Best Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 (2010) Deals

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List Price: $19.98
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I'm so very happy that I can recommend this one without any hesitation at all!

The last couple Harry Potter films disappointed me in a myriad of ways. My disappointment didn't cause me to hate them, but I did feel let down and I have to admit that I found Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince pretty forgettable. But, being a Potter fan, I still found myself rushing out to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I today. And to my great relief and happiness, I loved it really loved it! Yeah!

The chase of the Seven Potters by the Death Eaters and the trip to the Ministry of Magic are tense and exciting, the endless camping trip is just as effective at portraying the helplessness and frustration the characters are experiencing as it was in the book and the scene that gives us Hermione reading Beedle the Bard's "Tale of the Three Brothers" is riveting and wonderfully creative much, much better than I would have thought it could be. We finally get to meet Bill (and Fleur's briefly-glimpsed wedding dress is gorgeous!) and the whipped cream on top of all this goodness is that the film is much more humorous than I expected. While not everything is included, of course, I didn't come out of this film grumbling things along the lines of "How could they leave out _____?" or "Why did they add ________when it wasn't even in the danged book?" both comments I have been known to make after viewing some of the other films. Instead, I left the theater feeling like I'd seen a relatively faithful rendering of the "real" story. And there were even one or two things that I thought the film did better than the book, most notably the interruption of Harry & Ginny's kiss. The not-in-the-book added scene of Harry and Hermione dancing was both amusing and incredibly poignant a true highlight of the film for me.

For some reason, the enjoyment this film gave me seemed to lift some sort of weight off me which seems a very odd thing to say, I know. I think it returned a good deal of the joy I found in the earlier films when seeing the characters and the places come to life on the screen was so magical. (That first glimpse of Hogwarts!) In a way, I feel like I'm back *in* that I'm once again immersed in the film version of the story in a way that more closely echoes the effect the books had on me. While the films, IMHO, can never hope to match the books, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, Part I, let me feel the magic again. For that I thank everyone involved with it.

I thought the acting by Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson was better than it's been in any of the Potter films they really seem to have come into their own here. Helena Bonham Carter was freakishly perfect as usual, Jason Isaacs very good and Rhys Ifans as Xenophilius Lovegood a welcome newcomer. The film sounds good the score is a mood-setting addition to the film (especially effective, I thought, were the screeching radio sounds during many of the camping scenes) and it looks even better. The shots of the English countryside are beautiful but often seem almost overwhelmingly empty and lonely perfect for the story.

When it was announced that Deathly Hallows would be split into two films, I was glad because I hoped that by doing so the filmmakers would be able to do justice to the complexities of Rowling's plot. And now, having seen Part I, I feel that they've succeeded in doing just that. After this, I can look forward to the last film, not with dread, but with pleasure. And I am incredibly thrilled to be able to say that.

Very highly recommended!

Some info and cautions on the products:

PLEASE NOTE: Because there are reports of various versions of the DVD available from different sellers, I strongly suggest buyers check the packaging carefully to ensure the version they are considering contains everything they're looking for.

I purchased the 3-Disc Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy Combo Pack offered here on Amazon. The DVD included in this pack contains ONLY the film no extras at all. This means that, in this pack, NONE of the extras are watchable without a Blu-ray player. For Blu-ray owners, however, the other two discs in this 3-pack contain the following extras:

Additional Scenes

The Burrow's Shed: Ron Discusses Radios with Mr. Weasley

The Dursley House: Harry and Aunt Petunia As They Leave House

The Dursley House: Harry and Dudley Shake Hands

The Granger House: Death Eaters Search Deserted Home

Ministry of Magic Lifts: Harry Tells Arthur He's Being Tracked

Tent: Trio Discusses Destroying The Locket

Rabbit Chase in the Forest

Montage: Ron and Hermione Skimming Stones

Other Extras:

Exclusive Sneak Peek of an opening scene from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Maximum Movie Mode: Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy) and other members of the cast and crew take viewers on an interactive journey through Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. Plus, revisit important moments from the previous films to prepare for the final battle that takes place in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.

Dan, Rupert and Emma's Running Competition While filming the escape scene from the Snatchers in Swinley Forest, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson engage in a little competition of their own. With commentary by director David Yates.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1: Behind the Soundtrack

The Seven Harrys See how Daniel Radcliffe recreated the personalities of the different characters that transform into Harrys during the escape from Privet Drive.

On the Green with Rupert, Tom, Oliver and James Accompany Rupert Grint, Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), Oliver Phelps (George Weasley) and James Phelps (Fred Weasley) for a round of golf and get a glimpse into their 10-year friendship that developed while making the Harry Potter films.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Promotional Trailer Join Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and other cast members from the Harry Potter films on their first visit to the Grand Opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida. (I was fortunate enough to visit the Wizarding World recently and enjoyed it immensely. Those responsible for its creation have done a terrific job in creating an atmosphere true to the books and films. I particularly enjoyed the many small and delightful details they took care to include. Harry's youngest fans, though, may be disappointed that the rides are geared to older fans.)

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Great road trip movie. A bit slow at times, but excellent character building, and even some decent acting by the main three. They really have come a long ways. Especially Harry / Daniel who over the past few films has grown immensely as an actor.

However, I am SO, SO sick of the studios PURPOSEFULLY doing a bad job on their DVD transfers only to promote Blu-Rays. The explosion of combo packs has driven this further, because many folks with a 32" or smaller 720p set can't see the difference between a Blu-Ray and upcoverted DVD...UNLESS the DVD is a *terrible* quality source. The studios are now MALICIOUSLY doing horrible transfer jobs in order to make the Blu-Ray look better. This is not conspiracy theory. Watch for yourself by comparing HP7 with HP4 or 5 on DVD!

There is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON that the HP7 DVD should look this bad. First off, it is only using a fraction of the available DVD dual-layer space available, and as such is *riddled* with compression artifacts. You need no more proof than that, but the real proof is in the pudding! Compare the HP4 and HP5 dark scenes with those in HP7 pt 1 and you will see NIGHT AND DAY difference in quality. Things should be better today, not worse. You can't tell me it was on accident. This was almost certainly found and raised during quality control, and quietly snuffed by the marketing folks. It was engineered this way on purpose.

While we are a Blu-Ray household with 4 total BD players (living room, MBR, newest desktop, newest laptop), we have nearly a dozen DVD Players counting older laptops, desktops, portable DVD players, and cars. Overall, this movie undoubtedly will be watched more on DVD than on BD. We shouldn't be subjecdted to inferior quality just because some bozo in Marketing things it will impact BD sales 1% to 2%. I don't care if he's right. It's not fair. We pay a good price for the DVD, and we should get a product that is the best possible for the money. Not one that is artifcially neutered for marketing reasons!!!

I blame Warner Brothers. There is no excuse for this. I do not feel this was an accident, and this needs to stop!

Rhino

Best Deals for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 (2010)

Walking out of the screeing, one of my friends remarked that he hated this Harry Potter film, stating it is the "worst" in the series. I disagree, but understand exactly why he thinks this way. As anyone who has read the book knows, a large part of the seventh book is buildup towards the definite battle that awaits. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Pt. 1 is just buildup.

If you have read the book, you will enjoy this film as it is faithful to the spirit of the book; if you know Harry simply through the films, you might be disappointed. For it is filmed with camping in deserted locations, forests, and other odd locations to escape from Voldermort's grasp. This is really why some critics absolutely hate this film as they can not fathom the amount of buildup this film does. However, if they want to criticize anyone, they should critique Rowling as this is a faithful adaption of her book.

Radcliffe and Grint are great as always, but the welcome surprise is Emma Watson whose acting has gotten better and better, and she reaches a new peak. She balances each relationship very decisively , putting different emotional layers in treating Harry and Ron. In addition, the landscapes are as gorgeous as ever, and the special effects have become surprisingly better-especially Voldermort's snake which sent chills through my spine.

The emotion the film induces does something that the book never did for me. It takes it out of this magical world, and into the real world, and makes the evil present in Harry's World seem like the fear many people battling evil might have felt in Germany, during the 1930's and forties. Hermione's attempt to save her parents from the hands of evil give us another view in this world which almost mirrors us in terms of what these people go through to wipe this evil horror.

The deathly Hollows may be a boring film for those unfamiliar with the book, but for the readers of this tale it is the most faithfully done adaptation. Sure, the film does not succeed on a film lover's point of view, but one must remember any disappointment felt with this film will evaporate with the menacing, blood spilling second part.

Honest reviews on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 (2010)

Part I of the Deathly Hallows is faithful to the book for the most part. Although a few things were cut out (such as the evil werewolf Greyback with the Snatchers or cutting out the Harry/Lupin fight in favor of a cute tent dancing scene with Hermione) the overall spirit of the film was faithful to the book.

Director David Yates I feel did not make a great film with Order of the Phoenix but clearly redeemed himself in my eyes with this film.

The film felt rushed at first. In the book there was more build-up with Uncle Vernon. On the other hand, Harry's contemplation of the little stairway closet he used to live in, you can almost hear him say "Wow, I've come a long way."

And indeed he has. He wants no one to be hurt or injured and would rather go off on his trek on his own. But Ron and Hermione will have none of it. and go Disapparating all over the English countryside with the Death Eaters hot on his tail.

Several scenes they got right: Ron's anger and jealousy with Harry and Hermione. The Patronus doe to the lake where the sword of Gryffindor is laid. The snake attack at Bagshot's place.

And most amazingly, the great animation of the Three Brothers tale, as told by Hermione (and interrupted by Ron a couple times)!

Nitpicking Follows!

Several things I would have liked to have seen: More of the elf Kreecher and his explanation of Regulus Black's switching of the Horcrux at the lake introduced in the previous film. And in the book, Harry's disguised self at the Ministry of Magic enabled him to free many people from the dungeons of the Ministry but that didn't happen here. And more of the radio -there was a lot more going on with the radio broadcasts {Potter Watch}, like a Radio Free Wizard or something!

Final Thoughts:

I can see a person not having read the book might have some trouble with parts of the screenplay. Reading the book clearly helps in filling in the gaps. The snappy dialogue and the deep emotional investment by the audience is wrenching. But the occasional humor (the tent scene) was cute. And the soundtrack by the London Symphony Orchestra was superb.

