Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince DVD Blu-ray Review
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince DVD Blu-ray Review
Voldemort vs. Vampires & Vixens
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While there are a lot of dark elements in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, it's more about the interpersonal relationships between the characters and focuses a lot on the romantic dynamics… and quiddich. Lots and lots of quiddich. I liked the movie alright when I saw it in theaters, but I felt it could have been tightened up a notch or two.
Read Horror.com's theatrical release review of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince here: http://www.horror.com/php/article-2451-1.html
If you do not feel like reading my retread in full, here's a brief rundown: As bad guy Voldemort becomes more and more powerful in his malevolence, Prof Dumbledore has turned the once-joyous Hogwarts School into a virtual fortress to keep the students safe from infiltration by Deatheaters and Dementors… Of course, this doesn't mean that the scrappy students (namely Harry, Ron, and Hermione) won't go to them. Good and evil clash, mysteries present themselves, teen angst muddies the waters, and yes: Quiddich is played. The movie leaves itself open-ended, paving the way for wrap-up in the final two films, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Parts I and II. As such, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a cog in a greater wheel which ultimately weakens it as a standalone entry.
But that doesn't mean it's not one beautiful Blu-ray disc! The darkly luscious cinematography and black velvet of its sinister, monstrous night creatures is even more striking on a good hi-def screen than it was as projected in theaters. The sound, via lossless Dolby TrueHD 5.1, is also that much more ominous, rumbly and altogether spooky.
The extras are legion. I'm all for doing my job here, but I couldn't possibly find the time to watch them all and report back. So here's a brief overview, with some details on my personal picks from the 3-Disc Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy Combo Pack:
•Widescreen version
•Cool slipcover with a 3-D holographic picture
•Additional scenes (6:31)
•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)
- This was a cutesy featurette, but actually I found it quite informative since I am not a diehard Potter fan. I have seen all the movies and read several of the books, but I realized as I watched each significant actor give their character's entire history in under one minute… that I'd forgotten a lot. It's an easy-peasy history lesson, presented in a fun, rapid-fire, Twitter-nation way.
•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)
- Another cutesy featurette, this one reminded me a little bit of 70s Tiger Beat magazine colliding with the 80s Canadian kiddie show "You Can't Do That On Television!". No references to Leif Garrett and no green slime, but Felton's goofy hosting style is the perfect springboard for cut-to's to the film's actors answering questions that run the gamut from "What's your favorite word?" to "If you could change anything in the world, what would it be?" Although skin deep, this featurette offers insight to the actors one doesn't usually see on DVD extras.
•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)
•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)
•DVD version of the theatrical film (3rd disc)
•Blu-ray exclusive features
- WB Maximum Movie Mode with Director David Yates, Producers David Heyman and David Barron, and cast members Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and Tom Felton (1:38:00)
- BD-Live Media Center including My Commentary, Live Community Screening and other interactive features. Also included is an exclusive introduction to the upcoming "Harry Potter Ultimate Editions" by Daniel Radcliffe
- BD-Live interactivity – Facebook Connect
- Additional BD-Live features
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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson