7.8 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
As Harry races against time and evil to destroy the Horcruxes, he uncovers the existence of the three most powerful objects in the wizarding world: the Deathly Hallows.
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie ColtraneAdventure | 100% |
Fantasy | 78% |
Family | 60% |
Epic | 56% |
Mystery | 31% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 MVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Four-disc set (3 BDs, 1 DVD)
UV digital copy
DVD copy
Bonus View (PiP)
BD-Live
Blu-ray 3D
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Insects stir in the dark, metal scrapes against metal, rending iron and crackling rust erupt in an unholy chorus, and a familiar music box tune struggles to bleed through the chaos. Suddenly, as quickly as it came, the dissonant roar gives way to unnerving silence. Bill Nighy's face fills the frame; weary but stern, frightened but resolute. "These are dark times, there is no denying." His voice wavers, his eyes reveal the uncertainty looming just behind the facade of a veteran politician. "Our world has perhaps faced no greater threat than it does today." Fear threatens to run rampant for the briefest of instants before the Minister of Magic composes himself. "But your ministry... remains strong." An explosion of flash bulbs interrupt his speech as reporters press in. Without warning, we're whisked away. Hermione Granger lingers in her bedroom, Harry Potter watches from a dingy window as the Dursley family flees their home, and Ron Weasley stares at the setting sun, unsure of what the future will bring. With tear-kissed eyes, Hermione moves behind her parents and wishes them an unspoken goodbye. She raises her wand, whispers "obliviate," and erases all traces of her existence from her parents' minds and the photographs adorning the walls. She departs, as does Harry, and sets off to join Ron on a perilous journey the once-rosy cheeked babes never dreamed they would one day be forced to take. This is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1, director David Yates' unsettlingly bleak, unmistakably cinematic, exceptionally moving seventh chapter in the soon-to-be-complete saga. Needless to say, it isn't the Harry Potter most expect, nor the Harry Potter readers and filmfans of all ages first fell in love with more than ten years ago. It's much, much more.
Another day, another brush with death...
The 3D release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 features both a 1080p/MVC-encoded 3D presentation and a 1080p/AVC-encoded 2D presentation, each housed on their own BD-50 disc. The 2D transfer is, as before, a brooding but beautiful sight to behold. The 3D transfer, meanwhile, is as technically sound as its 2D counterpart, with no major compression issues, digital oddities or eyesores to point to. Unfortunately, the 3D experience is a post-conversion wash. Depth is neither here nor there, with average dimensionality in all but a handful of standout shots. When Harry, Ron or Hermione step into the foreground or retreat into the background, a slight flatness accompanies them; when they stroll through the halls of the Ministry of Magic or make their way through the streets of London, there's a nice sense of space but nothing that screams "this is amazing!" The world of Hogwarts extends inward rather than outward, infusing wintry forests, moonlit fields and overcast wildernesses with just enough realism to justify the 3D presentation's existence. (Just enough.) In fact, open landscapes are perhaps the most convincing elements on the screen, even if there isn't much 3D pop to speak of. Some viewers will also notice a touch of crosstalk cropping up throughout, although that will depend entirely on individual displays and glasses as any crosstalk and ghosting that appears aren't products of the encode itself. There also isn't any more artifacting, banding, aliasing or ringing than there is in the 2D presentation, which is to say very little to none.
But, really, Part 1 doesn't look a like a film that belongs in 3D in the first place. The darkness, the shadows, the overcast skies, the bottomless blackness... effective and evocative as it all is thematically, none of it lends itself to a 3D presentation. Ah well. It still represents a magnificent rendering of Kloves' bleak tone, Eduardo Serra's evocative sun-starved photography and Yates' world-weary aesthetic, and the wizards at Warner, post-conversion or no, have remained true to each one. Color accuracy and saturation are impeccable, skintones are convincing and lifelike, and black levels are deep and dastardly. Just a word of warning: the tint of your 3D glasses may render some of the film's darkest shots impenetrable. Yes, fine detail does take a slight hit whenever the sun sets or the lights grow dreadfully dim, but exceedingly refined textures and crisp, clean edges abound. Likewise, contrast isn't always ideal but, again, Warner's encode is tirelessly true to its source. The only oddity worth mentioning -- faint noise that intermittently hovers overtop of the image -- is altogether negligible and rarely detracts from the overall impact of the presentation. In the end, the 2D and 3D encodes will leave Potter purists breathless. The resulting 3D experience? Not so much.
From the ungodly dissonance that opens the film to the raging storm that gives way to the end credits, Warner's outstanding DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track summons the full strength of the Harry Potter series and does the saga justice. Spine-shattering teleportation spells, ear-splitting energy blasts, ground-shaking Death Eater attacks and other thunderous elements put the LFE channel through its paces and deliver the sonic goods, time and time again. Meanwhile, the rear speakers grab hold of every element that spreads across the soundfield, turning forest chases and Horcrux battles into enveloping show-stoppers. Yes, a good portion of the film's sound design is subdued and atmospheric, but only insofar as it enhances the isolation and loneliness Radcliffe, Grint and Watson experience on their journey. Near-invisible pans whip from channel to channel, environmental ambience is pleasing, directionality never misses its mark, the track's dynamics won't soon be forgotten, and Alexandre Desplat's wind-swept score fills the soundfield without fail. To top it all off, dialogue is crystal clear, perfectly prioritized and marvelously grounded in the film's earthy soundscape, regardless of how quiet or chaotic a scene becomes. Ultimately, The Deathly Hallows' faithful lossless track will turn heads, thrill fans, and wow audiophiles and neophytes alike.
With a future Ultimate Edition presumably in the cards, it's tough to get too excited about the special features Warner has assembled for Deathly Hallows' 3-disc Blu-ray debut terrific as they are. That said, the extras on hand -- among them a satisfying Maximum Movie Mode, multiple production featurettes and a series of worthwhile deleted scenes -- add further value to an already impressive release.
Will The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 appeal to every Harry Potter fan? If reviews are any indication, no. Slower than most of its predecessors, less fantasy-oriented than other entries, and more character-driven than anything the series has delivered thus far, the first half of the Potter finale is as divisive as it is unique and powerful. But rest easy, dear readers. Warner's Blu-ray release isn't nearly as divisive. While the 3D experience is just so-so and while the supplemental package will attract some criticism (especially when the film's Ultimate Edition is inevitably announced), the set's AV presentation is faithful to a fault, notably cinematic and utterly absorbing. From top to bottom, I was thoroughly pleased with the results. I have a feeling most Potter devotees will be too, even if its 3D post-conversion and 3D experience aren't going to thrill casual fans or 3D afficiandos.
Triple Play
2010
Triple Play / Bonus DVD
2010
2010
Movie-Only
2010
Bonus Disc
2010
2010
Bonus Book
2010
Limited Edition Gift Box
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
2011
2005
2009
2007
w/ Extended on the BD
2001
2004
2002
2019
2008
2018
2010
2014
2015
2007
2013
2005
80th Anniversary Edition
1939
2014
2010
2010