It's going to be a long wait to this summer!

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Update 12/26/2011: Woo hoo! Thanks to the reply by Gundamfan0079, I successfully downloaded the digital copy. Evidently the codes for this release have been reactivated. Thank you for listening to our complaints, WB! I changed the rating to 4 stars.

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Ridiculous! I purchased this combo pack yesterday because I also wanted a digital copy for my iPad. I was shocked to discover that the digital copy expired on September 13th. I contacted WB's customer service and this was their reply:

--------------------------

Hello,

We have researched your issue and this Digital Copy offer has expired. The Digital Copy offer is intended to be available only for a limited time following the initial release of the DVD and/or Blu-ray Disc. The expiration date is specifically stated on (a) the outside packaging of your DVD or Blu-ray disc, (b) the insert, (c) the Digital Copy disc, and/or (d) the redemption site.

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I'm fairly incensed by this lack of "caring" by WB. In essence, this is gross misrepresentation by WB and its retailers to continue to sell the combo pack when part of the "combo" no longer works. It should have been re-labeled or pulled from the shelves on September 13th. Expecting customers to notice the fine print is absolutely asinine...especially for people who have purchased theirs online. Amazon.com customers are none the wiser unless they scour the reviews. Restrictions and policies such as this serve no other purpose than to encourage illegal copies.

Not that it matters in the scheme of things, but my opinion of Warner Bros. has dimmed today. I will vote with my wallet whenever WB is concerned.

Reviews of Harry Potter Years 1-6 Giftset (2009)

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List Price: $89.98
Sale Price: $49.99
Today's Bonus: 44% Off

While I value all posted opinions of this product I strongly disagree with the notion that this product is dumb. For anyone who has waited many long years and not purchased any of the movies until now, or anyone who was hooked later in the series, this set is a real value. All the released movies are bundled neatly together and they don't consume much space in my movie library because of the slim packaging.

This set is certainly not for the collector as there is no bonus material whatsoever. This is fine for us as we generally never watch the second disc anyway. If you have been waiting to buy or are new to the series and you don't mind the lack of bonus material this set really makes it easy to start your collection.

If this does not describe what you are looking for then I suggest you do as the other reviewers have suggested and look elsewhere or wait till the complete set releases in several years. For what this product is however (all current movies/no frills), this is a great set.

***Update***

W. Price has educated me that this review shows on the Blu Ray page for this movie as well. He has correctly noted the following.

"Just a note, since this review is cross-posted on the Blu-ray version: the Blu-ray discs *do* include some bonus features (deleted scenes, documentaries, etc.) accessible from the menu button. However, they're easy to miss because there is no title menu and the movie begins playing immediately."(W. Price Nov. 28, 2010 10:28 AM PST)

For clarifications sake, my reivew is of the DVD VERSION.

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Some reviewers have indicated there are no bonus materials included with this set but in my experience I found otherwise. While it is true the dvds go directly to the movie when loaded they each also contain a menu which allows access to the bonus material. Just hit your menu button and voila! This set does not include the extended version of the film and does not include all the extras included in the Ultimate Editions but there are extras which include deleted scenes they are simply not integrated into the film. I had some problems getting all the bonus material to play on my PS3 blu-ray player initally but once I visited BD-Live and updated the software they all played great. I've listed the bonus material included for each movie below.

"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" includes the following bonus content: 7 Additional/Deleted scenes; BEHIND THE STORY -Capturing the stone: casting and bringing the novel to life; Around the world multilanguage clip; Ghosts of Hogwarts; Yearbook character clips; Lessons in Quidditch and What it Takes to Hatch a Dragon Egg; and Theatrical trailers.

"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" includes the following bonus content: 19 Deleted and extended scenes; BEHIND THE STORY -Conversation with J.K. Rowling and screenwriter Steve Kloves; Lockhart's Classroom: view his certificates and required reading list; Behind Hogwarts Building a Scene; Interviews with Students, Professors, and More approximately 18 minutes of interviews with the cast; Year One at Hogwarts: a 2 minute look back at the first film; and the Theatrical trailer.

"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" includes the following bonus content: 5 Unfinished and Deleted scenes; BEHIND THE STORY -Creating the Vision: Hear from Director Alfonso Cuaron, author J.K. Rowling, and others discuss transforming the novels to the big screen; Head to Shrunken Head; Interviews with: The Heroes, The Gryffindors, The Slytherins, Prof Lupin and Sirius Black, Prof Dumbledore and Rubeus Hagrid, The Dursleys, and The Filmmakers; Choir practice; Care of Magical Creatures; Conjuring a Scene: Uncover movie magic and learn how fantasy characters and creatures are created; and the Theatrical trailers for Years 1-3.

"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" includes the following bonus content: 8 Additional and Deleted scenes; BEHIND THE STORY -Harry vs. the Horntail: The first task; In Too Deep: The second task; The Maze: The third task; Meet the champions; He Who Must Not Be Named; Preparing for the Yule Ball; Conversations with the cast; Reflections on the fourth film; and the Theatrical trailer.

