Reviews of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows PART 1 & PART 2 (Blu-Ray 3D)

Customer Ratings:

I picked this up early at Target (thanks to the other reviewer who mentioned it was available there) -a bit more expensive than Amazon, but the long and short of it is I was getting tired of waiting.

First, kudos to WB for including parts 1&2 in one set, and not making us buy another ginormous case for our shelves (although I guess it means one less set of collector cards and books, but I doubt anyone is buying the Ultimate Editions for those). And kudos for not making this only available with the super deluxe, super expensive, re-released set of all the movies AGAIN, which was my fear for a long time.

This is just as feature-rich as the other Ultimates (minus extended versions of the films, but that is a subject already covered exhaustively in all the other sets' reviews). I wasn't keeping track, but there are at least 2-3 extras lasting 40+ minutes, plus a bunch of approximately 4-minute featurettes. Thankfully, they for the most part avoid being redundant (apart from Hermione and Ron's kiss, which if I never again hear how awkward and difficult it was for them, it will be too soon). (However, is it too much to ask for a "play all" button? It exists on the Deleted Scenes section so I know they've heard of it. It gets extremely tiresome returning to the menu after every single 4-minute segment. Also, no "resume" function on these discs, which is hard to believe in this day and age.)

The other reviewer Paul J. Mular is correct: What is NOT included is the 47-minute doc "When Harry Left Hogwarts" that can be found in this "Target exclusive" set: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 (4-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo UltraViolet Digital Copy Edition with Bonus Disc). This is fascinating maybe only for truly hardcore fans, and probably worth the used purchase price if you want to get a feeling for what it was like on the set of HP. I swapped out one of my DVDs for the bonus disc in my Ultimate case, making it truly "ultimate."

They've again included on both movies a "Maximum Movie Mode," where the film is interrupted with little pop-up featurettes, again miraculously somehow rarely repeating what is included in the other features. For part 1 this adds another 20 minutes of extras. For part 2, it's over 35 minutes, but don't get too excited--Most of this is "Remember this character? Let's go back to the other 6 films and look at what they did." Really boring and unnecessary I think for anyone who is a big enough fan to buy the Ultimate Editions. In addition, there are even more "Focus Points" which have to be manually selected. Hint: These are also included in their own section of extras if you don't want to keep one hand on the remote.

Also in Maximum Movie Mode, on part 2 they have inserted the deleted scenes back into the movie -albeit surrounded by a big frame reading "DELETED SCENE," and sometimes preceded by a brief featurette explaining the scene--but still apparently as close to an "extended version" we're going to get.

One last tiny quibble: The sound mixing on the extras is horrible, and the "background" music almost completely drowns out the voices. I also experienced this on my "American Werewolf in London" Blu-ray, and it's enormously irritating. Don't they have fancy mixing boards to make sure this doesn't happen?

I'm glad I bought this, since I couldn't very well live with just the first six films. I'm also glad to be off the HP movie buying train, because it hasn't always been a pleasant ride thanks to bottomless studio greed and double dips. But I don't want to end on a down note. This set is great! Buy it!

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**Note: This is for the 6-disc Ultimate Edition release of year 7, NOT the 2-disc year 7 release. Amazon is mistakenly combining reviews of all year 7 versions***

We all know the movies, so i will just review this re-packaging. And YES I do have this in-hand for reviewing, I got the early retail release.

The two big disappointments are 1) NO 3-D and 2) NO EXTENDED VERSIONS. O.K., stretching the book into two movies means no extended versions, but there are DELETED SCENES that you can watch outside of the movies.

Even though both movies were filmed in 2-D, Part 2 was released to theaters in 3-D with all of the CGI effects produced in 3-D. So I do consider it an official 3-D movie and a 3-D version should have been included, instead of the DVDs of the same movie. The DVDs do not include the two "Creating The World Of Harry Potter" documentary discs, and that means those collecting this Ultimate series on DVD will lose out.

For those who bought the limited edition 4-disc sets of the individual releases of Part 1 & Part 2, you may find yourself with another dilemma.

The 4th disc Bonus Documentaries in Part 1 were "Part 1: Behind The Magic" and "Harry Potter On The Road" and they ARE INCLUDED HERE on the Creating the World Bonus Disc for Part 1 as well as a wealth of additional bonus material.

The 4th disc Bonus Documentary in Part 2 was "When Harry Left Hogwarts" and there is nothing by that name in this new set and I have not found it under any other name. At 44 minutes, this documentary would stand out, there is nothing running that long in this new set. This "Fly-On-The-Wall" type of documentary about the filming of Deathly Hollows captures the actors out of costume casually talking about their experience. Also interviewed are the carpenters & stage crew as well as the extras. You will find out just how tightly the props were watched over so that extras did not take home souvenirs. You will also experience the tension on set before the live explosions.

