Discovering the Real World of Harry Potter (Special
Interest)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+ Extras: C+ Main Program: C+
The arc
of commercial success for the Harry Potter character continues to march on,
with a third film on the way and the latest book setting more sales
records. If we can ever offer up a
single reason to be satisfied with the franchise, it is that it got media-sick
kids to read books again. Hollywood thought they only wanted to play
videogames, listen to music and watch movies, but kids are always smarter than
they think. That is even when stupid
films make money.
A program
a couple of years ago looked at the phenomenon called Discovering the Real World of Harry Potter that may not be
authorized by creator J.K. Rowlings, but has her in interview footage. Warner Bros. Pictures had no part of the show
either, but we see the crowds taking the film in. It talks about the background,
influences
and origins of the character. This is a
feast for those interested in Children’s Fiction, Fantasy, and Mythology
literature, but does not do much otherwise if you could care less.
The full
frame picture is above average, due to the recently used analog videotape (PAL
likely) and the Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo has some surrounds, but they are lite. The main program is short, and the four
supplement sections better round out the rest of the DVD. The adjoining featurettes, with experts in
their field, are The Ghostly Visitors of
Harry Potter, Harry Potter’s Alchemical & Herbal World, In The Footsteps of
Harry Potter, and Harry Potter &
The Holy Grail. They are all well
informed and well done, not overlapping the information much in the main
program.
This is
all a great little intellectual scavenger hunt for kids and fans, but others
should be aware that they had better be interested in the subjects at hand, or
they will be bored quickly. Not bad for
those interested, though.
- Nicholas Sheffo