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" includes the following bonus content: 9 Unfinished and Deleted scenes; Focus Points: 28 Behind the scene Featurettes and production diaries (with the option of playing the movie with these included); The Hidden Secrets of Harry Potter: Explore all the movies in the series for clues to the mystery of Harry's true destiny; Trailing Tonks: Natalia Tena (aka Nymphadora Tonks) leads a very personal film set tour; and Harry Potter: The Magic of Editing Director David Yates and editor Mark Day show how to edit a scene.

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" includes 2 discs. The movie disc includes the following bonus content: Maximum Movie Mode hosted by Daniel Radcliffe includes 14 different Picture-in-Picture, Focus Point featurettes, and scene comparisons which can be included in the movie as you watch it; and Warner Bros. BD-Live which includes additional content on both Harry Potter and other films. The bonus features disc includes: 8 Additional/Deleted scenes; Close-Up with the cast of Harry Potter; One-Minute Drills Each cast member has 60 seconds to sum-up their character; First Footage from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows; J.K. Rowling: A Year in the Life; What's on Your Mind?: Lightning-round Q&A with cast and crew; and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter a sneak peek at the new Universal Orlando Resort.

Best Deals for Harry Potter Years 1-6 Giftset (2009)

I, unfortunately, grew up without owning the movies. So, naturally, I wanted to buy all of them at once, just in time for the November 19th premiere of HP7. I didn't need anything fancy and I'm not, personally, big on behind the scenes or bonus material. This "gift" boxset was perfect. The movies come in thin packages that only really have the film. I can just pop it into the DVD player and enjoy! There are no advertisements beforehand and it goes right to the menu! If you just want the movies, nothing special or extra, this is PERFECT.

Honest reviews on Harry Potter Years 1-6 Giftset (2009)

I got the books in the same way. A 6 book box set, then the 7th as a single book. Now I'm doing the same for the Blu-ray discs. Lucky me (and every HP fan), the seventh movie will be 2 movies, probably a 4 disc box set, or as singles. They're already on my wish list.

I saw some reviews on here before purchasing, claiming "Doesn't have any extra features, etc...". That's nonsense. Loads of extra features, same as the single movies, especially the 2 disc 6th movie.

If the BD Live content doesn't play for you, you may need to upgrade the firmware on the Blu-ray player. Or if the player doesn't have storage, you might need to add local storage from the USB (which it should have.. a USB thumb drive works). Although, Warner Brothers doesn't have much for you on "BD Live", except a horrible user interface and experience. Oh and thanks for the emails.

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The title of this review says it all. I had viewed only 2 of the 6 DVDs in this set when I discovered that they are not complete movies. For whatever reason they have been edited and some of the original material has been removed. If I had known this prior to my purchase I would NOT have purchased it. Now it appears that I will have to purchase each movie individually if I want to watch the complete movie. Even then, I suppose, I will not know what I'm receiving until I view each one. Caveat Emptor.

Buy Harry Potter Years 1-7 Part 1 Gift Set

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Today's Bonus: 60% Off

My 7 year old daughter recently discovered the Harry Potter movies while they were on TV one weekend. I wanted to get her all the movies that were out this far (1-7) but did not want to pay individual DVD prices for each one. Then I found this set on Amazon for this great price. This set does only have the 7 movies on DVD (7 individual DVDs) no extra DVDs come with it. Some of the DVDs do have a few "extras" but not all. This is a great set if you are looking just to get the movies. My daughter loves them and even my husband and I have grown a liking to Harry Potter.

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THIS REVIEW IS EDITED BECAUSE OF A COMMENT FROM A READER.

THE ORIGINAL: I am an avid Harry Potter fan. I own all of the books and movies purchasing as far back as vhs, then DVD and now Blu-ray. The plus for the set is the Blu-ray itself is beautiful viewing, really clean and lively colors BUT, anyone who has viewed the earlier copies will notice that many scenes have been dropped and others added. Scenes I notice missing are not even in the deleted scenes. Anyway, lots of changes I've noticed in all of the movies in this set AND, WHAT IS VERY INCONVENIENT IS, THERE ARE NO SCENE SELECTIONS AVAILABLE IF YOU STOP THE MOVIE FOR OVERNIGHT. I have hunted thru all the settings and find no way to set up scene selections and so have decided they are non existent. ALSO, after purchasing a large screen to improve viewing pleasure, I can tell you the wording in the extras are much too small for reading (our screen isn't the biggest but it is 42 inch) plus the fancy fonts makes reading them even more difficult. A really poor choice from the developers of this series or for that matter any extras on any DVD. TO THE POWERS THAT BE, WHAT IS THE PROBLEM YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WE CAN'T SEE THAT LITTLE STUFF AND TO MAKE IT WORSE YOU PUT IT ON PATTERNED BACKGROUNDS. A real shame for some of us who enjoy the extras as well as the movies. I had thought about returning the set as there are so many changes in the movies I wasn't sure I was happy not being told of them in the advertising but decided that some of the changes are good overall. Anyway, that about covers my thoughts on this particular set. Beautiful to look at but unexpected changes and poorly planned mapping of the Blu-ray for us, the viewer. For the price they should have included the original movies along with the changed versions so we could make a choice for watching, ALSO THE SCENE SELECTIONS WOULD BE GOOD. Signing myself, IRRITATED.

