- Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
- Video Codec: AVC/MPEG-4
- Resolution: 1080p/24
- Audio Codec: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1, Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
- Subtitles: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish
- Region: ABC (Region-Free)
- Rating: PG-13
- Discs: 3 (1 x Blu-ray + 1 x DVD + Digital Copy)
- Studio: Warner Home Video
- Blu-ray Release Date: April 15, 2011
- List Price: $35.99
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Purchase Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 on Blu-ray Combo Pack at CD Universe
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com
Overall
[Rating:4.5/5]
The Film
[Rating:4/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:4.5/5]
Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures
(Screen captures are lightly compressed with lossy JPEG thus are meant as a general representation of the content and do not fully reveal the capabilities of the Blu-ray format)
The Film
[Rating:4/5]
It’s the beginning of the end for the Harry Potter saga. This worldwide fantasy phenomenon, which has seen its main characters grow up before our very eyes has become so ingrained and such a moneymaker that they’ve split J.K. Rowling’s final novel in two. Perhaps they just couldn’t bring themselves to let it go.
Deathly Hallows Part 1 is a buildup to the finale of the series and as such it is a much more slow-paced film than previous Harry Potters. It is dark, brooding, and at times downright frightening. As Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione (Emma Watson), and Ron (Rupert Grint) have grown up, so too has the story. There’s no Hogwarts magic school, no more classes, the three friends have quickly become adults and must now use everything they’ve learned to save the world and the Ministry of Magic.
Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), the Dark Lord, is growing stronger, and he has taken over the Ministry. He’s killing off Muggles and any magical beings in his path. Now he’s after Harry. Harry and his friends must find the remaining Horcruxes (magical items that contain pieces of Voldemort’s soul) and destroy them before it is too late. Along their journey, they uncover the most powerful magical things ever created – the Deathly Hallows and also learn that Vodemort is after the most powerful wand in the wizarding world, the Elder Wand.
Deathly Hallows will be a bit confusing, no doubt, to anyone who has neither read the books nor seen the previous films in the franchise. Fortunately, at least on this Blu-ray release, there is the Maximum Movie Mode, which should help a bit. I recommend watching in this mode if you are completely unfamiliar the world of Harry Potter.
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
As one would expect a special-effects laden film of recent vintage of the calibre of Harry Potter to, Deathly Hallows Part 1 looks spectacular on Blu-ray. It’s clean and sharp with a nice layer of grain imparting a film-like, cinematic quality to the AVC/MPEG-4 transfer. The blacks are inky, yet shadow detail is nicely extended with only a slight bit of crush. Only on occasion does a little bit of softness creep in, more due to the production techniques than the transfer itself.
Audio Quality
[Rating:5/5]
Deathly Hallows sounds as spectacular as it looks with a throughly enjoyable and entertaining DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix that puts listeners in a 360° capsule of sound. Thunderous bass, whizzing foley effects that wrap around the room, a good balance of direct sound and ambience, and clean dialogue characterize this mix, which also has a wide dynamic range.
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:4.5/5]
Deathly Hallows Part 1 comes loaded with bonus materials including the excellent in-movie Maximum Movie Mode that helps to together the Harry Potter saga in film and novels.
The supplements provided with this release are:
- Maximum Movie Mode – Watch the film with Host Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy) and other cast and crew while they interact with the movie to unravel the mysteries of the Dark Lord’s past. Includes book-passage readings, in-depth video segments and Horcrux revelations.
- Focus Points (1080p/24)
- Behind the Story (1080p/24)
- The Seven Harrys – Daniel Radcliffe and the rest of the team show us a candid yet hilarious rendition of what it took to make all the personalities of the seven Harrys “just right.
- On the Green with Rupert, Tom, Oliver, and James – Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) and castmates Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) and James Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley) hit the links at the famed celtic manor and discuss their 10 years of comradeship and what lies ahead.
- Dan, Rupert, and Emma’s Running Competition – With commentary by director David Yates, witness the competitive spirit whole filming the escape scene from the snatchers in Swinley Forest.
- Godric’s Hollow/The Harry and Nagini Battle
- The Frozen Lake
- Additional Scenes (1080p/24)
- Trailers and Spots (1080p/24)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1: Behind the Soundtrack
- The Wizard World of Harry Potter – Promotional Trailer
- Sneak Peek of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2 Opening Scene
- BD-Live
- DVD
- Digital Copy
The Definitive Word
Overall:
[Rating:4.5/5]
Dark and brooding, Deathly Hallows Part 1 is a fitting setup for the final showdown of the good teen wizard versus the Dark Lord in the final film in the series, Deathly Hallows Part 2. A must have cog in the machine works of the Harry Potter universe, Deathly Hallows Part 1 arrives with an excellent, reference quality Blu-ray release from Warner loaded with high quality extras. Highly recommended.
Additional Screen Captures
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[amazon-product align=”right”]B001UV4XI8[/amazon-product]
Purchase Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 on Blu-ray Combo Pack at CD Universe
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com
Overall
[Rating:4.5/5]
The Film
[Rating:4/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:4.5/5]