All Bonus Material from the previous 3-disc combo sets are included here, with the second Blu-ray disc bonus contents expanded. Some previous documentaries are presented in extended versions, while new documentaries have been added.

Since the big difference is in DISC #2 for each movie, here is the run-down of NEW material not on the old 3-disc sets:

PART 1

Part 1 Behind The Magic (previously on the 4-disc limited release)

On The Road (previously on the 4-disc limited release)

The Return of the Order

Seabor and Greyback

Dobby's Farewell

The Look of Bill Weasley

The Weasley's

The State of Evil

The New Guys

One Book, Two Movies

The Wizardly Prop Shop

PART 2

J.K. Rowling interview and "Hogwart's Last Stand" have been extended.

Part 2 Behind The Magic

The Great Hall of Hogwarts

Ron and Hermoine's Kiss

That's A Wrap Harry Potter

Nevill's Battle Makeup

The Gringotta Disguises

Harry's Death, The Courtyard Confrontation

The Magic Behind the Movies Revealed: The Secrets of Flight

Footage from the London Premier

The Love Life of Ron Weasley

The Weasley's, a Look Back At Harry Potter's Favorite Family

Dumbledore and Harry: A Look Back

Favorite Lines with the Cast

Favorite Props and Costumes with the Cast

Riding Along Memory Lane

Finding Launa, A Dream Come True

A Tribute to Dobby: The Beloved House Elf

A Special Message to the H.P. Fans

The Cast of H.P. Say Goodbye

Sadly missing from the previous 4-disc special edition: "When Harry Left Hogwarts" 44 minutes.

While the collectable book is nice, I found the color photos inside to be a bit grainy.

The packaging places two discs together, one overlapping the other. I decided to put the two DVDs underneath as I would not be watching them. I only have trouble getting to the bonus disc for Part 2.

**DVD Update**

It is not announced anywhere on the packaging, but the standard DVD for PART ONE (single disc) does include 5 deleted scenes as a bonus.

The standard DVD for PART TWO (single disc) contains 8 deleted scenes as a bonus.

There are also 7 minutes of commercials encouraging you to buy Harry Potter Ultimate Editions on Blu-ray, buy Harry Potter Video Games, visit Pottermore, and just buy Warner Brothers movies on Blu-ray for better picture quality.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

You will need to keep your 3-D copies if you have them, and at least the second limited edition 4-disc release of Part 2 as these contain material not in this set.

If you don't have these earlier deluxe sets, then you will have a total replacement.

Blu-ray fans will get hours of new documentaries. Sadly the DVD fans are left wanting to buy a Blu-ray player as Warner Home Video has not created DVD bonus discs.

Some of these new documentaries are only 6 minutes long, so it is questionable if it is worth spending more money if you have the Blu-ray combo sets.

I had a hard time giving this four stars, in some ways it is only a three star set.

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Those interested in this 2 disc set supposedly featuring both parts of The Deathly Hallows may want to wait until a problem I've encountered is resolved (or try buying elsewhere). I ordered a copy from Amazon, received it and found that both discs have bonus material only on them---no feature film. I checked the size of content on each disc and they are only 6gb and 8gb--so obviously no hidden feature anywhere on the disc. I ordered a replacement from Amazon and noted it came from a different location but received the identical set of bonus materials...

Honest reviews on Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows PART 1 & PART 2 (Blu-Ray 3D)

I ordered this item and was disappointed to see that when it arrived, the discs did not match the box. The box says it is for Harry Potter Year 7 feature film part 1 & 2. The discs are Harry Potter Year 7 special features only part 1 and part 2. One disc actually is labeled special features, but the other says it is the full film, yet it is not.

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Harry Potter Ultimate Edition: Year 7.

If you already own the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 & 2 on Blu Ray, I will say that this is certainly not for you. There's a couple of new features such as the case, the book, and cards that come along... but other than that, it's the same exact layout and DVD/Blu Ray that you have at home. It's a waste of money, to say at the very least.

Now if you don't own it on Blu Ray already, or have the other Ultimate Editions Years 1-6, then this is a nice little bookend to your collection. I was originally under the impression that ALL OF THEM would be director's cuts and I went out and bought all of the editions; The Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets are INDEED Extended and wonderful, but the others on the other hand are NOT. Which is quite silly due to the fact that ABC family has at least released the first 4 films with additional scenes on television. I can never truly understand why they do this, but in the end of things it boils down to half-@$$ed work and stealing more of your money.