THE EDIT: The helpful comment from a reader was that he had purchased the set and not had the same scene selections issues. I went back into my set spending a lot of time with the TV Wand and settings. I discovered that there are, hidden scene settings for these Blu-ray DVDs. I don't know why they didn't show up and they have been difficult to discover, not an easy format of programming in this Blu-ray set at least not for me. I have very little problem, usually, and why this particular set is a problem I don't know but I do want readers and possibly buyers to know, I WAS WRONG PER THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE; THERE ARE SCENE SELECTIONS. Wishing things would always be easier in the programming of the DVD we purchase but guessing it will take more study on my part to discover EASY and proficient. Thanks for reading. RSBlain

Best Deals for Harry Potter Years 1-7 Part 1 Gift Set

Harry Potter Years 1-7 (part one) was purchased for a movie-marathon for 5 HP-crazy boys who have read the books, were involved in a research project, and now planned a sleep-over to view the first movies before going to see the final one in the theater. This Harry Potter set was perfect for this purpose, as the boys wanted to get through all the movies in 2 days (with very little sleep!).

The only downside: This set doesn't include a bunch of extras, so if that's what you are interested in, don't get this.

Honest reviews on Harry Potter Years 1-7 Part 1 Gift Set

Do not buy this DVD set. Several scenes have been cut from each and every movie in set. And it feels like an abridged version. We got this on a deal and I am not surprised they would offer it for such a good price because this set is worth even less.

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This was an amazing find! This was the cheapest I've found it anywhere including stores and online. I ordered and received it well before the expected delivery date. It was a great way to prepare for the final movie. I would definitely recommend ordering from this site.

Reviews of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

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List Price: $14.98
Sale Price: $11.49
Today's Bonus: 23% Off

Since I had to look elsewhere for DVD details (to decide whether to buy the 2-disc or one-disc film), I thought I'd post here:

1-Disc Wide screen and Full Screen DVD

*Includes both a wide screen and full screen version of the film.

*No special features

*RRP $28.98

2-Disc Digital Copy Special Edition DVD

*Widescreen version only

*Additional scenes (6:31)

*Close-Up with the Cast and Crew of Harry Potter special. Matthew Lewis ("Neville Longbottom") and Alfred Enoch ("Dean Thomas") lead us on an entertaining look at the cast of Harry Potter as they explore their interests away from acting and spend a day on set with the production team (28:30)

*J.K. Rowling: A Year in the Life: A fascinating and intimate look into the life of J.K. Rowling over the last year of writing "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." (49:32)

*One Minute Drills: The cast has 60 seconds to describe their character's personality, history, relationships and other traits before time runs out (6:43)

*What's On Your Mind: Hosted by Tom Felton, the cast is put on the spot when asked a series of rapid-fire questions on their likes and dislikes. (6:41)

*Universal's "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" Sneak Peek: Get an "inside look" at the amazing world of magic and excitement being created at Universal Orlando® Resort in Florida (11:38)

*Digital Copy of the theatrical film (2nd disc)

*RRP $34.99

I can't believe the negative reviews. I read the book and thought the filmmakers did a fantastic job with it. Anyone who wants a film to be an exact replica of any book should do themselves a favor and just read the book again. Am looking forward to enjoying it again (and again) on DVD.

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First. please let me say that I adore (nay, worship) the Harry Potter stories. So, being a gen-you-wine "Potter-Head" I was first in line to see Half-Blood Prince.

It was an interesting movie. Nice special effects.

Disjointed enough however that one MUST have seen all the previous movies and/or read the books to follow the plot.

...Most importantly, it bears little resemblance to the Harry Potter books!!!

Really. I can forgive replacing the actions of one character with another character, to save time, I can even forgive eliminating whole chapters for the sake of brevity, but to change scenes, edit whole parts, and invent whole chapters???

Beware, below, there be SPOILERS! Don't read if you haven't watched!

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Some examples of lost scenes:

-Dumbledore confronting the Dursley's? Gone.

-The invention of a fight at the burrow, including the destruction of the whole house? Really? Where's Bill & Fleur going to get married next movie? (Oh that's right, in the movies, they AREN'T! Heck, they aren't even in -thismovie!)

-The "Meeting of the Ministers" scene? Gone. Heck there's absolutely NO sign of Scrimgeour -anywherein the whole movie!

-Tonks rescuing Harry from the train? Nope, now it's Luna, looking for Wrackspurts, and removing Harry's invisibility cloak with her wand. (As A Deathly Hallow, it should be immune to summoning and/or levitation charms.)

-The slow build up leading to the Quiddich victory kiss? Gone. Now just a "close your eyes" peck in the Room of Requirement, and this was done horribly!!

-The two months of Harry & Ginny dating? Gone.

-Harry breaking up with Ginny to protect her? Gone!

-Harry's ownership of Grimmauld Place and Kreacher? (Key for the next movie) Gone.

-The Gaunt house flash-backs? Both gone. And with them any mention of Merope, Voldemort's mother. Gone too the mention of her locket by Caractacus Burke.

-The memories of Hokey the house elf, and of Dumbledore's job interview with Voldemort? (Key for the next movie) Gone. In fact, all references to the valuable heirlooms such as Hufflepuff's cup are gone.

