The Film
Three friends skip out on school when times are grim in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) find themselves on the run from Voldermort and the newly corrupted Ministry of Magic while they search for the last four horcruxes -- pieces of the Dark Lord's soul that ensure his immortailty.
While Deathly Hallows was split into two parts for the series finale, it follows the storyline fairly well. The film does a good job making this the darkest episode yet. Death Eaters and snatchers (the Ministry of Magic's secret police) pop up throughout the film searching for the trio, and finally capturing them near the end of the film. A new element, the Deathly Hallows, is introduced as the story of Harry Potter winds down. Now Harry, Hermione and Ron will seek out the location of the all-powerful wand -- one of the three components of the Deathly Hallows -- along with the remaining horcruxes in the final film (hitting theaters this summer).
The Picture
In dark times directors use dark settings and filters to cast a shadow on the film. Not a sunny day in the film, many scenes have a bluish cast and dark undertones. Color appears rich and skin tones fill in with color. Deathly Hallows even gives Bill Nighy color in his cheeks. He's normally a pasty Brit.
For the most part, details in the film are crisp, despite the darkness. It's always fun to see the objects and venues of the magical world, and we wouldn't want to miss it due to limitations in the picture quality. There are plenty of familiar settings revealed here in exquisite detail such as the Weasley's home (the Burrow) and the Ministry of Magic, where you want to see the magic happen. However so much of the film takes place in the dark woods and other desolate locations (with the three heroes constantly on the run) that the additional detail available on Blu-ray doesn't add as much to the experience as it could. In some of the forest scenes, the film looks grainy, perhaps due to the subdued lighting.
The Sound
This is not just a dialog-driven film. Yes, there is plenty of dialog worth paying attention to. However there's also plenty of explosive spells and wand-to-wand showdowns that makes the film exciting. The 5.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack presents all elements from word exchanges to wand exchanges with realistic detail.
Sonic detail is often so realistic, it makes you feel like you're there. In the woods you can hear every animal and every insect nearby. The opening credit scene features the classic WB logo in rusted form and you not only hear but feel the rust curling the metal as you see it shedding the sign.
The Extras
Author J.K. Rowling breathed a lot of life into the Harry Potter series, and features such as "Maximum Movie Mode" help keep the flames stoked. In this mode you can watch the full movie and as an introduction from Jason Isaacs, the actor who plays Lucius Malfoy explains, actors and cast will narrate information about the film such as background on a character or particular magical object. In other parts an actor reads sections of the book that correspond to the scene.
A few additional extras follow Harry and other characters and actors from over the years. The list is somewhat impressive, however it's just a taste compared to the special edition Year 7 box set that will be released once all eight of the films are available Fans will want to check out the sneak peak of Deathly Hallows, Part II which is present here.
Final Thoughts
This latest installment in the Harry Potter series is a must see and probably a must own for just about anybody who has watched the boy who lived grow up from an abused adolescent to a confident but brooding young adult who is going to take on the world, or at least his mortal enemy. And with a solid video transfer, excellent sound and interesting extras, Blu-ray is the best way to bring it home.
Product Details
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