All that aside, I purchased this at Target, and it is indeed only a Target Exclusive; they can probably be found here too, but it's limited, and you would be paying over $50 alone having that it's been targeted only for 1 store franchise and it's limit would appear to be far more rare that the others you can find. So it's pricey, but not uncalled for due to it's rarity. And it's pretty well put together, overall; a nice dust cover box, Blu Ray set is in a nice case that has a slight magnetic hold, and the artwork inside and out is truly wonderful.

But as I've said: Don't bother getting this if you already own the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 & 2. If you don't own it and are looking into investing on some decent Harry Potter sets, I would recommend this one, along with the other Years 1-6. Getting these is equivalent to the Wizard's Collection that recently came out, which isn't BAD, but has many flaws to count if you're a Harry Potter geek like me; at least with those you get a few more goodies! I have all the rest of the Ultimate Editions, so it's a decent collection of have.

If you want to save your money and get the Harry Potter set we fans deserve, it's going to be awhile, so the choice is yours; get these or just the standard discs. HELL, record them on tv if you can and at least you'll see the first 4 films with extended scenes.

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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List Price: $134.99
Sale Price: $54.09
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

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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!

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

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"!!

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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.

Harry Potter Wizard's Collection (Blu-ray / DVD Combo + UltraViolet Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $499.99
Sale Price: $272.99
Today's Bonus: 45% Off

Alright, let's end some of the misconceptions about this product. You can choose to be angry at Warner Bros. for not releasing the extended versions of the later films. From what I've heard, they're not going to be released, let alone included in a set. That's no reason to rate this product so low. I've also noticed many have impugned this collection's quality without having seen it, saying the price is too much for some paltry, cardboard box and a few trinkets. I would posit that none of these posters have any idea what they're talking about. First of all, the chest these movies come in is huge. It is so much bigger than what the picture would have you believe, you will likely think your order was mixed up with somebody's purchase of a nightstand or a crate of oranges, perhaps. This thing is BIG. Secondly, it is SO friggin' heavy. I would lift this set to build muscle mass on a daily basis if I cared at all about not looking like a shapeless fatty magoo. Oh, and cardboard? Nuh-uh. This thing is made with some high-quality stuff. I won't speak to what kind exactly, since I failed my random materials 101 course, but I would place the outside of the chest's construction as much closer to wood than cardboard on a scale of thickness and durability. Finally, the presentation. Oh sweet gravy-soaked giblets, the presentation. This set blows every other set I've purchased completely out of the water in terms of presentation. As I pulled the chest's wings apart to expose its inner workings for the first time, a thought occurred to me: "This chest will be a family heirloom. My children will proudly present my Harry Potter collection to their children and relate some anecdote about how much this meant to them or why this set was super important to me." I'm having difficulty even now in believing this set was not itself crafted by actual wizards. As for the movies and the goodies inside, the Amazon description makes it clear enough what to expect. However, if you are waffling on this purchase because of all the disparaging comments made about its presentation and construction, DON'T. This is the coolest, biggest, most gorgeous collection of movies you or I could ever hope to possess in our lifetimes. Don't let cynicism ruin your opportunity to own something as cool as this set. Don't let your dying regret be that you didn't buy it.

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1) NEW cut material Note the description says "over 5 hours of never before seen special features". Not unseen cut material, just new features.

2) Extended Editions of all eight movies. Only movies 1 and 2, which have already been released as extended in the UE, are extended. Again, nothing new here.

3) Director's cut of Order of the Phoenix. SorryI'm not buying another Harry Potter disc until I see this.

4) Digital Copy. The description promises "UltraViolet Digital Copy" which is a misrepresentation and WB should be sued for it. There is no COPY. There is a digital stream which requires signing up for another service (UltraViolet) and you cannot watch it without an internet connection. It is not a digital copy.

The above is what it would take for me to buy any new HP sets. Certainly no less. They have padded this with both Blu-ray and DVD copies to add more discs, plus 3-D version of DH2, and the only new content is some special features. Basically, you probably own everything in this box already except the 5 hours of new features.

Bottom line: not worth it. Tell WB to stop being cheap and milking this with crap box sets. It's time they gave us something substantial.

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This is really, really long. It's intended as a counter point to WB being so vague with their details then asking such a high price.

Here is a Summary:

* This Collection contains all of the Ultimate Blu-ray sets plus 8 DVD movies. That's 31 disks total.

* The "5 hours of unreleased extra features" are the 2 extra features disks that would be in the Ultimate sets for movie 7 part 1 and 2. Those haven't been released yet so the statement is technically correct.

[UPDATE]

WB.com lists the new features as being:

"The Harry Potters You Never Met" tricks behind the major stunts in the series.