-Crabb & Goyle polyjuiceing into girls to stand watch? (would have been funny, but...) Gone.

-Snapes "Defense Against the Dark Arts" lessons? Gone.

-Apparition lessons and test? Gone.

-Hermione & Ron's Prefect status? (Well, since it wasn't mentioned LAST film, why mention it now?)

-Harry's appointment as Quiddich captain? (Not mentioned, only implied during the tryouts)

-Mundungus stealing Sirius' property? (KEY for the next movie) Gone.

-Snap's betrayal of Trelawney's prophecy to Voldemort? (HUGE!) Gone!!!

-Harry petrified by Dumbledoor to protect him? GONE!

-The Hogwarts battle between Death Eaters and Order members? (and Bill's disfigurement?) GONE!!

-Dumbledore's funeral? GONE!!!!

...oh sure, we'll probably get to see a few of the minor bits I've mentioned in the "deleted scenes" portion of the "Deluxe" version of the DVD, but for this screen version, We get such useless add-on scenes as:

-All the trees around the burrow (HP 2/the flying car shot) have been cut down and replaced by a marsh?

-Harry wandering the underground, and chatting up a waitress??

-The aforementioned Burrow fight and subsequent burning??

Not to mention, Harry NOT petrified, but willingly hiding and watching Dumbledore's assassination? (Does anyone besides me see how that fundamentally would change Harry's view of himself?) Yeash!

And WHAT the heck was up with Jessie Cave/Lavender Brown? Worst acting since Brother Sun/Sister Moon! They tested 7000 girls, and they picked a 2nd rate ham? In fact, they tested using the hospital scene, which was single-handedly the worst scene she did in the film!

Ok, ok, on the positive side, the Quidditch tryouts and match were well done, and Dumbledore and Harry's apparition is depicted quite well.

All in all, I am happy they are making Harry Potter movies, but they are -nothingcompared to the books, and THIS one should be prefaced with "Loosely based on the novel by J. K. Rowling"!!

Best Deals for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

Warner Brothers is trying to fool us again calling this an "Ultimate Edition" when it is NOT the extended version of the film. It comes with behind the scenes extras and commentaries, but the movie itself is the same! I expect this is because they decided after the first 2 Ultimate Editions that they would wait and re-release all 8 movies at once in another Ultimate Edition, but this time a Box Set with extended versions of all films to entice everyone to buy all the movies yet again. Hold off for now and watch your DVD copies next year we can all buy the REAL Ultimate Editions!

Honest reviews on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

My main gripe with the previous Harry Potter movie "Order of the Phoenix" was that for some strange reason they took the longest of the books and turned it into the shortest Harry Potter movie to date. The result was that I felt like I was watching the movie fly by on a speeding train, as it rushed from one key event to another without really taking the time to explore anything in detail.

Now we follow up with "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" and....what a difference. There are plenty of cuts of course, no Harry Potter movie can be free of cuts without being waaaay too long. But the movie's length was at least comparable to some of the others. The 3 lead characters were as spot on as ever. Michael Gambon finally brings a bit more warmth to his portrayal of Albus Dumbledor than he brought to the last few movies. Tom Felton played Draco Malfoy with all the depth one would hope for in his most important role in the series. Alan Rickman isn't seen too much as Severus Snape, but when he is he's as wonderful as ever.

I really think this may be the best Harry Potter film yet, and I was really starting to think after the last film that the story had gotten to big for them to manage in film. Good work guys.

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This is not a review of the movie, but rather of the poor job Warner Home Video has done with the Blu-ray video transfer. There are horizontal bands visible in various scenes throughout the movie. They are not constantly visible, but appear primarily in scenes where there are large areas of darkness though of course that means they are visible in quite a few scenes of this very dark movie.

The bands are not being produced by my player I can see them on all three of my Blu-ray players, including my PS3 and two computers with Blu-ray drives. The bands are part of the image and are visible when the movie is freeze-framed.

I recommend that those considering a purchase refrain from buying this disc until and unless a replacement is offered by Warner Home Video.

I own over 200 Blu-ray discs, and this is the first time I have seen this issue on any transfer. It is obvious to me that this disc was mastered incorrectly.

Reviews of Harry Potter: Complete 8-Film Collection (2011)

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List Price: $99.98
Sale Price: $62.19
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I'm actually very pleased with this product! It's very cheap, and very good quality. There are, however, a couple of things that I feel I should point out.

First, the case that it comes in is a standard mass production case that most multi-disc sets use. Don't expect a lavish collectable case, especially for the price. The case is still very durable, and allows all of the movies to be stored in a small amount of space.

Second, the films in this set ARE NOT THE SPECIAL EDITIONS. They are standard edition, as if the first disc from each movie was put in here. While there are some special features, there are not a lot.

Next, the discs themselves appear to be great quality. All of mine worked extremely well, and there were no defects whatsoever, save one thing. The disc that I received for Deathly Hallows Part 1 is missing a cover. The disc is all black, and the title and copyright information are on there, but there is not picture. This, however does not in any way affect the viewing of the movie, and is only an aesthetic concern.

Also, the box that the DVD's come in is not the absolute best quality, but it is sturdy. It serves it's purpose, and it looks very nice!

