# Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 - Blu-ray Review



## Dale Rasco (Apr 11, 2009)

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=6369[/img]*Title: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Starring: Daniel Radcliff, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Alan Rickman, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Bonnie Wright, Julie Walters
Directed by: David Yates
Written by: J.K. Rowling, Steve Kloves (Screenplay)
Studio: Warner
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 146 Minutes
Release Date: * 

*Movie:* :4.5stars:
*Video:* :4.5stars:
*Audio:* :5stars: 
*Extras:* :4stars: 
*Overall:* :4.5stars: 



*Synopsis:* 
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 begins with the dark lord Voldemort returning to overtake The Ministry of Magic and to destroy all “mud-bloods” as The Order of the Phoenix race to find Harry Potter and get him to a safe place. Ron, Hermione, the entire Weasley family, “Mad-Eye” Moody and several others drink Polyjuice Potion to take the form of Harry Potter and provide multiple targets for the Death Eater’s that are hot on Harry’s trail. The scene ends after a lengthy chase through the skies and city streets of London in which The Order arrives at the Weasley homestead where Molly Weasley anxiously awaits their arrival. 

Later that night, Harry tries to leave the Weasley home on his own in an effort to mitigate the risk of the ones he loves getting hurt or killed trying to protect him however; he is stopped by Ron who convinces him that what Harry actually needs more than anything else is to come back to the house and let them help him and so they can celebrate the wedding of Ron’s eldest brother Bill. Things get out of hand quickly later that evening during the wedding reception when the party is attacked by the Death Eaters who immediately start attacking the guests searching for Harry. Now, convinced that they have been betrayed by one of their own, Harry, Hermione and Ron set forth on their own to gather the ‘Horecrux’s” needed to stop Voldemort once and for all. [img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=6370[/img]

As the three friends go on their search for the Horecrux’s, the Minestry of Magic begins rounding up “mud-bloods”, holding trials and condemning the muggle-born half-blood witches and wizards in order to cleanse the blood line and create a society of pure bloods. Things continue going from bad to worse for Harry and his friends as the quest for the Horecrux’s drives a wedge between the three friends which just may jeopardize the lives of all half-bloods. 

I am one of those people that have never read the Harry Potter books, but am a fan of the movies. My kids have grown up watching them since the first chapter came out in November of 2001. We have enjoyed them very much and re-visit them often however; this final chapter in the Potter saga is a much darker film both visually and with regards to the story. Immediately upon completing the Deathly Hallows Part 1, I was actually a little upset that it ended the way it did. But after thinking about it and analyzing the circumstances in which our heroes now find themselves in, I have to say that Director David Yates did what great directors do. He conveyed the emotions that the characters would be feeling at that time and it transferred to me, and now I have to say that this may be the best Potter movie to date. 

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=6371[/img]


I do want to take a minute to go a little deeper on a previous comment. This Harry Potter is very different in tone than any other of the Harry Potter films. There are some very frightening moments in this movie that will cause nightmares for younger viewers. My 16 year old daughter actually made the comment; “When did Harry Potter become a horror movie?” I very explicitly recommend that parents follow the PG-13 rating. There are some scenes that are adult oriented with regards to torture, murder and betrayal that are likely to generate a host of questions from younger viewers.







*Rating:* 
Rated PG-13 for some sequences of intense action violence, frightening images and brief sensuality.

*Video:* :4.5stars:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is presented in 1080P with an MPEG-4 AVC transfer with an aspect ratio of 2.40:1 and the results are near flawless. In keeping with the incredibly dark nature of the story, the video in Deathly Hallows is dark and brooding as well. David Yates did an outstanding job of pulling the viewer into the story but giving the entire film a gray-wash look that felt very bleak and hopeless. Even the scenes that had some fairly brilliant color to them could not shake the overwhelming feeling of despondency that is predominating throughout the film. The resolution isn’t perfect all of the time, but that can be attributed to the way the movie was filmed. Black levels and shadow delineation are flawless which is very important in this movie as there are a lot of both. Overall Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is an extremely solid transfer worth a look.


























*Audio:* :5stars: 
The 5.1 DST-HD-MA in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is, in a word, perfect. There were absolutely no discernable flaws in this audio presentation. The surrounds were given an extremely healthy dose of love thanks to the many suspenseful and the action packed scenes. The surround activity gave the experience a lot of depth and I for one really appreciated the amount of detail that came from each channel. LFE was solid but not overpowering. Many scenes involving the Death Eaters and battles between wizards were impactful while being mindful to the subtleties of the environment. Dialogue was clear and concise throughout and never got lost in the ensuing action. The sound design throughout the Deathly Hallows was very thoughtful and perfectly executed. Hats off to the sound engineering team that worked on this one, very well done indeed!



*Extras:* :4stars:

*Disc 1:*

Maximum Movie Mode 
Focus Points 
WB BD-Live access

*Disc 2:*

Behind the story (Totaling 30 minutes) : 
8 additional scenes
Trailers & Spots

*Disc 3:*

Bonus DVD and Digital Copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1

*Overall:* :4.5stars:
As I said before, my initial impression of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 as a film was not very favorable, but after analyzing it for a bit I have realized it was because it wasn’t what I was expecting. I had to remember that this film is actually the first half of the last novel in the series and that the actually ending won’t be available until mid July. I also liken it to the first time I saw The Empire Strikes Back when my hero was frozen in carbonite and loaded on to Slave 1 by that overrated nerf herder Boba Fett… But I digress. In the end, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is, in my opinion, the best of the series thus far even though it is dark, brooding and is a far cry from where the series started. This is a must buy for any Harry Potter fan as well as for fans of the genre. Until next time campers, have a good day and in case I don't see ya later, a good afternoon, a good evening, and a good night! :wave:


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## Jon Liu (May 21, 2007)

*Re: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1*

I really liked this installment of the HP series so this is a must buy for me. I agree this is really dark movie and should be avoided by the younger viewers..


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## ironglen (Mar 4, 2009)

*Re: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1*

Dale! Just watched this dark installment to the series as I waited to watch it knowing it would conclude shortly...and it was like a fine dark chocolate, slightly bitter, due to the evil-doers :demon: I liked the building of suspense that will conclude in the last film, and it definitely had an elevated maturity level attached. Thanks for the great review!


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## Dale Rasco (Apr 11, 2009)

*Re: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1*

Thanks guys, I am really looking forward to seeing how the whole thing ends in about two months!


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