Deathly Hallows Part 1 Bonus Disc"Creating the World of Harry Potter, Pt. 7: Story"

Deathly Hallows Part 2 Bonus Disc "Creating the World of Harry Potter, Pt. 8: Growing Up" and

Extended "A Conversation with JK Rowling and Daniel Radcliffe" with 15 minutes of new footage

* The first two movies are extended (by 7 and 13 minutes) and the last two come in 3D. Everything else is the standard Blu-ray release of the films.

* There is an 8 part documentary created by WB that you can get one part at a time in the Ultimate sets or in it's entirety in this Wizards Collection. That's the bulk of the new extra features.

* The box appears to be cardboard. Really cool and fancy cardboard. They are trying to make it collectible by making it a "limited and numbered edition". As far as I can tell, there is nothing offered (the box or the special contents) that actually makes the set a collectible. It says you get a map too, but you can already buy those.

* If you REALLY like extra features, little picture books, 3D, and don't own any of the Ultimate sets then you will find the value of this collection to be... Okay.

* It's about $50 more than buying all the Ultimate sets individually.

* Look at the box sets released in France and you will either want to cry or punch someone when you realize how much better they are. I am not joking. ()

* WB states: "Check back to this product detail page for further details." -[UPDATE] the WBshop just posted the same set with a new picture. It shows and bunch of cards and books and paper things as the collectible memorabilia, but doesn't list it out by in detail.

If you are sitting there with money in hand and want to know what you are getting, read on. The rest of you can probably stop here unless you are a real Potter movie geek. I hate spending money and not knowing what I will get. This review is intended to answer that with a detailed analysis as the title suggests. I might be wrong in some places, but until WB releases more information, this is the best I can offer.

********************************************

I'll admit, I have been waiting for this set to be released. I bought the Harry Potter 7 book set when all of the books were printed and I intended to do the same thing when all the movies had been released. I do already own the movies. It's a hodge-podge set that inclused mostly DVD's and some Blu-ray that I purchased as each movie came out. There are even a few pre-viewed ones in there from the local video store. I think like most people looking at this set, I already own the movies on DVD.

I don't mind repurchasing them as, like I mentioned, I intended to get a nicely done complete set. The "all 8 movie complete set" released in 2011 didn't cut it though, those were just the movies and I have been waiting for the "ultimate edition box set" with all the extras and extended cuts. If you want all 8 movies on blu-ray, it can be had for $80 right now. The DVD set is $50. You only get 8 discs, just the movies. You won't get any all the extras and no extended editions with those sets. The general consensus when they were released was, "don't bother, there is a better set coming".

The information on the contents of the discs in the ultimate "Wizard's Set" here is sparse, but lets take a closer look. The content description says, "Contains 31 discs, inclusive of all content ever previously released" and I can only assume it is basically the combined box set of all the previous ultimate sets.

(As far as I can tell though, that doesn't mean the Full screen versions, thank goodness.)

I'll break down what was previously released and I think some logical conclusions will arise about what is in this box set. It appears that this compiles all of the Ultimate Edition Blu-ray sets you can currently buy plus some new extra features.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Three-Disc Ultimate Edition) [Blu-ray]

Disc 1 BD Movie contains original and extended cut

Disc 2 BD new documentary Part 1: The Magic Begins and extra features

Disc 3 DVD extra features disk from original DVD release

Collectibles include: 48-Page Photo Book with rare images from Years 1-7 and 2 Ultimate Edition Character Cards (Card No. 1: Harry Potter, Card No. 2: Minerva McGonogall)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Three-Disc Ultimate Edition) [Blu-ray]

Disc 1 BD Movie contains original and extended cut

Disc 2 BD new documentary Part 2: Characters and extra features

Disc 3 DVD extra features disk from original DVD release

Disc 4 digital copy

Collectibles include: 48-page hardcover book, Creating the Characters of Harry Potter with rare images from years 1-7 Two in a series of character cards

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Three-Disc Ultimate Edition) [Blu-ray]

Disc 1 BD Movie

Disc 2 BD new documentary Part 3: Magical Creatures and extra features

Disc 3 DVD extra features disk from original DVD release

COLLECTIBLES: 48-Page Creatures Photo Book with rare images from years 1-7 Year 3 lenticular card Two in a series of character cards: Hermione Granger & Sirius Black

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Ultimate Edition)

Disc 1 BD Movie

Disc 2 BD new documentary Part 4: Sound and Music and extra features

Disc 3 DVD extra features disk from original DVD release

COLLECTIBLES: 44-Page Sound & Music Photo Book with rare images from years 1-7

Year 4 lenticular card Two in a series of character cards: Ronald Weasley & Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody

Downloadable digital copy

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Two-Disc Ultimate Edition) [Blu-ray]