PLease note, if you want something that's collectible, DO NOT BUY THIS SET. There are others out there that will better suit your needs. However, this set satisfies all of the casual viewers' needs. It presents the movies in an accessible, affordable manner, and is absolutely a great buy! I recommend this to all Harry Potter fans who wish to have all of the movies!

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I like how a lot of fans are slamming Warner Brothers for offering up a box set containing all eight films in one compact package. They accuse how WB constantly does this for the Harry Potter franchise, and to be fair, WB has been doing incomplete Potter boxed releases for years, starting with "Prisoner of Azkaban" onwards. But when the WB actually makes a nice package with all eight films included, they still complain because there's hardly any bonus material. WB did this for their first four Batman movies before the glorious Batman Anthology came to be, so those fans have been waiting a long time that as well.

The set will just have a repressing of the initial releases, and the first three movies include their respective trailers, while "Deathly Hallows Parts 1 & 2" have deleted/extended scenes, so the "no extras" claim doesn't hold as much water. They have some, as opposed to none. Not to mention the quality of the past three Ultimate Editions' bonus features have declined to the point where I just stopped buying them (bulky packaging, no commentary and no extended editions are the deal-breakers). For me, I just want the movies, and this set allows that. For that alone it gets 4 stars. It's a no-frills package but worth it if you just want the movies and save shelf space.

If you want a comprehensive box set with tons of extras for each movie, you'll have to wait. Don't buy it if you don't want to.

Best Deals for Harry Potter: Complete 8-Film Collection (2011)

amazon.co.uk has the three different HP movies 1-8 sets

just go to the site and type in "harry potter 1-8"

ALLL BLU RAY CUSTOMERS can order, as these are region free and with HD media, there is no such thing as PAL encoding.

"Harry Potter The Complete 8-Film Collection [Blu-ray] [2011][Region Free]"

and "Harry Potter: The Complete 1-8 Film Collection Limited Numbered Edition (Blu-ray + DVD) [2011][Region Free]"

I live in philly, i ordered the regular set, its going to come to around 40 bucks i believe

the special edition version will be way less than 100 and far surpasses this version sold here

the dvd set is SUPER cheap but it is not region free and it IS in PAL. so most americans wont be able to see it

this is true for most of amazon.co.uk 's inventory. as far as blu ray, as long as it says region free, it will work in america, and it only takes a week to get here, and it is ALWAYS cheaper. and they have WAY more unique box sets and artwork.

Honest reviews on Harry Potter: Complete 8-Film Collection (2011)

Nobody in their right mind should buy this. Seriously. If you don't have any of the HP films on Blu, go on Amazon.co.uk and buy the version from there. You get all 8 movies on Blu, same as this set, plus three extras discs that this set does *not* have, and it costs you about $30 less even AFTER shipping. You'll have to wait a few extra days to get it in your hands because they have to ship it overseas, but I think most people would probably rather wait than spend than the money.

Okay, the UK box isn't quite as spiffy-looking (or maybe it's better, if you're into Daniel Radcliffe). Is a better box worth a $30 price premium? The UK 1-8 box set is undisputably a better version, and it costs significantly less. Warners, why are you trying to sell us this? Anybody with a half a brain sees right through you.

**December 2012 edit**

This is STILL applicable advice, but in light of some of the comments I think I should clarify that I am ONLY talking about the Blu-rays, not the DVD set. The UK DVD set is Region 2 and will not work with most players in the US and Canada. Current price as of this edit is GBP 20.00, which works out to around $33 or so before shipping. Enjoy!

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This is a great package for those of us who are not interested in all the extra features that you have to pay alot more money for and not even watch the price is good for just the movies. If you want the extras then just wait and pay alot more it'll be out

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Two-Disc Special Edition) Review

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Like many of you who purchased the first two ultimate editions at a pretty penny, i was expecting extended editions of movies 3 and 4. What a disappointment! Were the big wigs at WB thinking that their fans would triple dip editions when they bring out all films in one super ultimate collection? I already owned all of the HP on Blu, but sold them when i started buying the Ultimate editions. I will NOT be purchasing 3 and 4. Very poor on WB's part to say its ultimate, and include 8 hours of bonus materials, but not the few extra scenes that regularly show on TV. Very poor indeed.

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When Warner Bros. introduced this ultimate edition set last year my wife was thrilled. Naturally I ordered them for her as she is a huge Harry Potter fan, and I enjoy the movies as well. When we received the first 2 Ultimate Edition movies we were blow away by both the packaging and the amount of extra content included. For the first time in a long time we felt like we were really getting our money's worth and eagerly awaited the next two movies. Well the day the movies became available for pre-sale I slapped our order in and we anxiously awaited the release. Now a few weeks ago I did a little browsing online and realized that neither of the two Ultimate edition movies releasing this year contained extended editions of the movie, which was one of the main reasons we purchased the set last year. We've owned both the HD-DVD years 1-5 special box set, and then upgraded to the Blu-Ray version(still own these). After discussing it with my wife, she decided she still wanted the Ultimate Edition's this year (3 and 4) so I kept our preorder. Well today we received the products in the mail, and before I get into anything else I have to rant a little bit.

