# Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - Blu-ray Review



## Dale Rasco (Apr 11, 2009)

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=7366[/img]*Title: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2
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: 130 Minutes
Release Date: * 

*Movie:* :5stars:
*Video:* :4.5stars:
*Audio:* :5stars: 
*Extras:* :5stars: 
*HTS Overall Score:*95

*Summary:* 
"It All Ends"​
So this is it! This is the final chapter in the eight film saga about a young wizard who becomes the savior of all. How did it fair? In a word; brilliantly! I won’t go into a lot of detail on this summary as I don’t want to accidently drop a spoiler, but I will say that this movie is what most film series aspire towards and yet fail so miserably at. As a film, story, plot or whatever description you want to throw at it, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is, IMO, the absolute best film in the series.[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=7367[/img] 

For those of you late to the party, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is the epic climax to a story arc that has been 10 years in the making. It is the final battle between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort and everything hangs in the balance. Deathly Hallows Part 1 was the setup for the action that is unleashed in Part 2. Everything that you could have imagined happening in Part 2 by what you saw in Part 1 happens and on an epic scale. The battle scenes are larger than life, the special effects are off the chain and the plot twists and revelations are literally jaw dropping. This was a fitting end to the series and has to be the best end to such a saga as I have ever seen. 

It’s been 10 years since my bride and I took our kids to see the original Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and I have personally never read any of the books in the franchise. Everything I know is based on these films and while I will admit that there are some of the films that I like better than others, I have never been disappointed by any of them by any stretch. Still, I know there are those of you out there that have read every book and will probably have certain films in the series that you were disappointed by, but surely this one is not one of them. 

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=7368[/img] My kids were six and four when we went to see the first Harry Potter and it has been quite an experience. As I reflect and think how they have matured as the films have become more mature in content, I am floored when I fully understand the breadth of this series. It may sound odd for me to make the following statement, but there has never been a film franchise in history that has truly been this unique. As I think of the films that defined my generation such as Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Etc., I can’t help but think how different Harry Potter is from all of those because of its cast and how they all grew up while my kids were growing up. And yes, it was a little sad watching the last one with my daughter who is now 16 because it kind of closes a chapter on her childhood. The boy however couldn’t care less because he’s 14, a rebel and too cool for Harry Potter these days. Just know that in the end, the payoff is well worth it.




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

*Video:* :5stars:
Oddly enough, the video wasn’t as up to par as I have come to expect and it wasn’t an issue with the transfer as much as it was the way the film was shot. The dark imagery of the film doesn’t lend well to bright vivid colors that pop off of the screen. The gray scale that the filmmakers used to relay a feeling of overall hopelessness works incredibly well for the films tone but does sacrifice resolution and clarity. The black levels however are phenomenal. I was so impressed with the shadow detail and separation that I found myself pausing the film three separate times to take in all of the detail and gradational qualities of those scenes. Flesh tones were often pale and lacking any warmth but seemed to accurately represent the scene. My biggest complaint is in a scene involving Harry at the train station. The scene is key to the plot so I won’t describe it, but the “dreamlike” sequence showed some minor flaws with the green screen affect, but again that is a result of the filming process and not the transfer. Other than that though, the special effects were top notch. The CGI was stellar and all of the creatures and battles were completed perfectly. 






















*Audio:* :5stars:
The 5.1 DTS-HD-MA mix for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2 was quite honestly a masterpiece. Not in the sense of the wildly bombastic foundation shaking Transformers Dark of the moon, but in a thoughtful and extremely engaging way. Every ambient sound that spilled from the surround channels and the incredible imaging and directionality that ventured left to right and back and forth across the entire sound stage was completely enveloping. The dialogue reproduction was as perfect as I have ever experienced and the bass was deep and impactful and occasionally bordered on the rude and offensive; and that’s how we like it! I have no reason not to give this audio presentation my highest score. It shines and does exactly what it was supposed to do; draw the viewer in and hold them in its grasp for the duration of the film. Top notch!

*Extras:* :5stars:

*Disc 1:*

Maximum Movie Mode 
Focus Points 
Aberforth Dumbledore
Deathly Hallows costume changes
Harry returns to Hogwarts
The Hogwarts shield 
The room of requirement set
The fiery escape
Neville’s stand
Molly takes down Bellatrix 
Final farewells from the cast/crew
BD-Live enabled

*Disc 2:*

Behind the story 
8 deleted scenes
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London 
Pottermore 
Bonus DVD of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 
Ultraviolet Digital Copy




*Overall:* :4.5stars:
As I mentioned earlier, Harry Potter is more than a film series and more than a media franchise. It’s one of those things that rarely comes along and defines a generation. It took ten years to tell the tale of Harry, Ron and Hermini and their battle against the evil dark lord “you know who” and I can think of no better finale than the film presented here. Deathly Hallows 2 is going to be much too dark for younger kids with a lot of scary images and grown up themes, but parents with kids that grew up with the series will be incredibly well rewarded for their patience over the last 10 years. The only negative that I have to say is that it is a shame that it all has to end, but I guess we all need to grow up sometime. 










*Highly Recommended*






Official Blu-Ray Reviews Scoring


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## Superior Audio (Feb 27, 2008)

*Re: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - Blu-Ray Review*

Man! They sure packed in ALOT for a 1 minute movie!  , the TRAILER is longer than the movie!:bigsmile:


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## Dale Rasco (Apr 11, 2009)

*Re: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - Blu-Ray Review*

DOH!!! :doh:


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## KalaniP (Dec 17, 2008)

*Re: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - Blu-Ray Review*

Excellent, I can't wait to pick this one up. 

Never got around to seeing it in theaters, much to my regret... bad timing and just didn't work out, even though I wanted to see it and tried a number of times. I guess I'll have a viewing party instead and work out my sub!