Disc 1 BD Movie

Disc 2 BD new documentary Part 5: Evolution and extra features

Disc 3 DVD extra features disk from original DVD release

COLLECTIBLES: 48-Page Book with Rare Images from Years 1-7 Year 5 Lenticular Card Limited Edition Character Cards #9 Luna Lovegood #10 Dolores Umbridge

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Two-Disc Ultimate Edition) [Blu-ray]

Disc 1 BD Movie

Disc 2 BD new documentary Part 6: Magical Effects and extra features

Collectibles include: 44-Page Book with Rare Images from Years 1-7 Year 5 Lenticular Card Limited Edition Character Cards: #11 Draco Malfoy & #12 Albus Dumbledore

[The Ultimate Edition set hasn't been released for HP 7 parts 1 and 2 yet]

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 3D (Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack with Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD & Digital Copy) [Blu-ray 3D]

Disc 1 BD Movie

Disc 2 BD extra features

Disc 3 BD Movie 3D copy

Disc 4 Original DVD release

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two (Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy)

Disc 1 BD Movie

Disc 2 BD extra features

Disc 3 BD Movie 3D copy

Disc 4 Original DVD release

The first two movies have extended versions, though it doesn't sound extrememly notable like the extended LOTR. Sorcerer's Stone gets 7 extra minutes and Chamber of Secrets gets 13 extra minutes.

The last two movies Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2 are the only movies with 3-D versions.

From what I have read, the original WB press release on the individual "ultimate" sets claimed that each film was going to get extended cuts, but only Chris Columbus added these. Plans to extend the rest seemed to have been cut due to director interference and budget issues. I wouldn't look for this any time soon (ever?). Which is a shame.

There seems to be an 8-part documentary series called "Creating the World of Harry Potter" that was released one section at a time with each ultimate set. The last two ultimate sets haven't been released. I can only assume the last two parts of the documentary would be in this Wizards Collection.

Unfortunately, unlike the UK release, this does not contain a digital copy. It is an "Ultraviolet Digital Copy". You can find more information on this online, but basically it is a streaming service you sign up for and add the movies to using a code. It requires an internet connection to use.

For extra features, as far as I can tell, movies 1-5 went to DVD first, the Blu-ray versions were introduced years later. The ultimate sets included a new BD with new extra features and then included the original DVD "disc 2" with the old extra features. Starting with movie 6, Half-Blood Prince, the extras were on BD and DVD. However, compare the "2 disc Blu-ray" and "3 disc DVD" sets. The Blu-ray set combined both the old DVD extras and the new BD extras into a single BD disc. That will be important below.

This new box set "Contains 31 discs, inclusive of all content ever previously released, in addition to over 5 hours of never before seen special features. 18 movie discs"

Assuming they release the same discs as were used in the previous ultimate releases:

2 BD with movie and extended cuts

6 BD with movie

2 BD 3-D print for the last two movies

Then add:

8 Original DVD movies

= 18 movie discs

Now that leaves 13 discs for the extra features.

I count 13 extra features discs in the sets above. That's 8 BD and 5 DVD.

Remember, this new wizard set is boasting "over 5 hours of never before seen special features". That will likely be composed of a few hours of the last two parts of the 8 part documentary series plus something else. I had though the extra 5 hours would just be a new disc for the Wizard Collection. After looking closely at what WB did with the Half-Blood Prince Ultimate 2 disc set, I changed my mind.

It just says "5 hours" of new unreleased special features. The Deathly Hallows Part 1 and 2 ultimate sets have not been released, but I think they already have the new special features Blu-ray disc produced that would appear in the ultimate sets and just like with movie 6, it would combine all the extras into a single disc. This disc will replace the old BD disc released with the previous Blu-ray sets for movie 7 and would have new material. Namely Parts 7 and 8 of the documentary series they had been releasing. Those two discs together will contain the 5 extra hours of new features in this Wizard Collection. That still adds up to 13 discs so the math works out as well.

[update]

WB.com lists this info: (direct quote)

Nearly 4 hours of features including: All New! "The Harry Potters You Never Met" Watch how thrilling stunts from the films were performed, and learn about the tricks behind the major stunts in the series. · Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 Bonus Disc o Over 2 hours of features including: All New! "Creating the World of Harry Potter, Pt. 7: Story" · Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 Bonus Disc o Over 4 hours of features including: All New! "Creating the World of Harry Potter, Pt. 8: Growing Up" and All New! Extended "A Conversation with JK Rowling and Daniel Radcliffe" with 15 minutes of new footage.

The digital copy won't be on a disc. That appears to be all contained within the Ultraviolet streaming service.

Extras:

The ultimate sets already released had a series of small 44-48 page books that coordinated with the part of the extra features documentary released with each movie.

