to Harry Potter in the new film isn't far-fetched, actually, when you consider that Harry, like the famed screen Jedi, is The Chosen One. And as Dumbledore weakens and the keys to unlocking the mystery of how to defeat Voldemort become more out of reach, the aging head of Hogwarts relies more than ever on Harry as the only person capable of defeating the Dark Lord.

"Harry's having a bit of a tough time in this one, certainly," Radcliffe mused. "There are a few times where he's flippant talking about being The Chosen One, which is quite funny, but at this point in the film series he's becomes a paranoid and obsessive character."

While the "Harry Potter" films have been darker with each passing chapter since the saga's debut in 2001, "The Half-Blood Prince" takes a breather from the serious side of things from time to time to explore the burgeoning romances within the walls of Hogwarts -- and some comedy to go with it.

"I always love the dark stuff, that's what I have the most fun doing," said Radcliffe, who turns 20 next week. "The comedy stuff is probably more out of my comfort zone, but it's still fun to do. I think the comedy in this one is brilliant, most of the time because of Rupert Grint. I'm a very willing and competent straight man for Rupert. I'm a very good foil for Rupert. He's hilarious and wonderful at it. It comes completely natural to him."

Grint also takes flight in a pair of Quidditch scenes for the first time in a "Harry Potter" movie for "The Half-Blood Prince," which Radcliffe says highlights his co-star's prowess for physical comedy.

"In one particular scene he's like Buster Keaton on a broomstick," Radcliffe added with a laugh. "He's great to watch."

Exploring 'The Deathly Hallows'

Radcliffe, of course, will get down to serious business again with the film adaptation of the final book in the series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."

The actor, who waited with burning anticipation along with millions of other Potter fans to discover the fate of his character with the release of the seventh and final "Harry Potter" book, said he's thrilled that Rowling's final chapter in the boy wizard saga is being divided into two parts.

"As soon as I read the seventh book, I said, 'There's no way we can do this in one film,' and it doubled everybody else's reaction," Radcliffe said. "It was something that they talked about doing for fourth, fifth and sixth films, when the books were becoming massive, but there was always some stuff in them you could cut out without losing the main plot. Whereas in book seven, there is absolutely nothing you can cut without losing the main plotline."

And because Radcliffe and company will get to examine the depth of the material in great detail for the two films, he's confident that "The Deathly Hallows" will fulfill everybody's expectations.

"We're in the middle of filming it at the moment -- and you would not have found me saying this about any of the other films at this stage in the process -- but I think we could do something extraordinary with this movie," Radcliffe said. "I really think these films, both part one and two, can be amazing."