First thing I noticed with this years Ultimate Editions, the boxes are MUCH lower quality than last years. My wife unwrapped year 3 and the way they have it packaged is very flimsy and easy to tear, which she did. They added a holographic cover to both movies this year which looks great, but the way they have it packaged its going to rip and tear if you plan on watching your movies.

Gone is the magnetic snap that clasped the case shut in years 1 and 2.

Both of these "Ultimate" Edition movies seem to be cheapened and lesser in quality not to mention the lack of extended editions of hte movie which is why MOST people purchased them in the first place.

Warner Bros. knew that people were going to buy these, especially those that had already slapped down the money for Years 1 and 2. Late last week I wrote a letter to Warner Bros. asking them why they decided to not include the extra content from the movies that we know exists (it runs on the family channel).

I do NOT suggest picking up Years 3 and 4, even if you already own years 1 and 2. 1 and 2 are totally worth the money, and are great sets even if you own the first two movies because they add to them. These sets add nothing worth the cost, and ruin what could have been an excellent set to own..

:(

Best Deals for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Two-Disc Special Edition)

The third installment of the Harry Potter films was ready for a new director, and Alfonso Cuaron seemed a likely choice. Chris Columbus was admirable in his fidelity to the plot of the first two books, but as Harry becomes a teenager and faces a more complex life, Columbus's candy-coated style is no longer appropriate. So it was with great anticipation that I looked forward to the "darker" style that Cuaron promised.

In some respects I was not disappointed. Cuaron's interpretation of Harry's world is defined by inscrutable shadows and colored in misty greens and greys, rather than red-and-gold tapestry of movies one and two. This new palette is more natural, and in keeping with that, far more of the movie takes place out of doors. Cuaron gives Hogwarts a greater sense of age as well, making a crumbling courtyard and rickety bridge over a gorge central to many scenes. These locations, as well as the huge pendulum in the entry hall and clock face that Harry sits inside at one point, are a nicely subtle way to weave in the movie's (and book's) theme of time and how the past can't ever be completely undone.

Cuaron handles some scenes very well, especially brief, telling gestures or moments that provide character definition, such as the bit where Hermione grabs Ron's hand which made it into the trailer, and another where the two of them have an awkward conversation outside the Shrieking Shack. Other highlights include Harry and his dorm-mates up late eating candy that makes them impersonate animals (touchingly shows how very teenage they are); and a moment when Sirius, trying desperately to hold Lupin back from his change to werewolf, places his hand over Lupin's chest and says "You live in this heart!" which is made all the more poignant because we know he can't stop the transformation.

Some plot points have been sacrificed in order to keep the film to a manageable length. Most of the time this works, as when Harry meets with Snape and Lupin in a beautifully lit nighttime corridor, precipitating the handover of the Marauder's Map and Lupin's realization that Peter Pettigrew lives; or when Harry receives the Firebolt from Sirius at a different point in the movie than in the book. There were, however, two changes which seemed inexplicable to me. First, the patronus charm is made into a shield of light rather than an animal which charges down the dementors. This eliminates Harry's discovery of his father within himself through his stag patronus (he does see a stag of light when he rescues himself at the lakeside, but when we see him from the perspective of rescuer there is no stag, and this is never explained). Similarly, even though Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs are named on the Marauder's Map, the nicknames and their relationship to Lupin, Pettigrew, Sirius, and James Potter is never explained. It would have taken only a few more minutes to add that explosition, which would have strengthened Harry's cinematic connections to his father tremendously.

All in all, I think it's possible that the viewers who enjoy this film the most will be those who haven't read the book. As someone who is very familiar with the Harry Potter book series, I kept finding myself hung up on the changes to the story (and just how much depth was lost) even as I enjoyed the beautiful cinemetography and deft handling of characters' relationships. My hope is that whoever directs film four is able to take some of Cuaron's artistic sensibilities and combine them with Columbus's sense of wonder and attention to plot detail. That would truly do Harry justice.

Honest reviews on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Two-Disc Special Edition)

I loved this particular movie when compared to the series as a whole, but this is not why i'm writing this review.

This review concerns the "bonus" content for people who pre-order the dvd here on amazon. The "screensaver" is not an animated screensaver of the marauders map as you might think, which actually would have been quite nice if it had been done in the style of the map in the movie. You will be instructed to download a seperate application which will take over your windows screensaver functionality. The application is not very intuitive to use and I've since deactivated it. The "Marauders Map Screensaver" itself is nothing more then 3 random images of indistinct parts of the in-movie Marauder's Map with giant "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" logos that splashed everywhere. Its not very visually appealing as a screensaver and the images in opinion aren't very well done.

Just want to make sure that other people are aware of what exactly this bonus content is, and aren't buying the dvd here purely because of this. There is no marauders map style animation occuring here, and all that will be displayed are static images. I pre-ordered it here purely based on getting this bonus content, and I was rather disapointed with what i received.

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They have ruined this box set by not including extended versions of the films. The first 2 had them so I expected that all the movies on ultimate edition were going to be extended. Will no longer be buying these! Rumor has it they have tons of footage that was removed especially from the later movies. I heard like 30 to 45 mins worth. I was expecting each release to get longer extended versions then the past. Only thing making this still tempting is the new documentary's they have on each one. I wanted to see all those.