The Wizard Collection information set currently says, "Includes multiple specially-produced, collectable [their typo] memorabilia items, including concept art, a Map of Hogwarts and much more! Check back to this product detail page for further details."

[UPDATE]

The WBshop posted the same set with a new picture showing the extras. It looks like books, postcards, and other flat printed material. There are no detailed descriptions.

I'll assume that will contain the books. Possibly the cards from the above ultimate sets. Plus a "map of hogwarts" which could really only be a Harry Potter Marauder's Map. But it might not be as large as the ones on amazon and thinkgeek, who knows? warnerbros.com has no Marauder's Map for sale on their site any more, I can only assume they pulled all of their stock because it went to this box set release?

You do get the neat fold-out box to contain everything. As far as I can tell, this is high quality printed cardboard/paperboard. I have two issues with it: 1) you can't get to the movies if there is anything around the box, such as other movies on a shelf. 2) from the pictures, it looks like the drawers are much too wide for the DVD's contained within and I expect to see lots of wasted space.

===============================

Having said all that, do I think it is worth the money? Well $350 is a lot for this set. The $500 list price is a joke, it is set that high so they can mark it down.

WB has previsouly released some of these movies over a dozen times in different forms and I think 99% of the people looking at this set already have some or all of the movies, probably the early ones on DVD. Unlike when Star Wars was released on Blu-ray, all of these have already been out on Blue-ray and in 3D and the two extended editions can be found individually. There needs to be enough new value to make the set worth it.

If I wanted to buy all 6 of the ultimate sets plus the two 4 disc with 3-D sets of movie 7 that I linked at above, right now today (March 2, 2012) from Amazon, it would cost me $312. They range from $35-$50 a set. If the last two 3D versions dropped in price from about $50 to $35 to match the rest of them, then you are looking at about $280. Used sets and shopping around might lower that more. This could be even cheaper if you don't want 3D, and a lot of people don't judging on 3D TV sales.

That $312 is almost the price of this ultimate wizards set. The wizards set adds value with the fancy storage box, the 5 hours of new extra features, and a map (plus possibly something they haven't announced).

If you just want the movies, you can get all 8 for $80 on Blu-ray or $50 on DVD.

If you just want the extended movies, you can buy the ultimate sets of movies 1 and 2 for less than $40 each.

The digital copies (ultraviolet streaming service) are a joke and I don't consider them to be adding any value at all.

The lack of extended versions really hurts the value of this box set in my mind. The only real added value are the new BD extra features and the fancy box.

If you really like extra features, I am going to have to say that despite the really high price, it is about the same as buying all the ultimate sets up individually and might be worth the money. The Ultimate sets and Wizards Collection will have 8 BD worth of extra features not seen on the 2 disc DVD and BD releases (assuming they release the ultimate sets for the last two movies). However, I am not seeing a lot of value added over what I already own. I have the last two movies in Blu-Ray and could get the first 6 ultimate sets for $210 and be pretty happy. I would only be missing out on 5 hours of extra features, a box, the map, and 3D version of the last two movies. I would be paying $140 less than the current pre-order price for this Wizard Set.

If you don't like extras, but want Blu-Ray, you can get those movies for $80 and if you have all of the 2 disc DVD collections you will have 20 of the 31 discs contained in this set.

At $350 for the Wizard set, you are paying $43 for each ultimate set. Or to put that another way, if you could find each ultimate set for $35 and bought 8 of them, you would be paying the extra $70 for the fancy box and map contained in this Wizard Collection.

Realistically, if this new wizards set was around $250 I would consider it a good value (that would be like getting each ultimate set for $31 and a free extra storage box). Box sets like these are generally expected to have some bulk savings over buying everything individually, but I think WB is looking to create a collectors item and raise the price, even though the contents don't warrant that treatment. To make it a real collectors item, there needs to be something here besides the cardboard storage box that you can't get anywhere else. In the current announcement, there isn't.

At the $350 price I am more wary about the purchase. At $500 I wouldn't even consider the purchase. Even though I waited to buy this set, I don't know if I will. Perhaps a more detailed official announcement with details making it sound like an actual collectible item will sway my decision.

==============================

One last thing. They really could have made the box nicer. I don't mean that as wishful thinking. Check out what was ALREADY released in France (for about $250 USD). Both of these, even now, can be found second hand for around $500USD plus import shipping.

A wooden box with a drawer on front to hold the movies (no folding out sides) and a stand for holding the Elder wand (included). Also all 8 films in Blu-ray and 3 bonus discs. This set is classy and I really wish I could have one.

Intégrale Harry Potter 11 Blu-ray Edition limitée spécifique Amazon.fr

This one has Hogwarts Castle resin hand painted with plexiglass cover and a nice wooden drawer containing all 6 of the ultimate edition Blu-ray sets underneath.

