Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Return to Hogwarts

Reviewed by Michael Reuben November 21, 2017

(Revised on November 28, 2017, to reflect additional information from Warner Brothers.)

Warner Brothers has completed its migration of the Harry Potter saga to 4K UHD with the addition of the first four films in the series, joining the back-end four released last March (and reviewed here, here, here and here). Unlike the previous Potter UHDs, all of which were upscaled from 2K digital intermediates, two of these derive from new 4K scans of the camera negatives—and it shows. The first set of Potter UHDs was noteworthy primarily for changes in the color grading ranging from subtle to overt, but fresh scans reveal new layers of detail and intensity in the earliest films.

All of these UHDs are replacing bit-starved VC-1 encodes prepared for release on both Blu-ray and the now-obsolete HD-DVD format. Warner has been reissuing these outdated presentations for years, and it's unfortunate that the studio has not seen fit to accompany the new 4K discs with remastered standard Blu-rays, especially when new scans are available—a practice that is becoming distressingly common with Warner's catolog UHDs. But for Potter fans with a 4K setup, these discs are a must-have. Their image blows the dust off the early adventures of Harry and his friends.

Discussions of the film can found in Greg Maltz's review of the original 2007 release and Kenneth Brown's review of the so- called "Ultimate Edition" released in 2009. Note that the UHD disc contains only the theatrical cut and does not include the director's cut that adds seven minutes. The latter can still be found on the standard Blu-ray included in the package.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Warner's 2160p, HEVC/H.265-encoded UHD of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone derives from a new 4K scan of the film's original camera negative, followed by extensive color correction and HDR encoding. The result is an image of exceptional detail and clarity, with new intensity in the many shadings of color in the environs in and around Hogwarts. The early entries in Harry's series are set primarily in dormitories, halls, classrooms and grounds of the now-famous school of wizardry, where sedate English tradition has been reimagined by M.C. Escher and H.R. Giger. Perhaps the most noteworthy effect of the UHD's increased detail and enhanced contrast is the image's balance in the many scenes of students and teachers bustling to and fro; individuals remain distinct, even as innumerable eccentric details in Hogwarts' often dim halls are clearly revealed. The long shots of the cavernous dining hall with its vast tables crowded with budding wizards and witches are particularly impressive. Closeups pick up tiny variations in skin texture, fabric details and individual strands of hair (check out Dumbledore's flowing white beard). All of this fine detail is presented discreetly, without overemphasis or digital harshness. Distant figures in darkened halls remain visible for just as long, and to precisely the extent, as intended by director Chris Columbus (Home Alone) and cinematographer John Seale (Mad Max: Fury Road). Even effects-heavy sequences like Harry's extended Quidditch match benefit from the UHD's more vibrant colors and refined definition (although some of the effects shots can't help but look dated compared to the more sophisticated efforts of the series' later entries).

Switching to the old Blu-ray after watching the UHD makes you realize just how badly dated it is, with its soft image and murky texture. The 4K presentation of Sorcerer's Stone instantly supplants the Blu-ray as the definitive visual presentation of the film that launched the franchise.

[System calibrated for UHD using a Klein K10-A Colorimeter with a custom profile created with a Colorimetry Research CR250 Spectraradiometer, powered by SpectraCal CalMAN 2016 5.7, using the Samsung Reference 2016 UHD HDR Blu-ray test disc authored by Florian Friedrich from AV Top in Munich, Germany. Calibration performed by Kevin Miller of ISFTV.]

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The initial Blu-ray release of Sorcerer's Stone featured a PCM 5.1 soundtrack, and the "Ultimate Edition" offered a 6.1 remix in DTS-HD MA that Ken Brown praised as a "sonic standout". But these prior audio presentations have been superseded by the new DTS:X track on the UHD. While DTS:X has been criticized in technical circles for failing to provide a true "object-based" sound format à la Dolby Atmos, there's no disputing the exceptional power and precision of the audio engineers' achievement with this track. In scene after scene, the entire room is filled on all sides with activities, such as the blizzard of letters inviting Harry to Hogwarts and the room full of flying keys guarding the hiding place of the titular stone. Perhaps no scene more effectively demonstrates the exceptional power of this remix than the deadly game of giant "wizard's chess", in which massive stone chess pieces smash the opposing pieces that have been taken. As the huge statues shatter thunderously, the soundtrack maintains a tight focus on individual sounds of dust and sand scattering, chunks of rock flying through the air and fragments landing on the ground. The previous DTS-HD MA track, though still impressive, sounds muddy by comparison. (It doesn't hurt that the DTS:X version has been mixed at a higher volume.) None of these enhancements come at the expense of the dialogue or of John Willliams' charming score. In short, the UHD of Sorcerer's Stone provides a sonic upgrade worthy of its visuals.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The UHD disc has no extras. The accompanying "Special Features" disc is a reprint of disc 2 from the "Ultimate Edition" with 2009 file dates. Ken's review itemizes its contents. Disc 3 of the Ultimate Edition, which was a DVD, is not included.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone remains one of the weaker films in the Potter franchise, freighted with such a burden of prologue and backstory that it barely has a time for an independent plot. But the film has been given an effective makeover on UHD, because the creative team did it right: a new 4K scan from negative, an effective but respectful HDR treatment and a BD-100 to ensure sufficient bandwidth. The result is a gorgeous image that breathes new life into the first chapter of Harry's journey, accompanied by an equally memorable soundtrack. The only negative is the failure to remaster the standard Blu-ray, thereby abandoning those who haven't yet upgraded their equipment to a wan and outdated image from the early days of the format. With these new Potter discs joining first-class catalog 4K titles like Blade Runner and Unforgiven, Warner is giving fans a meaningful incentive to invest in home video's latest format. Highly recommended.