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Category:    Home > Reviews > Fantasy > Literature > Teens > Harry Potter & The Deathly Hollows – Part 1 (2010/Warner Blu-ray + DVD)

Harry Potter & The Deathly Hollows – Part 1 (2010/Warner Blu-ray + DVD)

 

Picture: A-/B     Sound: A-/B     Extras: B     Film: B

 

 

Warner Bros must be sweating at this point.  Not are they in struggles to keep the rights to Superman, but their Harry Potter magical well is about to run dry…so to speak.  Having been able to stretch the last book into two parts (which was a good choice) they bought themselves some time, but in the end all good things come to an end.

 

On the eve of the last Potter film we have Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: Part 1.  In The Deathly Hollows: Part 1 we have the troubled boy wizard turning the corner in last leg of the race against evil.  All seems lost at this point, with Voldemort’s army growing stronger by the day and now no longer in hiding they feel invincible.  It has become time for magic folk to choose sides and as certain families fear the worst, there is no telling who has fallen victim to darkness.  In for the fight of (and for) his life Harry and his friends set out to find a set of magical items called Horcruxes that possess small pieces of ‘the one who shall not be named’s’ soul.  In his plight to live forever Voldemort had split his soul and placed it into an array of magical implements, but Harry wise to Voldemort’s scheme sets out to destroy them before all is lost.  Concurrently as Harry sets out to destroy Voldemort, Voldemort is more than aware of the boy wizard’s plan and strives to return the favor.  As the final showdown inches closer it is unclear who has the upper hand, but it is only fitting that this epic series have an epic end.

 

The new to Blu-ray film is absolutely amazing.  Whereas I was not impressed by the previous film Deathly Hollows brings the series back to life.  Whereas the films can not stand up to the books, some of the films have done better than others in attempting to accomplish this impossible feat.  Deathly Hollows is in the top three films in series and I have a feeling Part 2 will do even better as it contains the darkest moments the books have to offer.

 

The transfer to Blu-ray is wonderfully rendered and is certainly demo quality.  Deathly Hollows has a very dark style on top of some very jumpy camera work, yet the image remains steady and unwavering even through the most nauseatingly fast paced sequences.  The 16 X 9, 2.4 X 1 1080p transfer has deep, dark, inky blacks on top of brilliant splashes of color.  The image is crisp, clean and clear as each moment is sharp and practically without flaw; though there are certain ‘less than perfect’ moments, they are far and few.  The DTS-HD Master Audio (like the picture) is nearly without flaw.  The sound is immersing as it bellows from the speakers.  This film is all about action and suspense and this track certainly delivers from beginning to end without missing a beat.  As spells are exchanged, as walls come crumbling down Deathly Hollows demonstrates a soundtrack full of blasts, booms, perfect dialogue and scores that only enhance the viewing experience.

 

The DVD is nowhere near as great as the Blu-ray and with the DVD included with the Blu-ray release I think it is a clear choice to purchase the Blu-ray above all else.

 

Most of the extras focus on the technical achievements of the film and are rather short.  There are also a couple fun features that show the actors goofing around, but for the most part though extras were there I felt substance was lacking.  The extras include the following:

 

Return to Griphook

Creating Dobby and Kreacher

Magical Tent!

The Last Days of Privet Drive

Maximum Movie Mode

Hagrid’s Motorbike

Seven Harry’s

On the Green with Rupert, Tom, Olive, and James

Dan, Rupert, and Emma’s Running Competition

Godric’s Hollow/The Harry and Nagini Battle

The Frozen Lake

Additional Scenes

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: Part 1; Soundtrack

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Promo Trailer

 

 

I highly recommend this film and whereas I don’t quite understand the ‘Blair Witch’ filming style at times it is interesting and keeps the film exciting and on the edge.

 

 

-   Michael P. Dougherty II


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