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

*Re: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - Blu-Ray Review*

Are they releasing the entire pack of movies at the same time? My kids have scratched up some of the earlier movies from repeated watching and I was thinking I would get them all at the same time.....


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## Superior Audio (Feb 27, 2008)

*Re: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - Blu-Ray Review*



Dale Rasco said:


> DOH!!! :doh:


:rofl2:


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## KalaniP (Dec 17, 2008)

*Re: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - Blu-Ray Review*



ALMFamily said:


> Are they releasing the entire pack of movies at the same time? My kids have scratched up some of the earlier movies from repeated watching and I was thinking I would get them all at the same time.....


Yes:

http://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-...FHHK/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1320794852&sr=8-4


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## Dale Rasco (Apr 11, 2009)

*Re: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - Blu-Ray Review*



ALMFamily said:


> Are they releasing the entire pack of movies at the same time? My kids have scratched up some of the earlier movies from repeated watching and I was thinking I would get them all at the same time.....





KalaniP said:


> Yes:
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-...FHHK/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1320794852&sr=8-4


Sadly Warner intends to put them on moratorium. 

http://www.imdb.com/news/ni17145636/


Harry Potter Moratorium Begins December 29th


24 October 2011 4:50 PM, PDT | MovieWeb | See recent MovieWeb news » 


Warner Bros. has announced they will pull all of their Harry Potter Blu-rays and DVDs off the shelves starting December 29. Take a look at the studio's official statement below.

_"Harry Potter, the #1 motion picture franchise of all time, will soon disappear from shelves, as Warner Bros. stops shipping all Harry Potter theatrical film titles (including Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, and Harry Potter: The Complete 8-Film Collection) as of December 29, 2011 (moratorium does not include digital - Electronic Sell-Through & VOD - or games). The Harry Potter franchise has grossed more than $12.1 billion for Warner Bros. Entertainment - with $7 billion at the worldwide box office for Warner Bros. Pictures and $5.1 billion for Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment."

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 will be released on Blu-ray and DVD November 11, along with the Harry Potter: The Complete 8-Film Collection on Blu-ray and DVD."_​


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## KalaniP (Dec 17, 2008)

*Re: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - Blu-Ray Review*



Dale Rasco said:


> Sadly Warner intends to put them on moratorium.
> 
> http://www.imdb.com/news/ni17145636/
> 
> ...


1) Not on moritorium until 12/29, so there's plenty of time to buy before then.

2) Read the comments on the Amazon link I posted, for this interesting tidbit:



> UPDATE 10/25/11: This was just posted over on The Digital Bits website:
> 
> "All right, we've got a couple of quick news and announcement updates for you this afternoon...
> 
> ...


So the good news is the great extended releases (hopefully with a better transfer, even?) will be coming later, although it's a good year off yet.

3) ALSO read the other comments for a great tip re buying the boxed set from Amazon UK instead of the US site, where you can buy the whole set for MUCH cheaper than the US site, although it doesn't come out until 12/2 (as opposed to 11/11 for the US release). If I was buying blu rays and there's a good chance kids will scratch them up, I'd seriously consider getting them as cheaply as possible so it hurts less when they destroy them again. (and maybe they'll be mature enough NOT to destroy them by the time the extended releases come out!) The UK releases are region free and will play in any US BR player no problem. (there are no 50i/60i or PAL issues with these BRs)


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## Dale Rasco (Apr 11, 2009)

*Re: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - Blu-Ray Review*



KalaniP said:


> 1) Not on moritorium until 12/29, so there's plenty of time to buy before then.
> 
> 2) Read the comments on the Amazon link I posted, for this interesting tidbit:
> 
> ...


I never had a doubt that it was an effort to build up demand for one reason or another, just trying to point out that fans have about a month and a half until they hit the date.


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

*Re: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - Blu-Ray Review*

Thanks guys!


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## KalaniP (Dec 17, 2008)

*Re: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - Blu-Ray Review*



Dale Rasco said:


> I never had a doubt that it was an effort to build up demand for one reason or another, just trying to point out that fans have about a month and a half until they hit the date.


I know I'll be getting mine on day 1, so no worries here, but good for others to know, to be sure. :T


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## typ44q (Apr 7, 2008)

*Re: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - Blu-Ray Review*

Great review, I too was sad to see it end and know that it will be a long time before another series can come close to what they accomplished with this. 
I picked up the 3D version that best buy was offering even though I do not have a 3d player yet (probably will within the next 6 months) had I known they were offering it I might of gone with the Target version that had exclusive content...


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## tommysss (Nov 18, 2009)

*Re: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - Blu-Ray Review*

THis movie is th greatest of all the Harry Potter movies. I love everything about this movie, the plot and acting were outstanding it brought everything together, the effects were also outstanding. This movie compels me to buy the full collection.


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## HuskerOmaha (Jan 19, 2011)

tommysss said:


> THis movie is th greatest of all the Harry Potter movies. I love everything about this movie, the plot and acting were outstanding it brought everything together, the effects were also outstanding. This movie compels me to buy the full collection.


Ditto


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## Technosponge (Oct 28, 2011)

Just watched 3D version last week and it really doesn't add much but it's still fun. Definitely the epic end it needed. Good film and I've enjoyed the series as much as my kids. Kind of bitter sweet to have awesome movies come to end in series. I enjoyed the excitement and anticipation shared with my family as we waited for the next one.


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## Richard in SF (Mar 8, 2009)

Just saw the 3D version on my Elite. Fabulous; it may be the best 3D ever. I can't imagine that the special effects could be half as good in 2D.


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## kingnoob (Mar 12, 2013)

Good movie, I just think that they needed a little more depth in the story-line they dragged it on for 8 movies? A little much.


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