Coffret Intégrale Harry Potter 1 à 6 Edition Prestige limitée Château de Poudlard [Blu-ray]

If they had made a nice heirloom box like these, even if the wand stand didn't come with a wand (you can buy the Harry Potter Official Collector's Wand The Elder Wand for about $25) I could see A LOT more value in the sets and it would be a real nice collectible way to store the movies.

Honest reviews on Harry Potter Wizard's Collection (Blu-ray / DVD Combo + UltraViolet

No extended versions of the last 6 films? Why not? Extended versions of many of these films have been broadcast on TV. What's the problem? I think I'll pass.

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I am a huge Harry Potter fan. I am willing to spend good money on a seriously fantastic DVD/Blu-Ray/Digital set, as long as it's actually worthwhile. Meaning it's full of truly never-before-seen footage and extended versions. This set is just a re-packaged (and overly-packaged, IMHO) load of everything else that's already been released. And the price...AYFKM?! Cruel, greedy, lousy, money-mongering, ungrateful--this is what Warner Brothers has become towards HP fans. The ones who have seen its movies repeatedly at the theater and who have already bought all the other HP releases, as well as a ton of its other HP-related products. Thanks, but no thanks. Give us something we want and something we truly deserve, and then price it so that people can actually buy it without having to feel utterly gouged. As Ron would say, "Bloody hell!"

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

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List Price: $99.98
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Today's Bonus: 38% Off

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.

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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

Reviews of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Three-Disc Ultimate Edition)

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As a Harry Potter fan, I'm so happy with this movie adaptation. It's very true to the book (which is fabulous in my opinion, I don't know why some people complained about that), although there are some slight differences. The movie makers have done a wonderful job bringing Rowling's world on screen. The visual effects, especially Fluffy, ghosts, chess pieces, Quidditch game were done exceptionally well.

The second disc is all extras. I guess it was designed for Harry Potter fans and people who enjoyed the movie very much because it was assumed that you've watched the movie beforehand. The deleted scenes were a little hard to find since several steps have to be taken. First I had to go to get the key and take money from the Gringotts bank in Diagon Alley. Then purchase wand from Olivander's. Then return to the school and attend classes. Go to potions class and answer three questions. The questions were a little bit of a hassle for me. Answer for the 1st question: Aphrodel and the tube next to it (forgot name); 2nd question: wolfsbane and monkhood; 3rd question: snake fangs and porcupine quills. After the questions, select winged key by trying out a few. Then select the orange colored potion and you will see the mirror of erised. There are a total of 7 deleted scenes. Although some will say they are not worth the hassle, but I liked them. My other favorite extra is the interview. It was good to learn about the behind the scenes interaction of the director/producer/actors etc and production of the movie in general. They also mentioned something about the second movie.

Overall good buy. Worth every cent. Will rewatch it on DVD many times.

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To start off this isn't a review of the movie itself, by now you should have already formed an opinion of the movie for yourself or from other reviews of just the film. This is a review for the Ultimate Edition.

Two words: Absolutely Amazing!

This isn't just some scam from Warner Bros to get a few more dollars squeezed out of the Harry Potter movies, this is brand new and refreshing. Warner Bros packaged this set to be (or what appears to be) the last Harry Potter set to be had. Everything that you could want in a collectors set it included here.

The booklet included is surprisingly well done. The book keeps with the theme of the special feature exclusive to the ultimate edition. For example, in the Chamber of Secrets edition the booklet is all about the characters and their development, both at the beginning of the series and how they have evolved through the years. Included are stills from the movie, pictures of the theme (ie. characters, buildings, sets), and my favorite... concept art.

As for the character cards that are included they aren't anything super special but at the same time they aren't cheaply done. The cards are solid and printed well. I could see where some people will find them very satisfying and a highlight of the edition.

The thing that I was most impressed with, however, was the presentation. Finally someone released a special edition of a film and made it presentable and convenient. The boxes are made to look like books that fold open and are neatly packed on the inside. Also on the inside of the book there are images from the film, making it look very much like a collector's item. Warner Bros has really set themselves up nicely for the release of the next six of these.

Overall I was extremely pleased with this edition of the movie and cannot wait for the rest to be released.

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As a reviewer, I have a tendency to wordiness, and usually look disparagingly at reviews of ten words or less, all in caps, which basically say "WOW!" This is the first time I have had to struggle with the temptation simply to say something like "ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE! THIS MOVIE WILL BLOW YOUR MIND! DON'T COME HOME WITHOUT IT!" and leave it at that. For one thing, it really is that good. For another, there is so much to say about it that one's mind boggles at trying to keep within a reasonable limit. Since there will be countless reviews that discuss plot, effects, and individual performances, I will leave those to others, and focus on some things that I found of special note.

The first thing that struck me about the film (other than the fact that I was unable to stop staring at my monitor while it was playing) is the sense of 'rightness' one gets while watching. What I mean by that is, given a book that has way too many events to capture in a film, the production still manages to have delivered everything that was necessary and sufficient to make it seem true to the original. This may actually be a first in cinematographic history. Given a tremendous opportunity to tweak or modify the plot or improve on the character the producers have instead remained almost completely faithful to J. K. Rowling's writing and intent.

One of the factors in this is the carefully balanced acting. Given that the title is "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," it really should be "Harry, Hermione, Ron, Hagrid, Dumbledore, Draco and even the Weasley's AND the Sorcerer's Stone." Nobody grandstands, nobody overplays his or her part, and nobody ever goes Hollywood. Star or part of the background, there is a lack of pretentiousness (except when one is supposed to be pretentious) which makes you really feel like you are looking into the life of a notable student and his friends at Hogwarts. This invites viewers to immerse themselves in entire tapestry instead of simply hanging on the actions of a particular actor. And what a tapestry it is!

Like the book, the film turns out to be just as meaningful for the old and the young. The lessons are delivered in easily digestible bits, leaving the flow of the story undisturbed. Somehow, inside, a part of you knows that maybe, just maybe, you are a little bit better for having watched this film. Harry's need for family, accomplishment, and self-esteem is no stranger to any of us who seek the courage to face our own 'He Who Shall Not Be Named.' So 'BRAVO' says this reviewer, 'VERY WELL DONE INDEED.'

Honest reviews on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Three-Disc Ultimate Edition)

These box sets are extremely nice; at almost 7-3/4 inches (194mm) tall, 5-3/4 inches (145mm) deep and just over 2 inches (52mm) wide, make sure you have enough room on your shelf to display these (remember, there's going to be eight of these sets). The box itself has to be the best design of a blu-ray package I have seen yet, it is constructed of very heavy laminated cardstock with a magnetic catch to hold it shut and has a thin cardstock sleeve to protect it. The two blu-rays and one dvd are stored in a folding plastic and cardstock case that is kept inside the box.

The film itself is beautifully remastered so the stunning scenery and somewhat impressive special effects truly come to life. If you are a true Harry Potter fan, then this Ultimate Edition is a must own especially on blu-ray.

The contents include:

A blu-ray disc with the theatrical version and the extended version with 7 deleted scenes of over 6 and a half minutes worth of film and the "In-movie experience" (picture in picture commentary with behind the scenes footage for the theatrical version only).

Languages: Spoken English and Spanish; Subtitled English (for the hearing impaired) and Spanish.

A second blu-ray disc with special features such as:

Behind the Story -

-Introduction with Daniel Radcliffe (2 minutes)

-Creating the World of Harry Potter, Part 1: The Magic Begins a behind the scenes documentary about the endeavor of casting and creating the world for filming. (1 hour, 2 minutes)

-A Glimpse into the World of Harry potter an international TV Special from 2001

Additional Footage -

-Deleted scenes that are included in the extended version: Dudley's new School Uniform, Petunia Cracks Eggs with Letters Inside, Tube Ride, Kids Leave Girls Bathroom, Harry sits by Fire in Great Hall, Harry Finds Nicolas Flamel Card, Snape Classroom (extended)

Trailers and TV Spots -

-3 Theatrical Trailers

-15 TV Spots

A dvd disc of various special features from the first special edition release on dvd (I think, since I never owned this dvd):

-A guided tour of Hogwarts in 3D (like internet home tours with narration)

-An interactive scavenger like setup for exploring the world of Harry Potter

-Interviews with the Producers, Director, Screenwriter, Production Designer about cast, scenery, screenplay and special effects of the first film. (16 minutes)

-Dvd-rom features, packed full of cool stuff

An envelope with two collectible cards of a series (Harry Potter, Minerva McGonagall)

A disc for the digital copy

And a photo book of stills and concept art from the entire storyline focusing on locations and sets.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Three-Disc Ultimate Edition)

I also loved the books and the movie but just like someone else said, the film is the real highlight of the DVD. All the special features are aimed to kids except an interview of 15 minutes with Chris Columbus and others. I'm writing this review to give a fast way to find the deleted scenes but you must have the SEARCH function on your DVD player. Go to track 80(80/84) of the second DVD with the SEARCH function. Then, select the 5 th bottle and the stone. That way, you can see the deleted scenes without playing the whole game each time. There is only 6 minutes of deleted scenes on the DVD. Not 10 minutes like I read on the HP website. The deleted scenes are interesting but hardly essential and you can find them as well on the video.