Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 (Four-Disc Blu-ray Deluxe Edition)

I have previously been relatively unsatisfied with some of the movies due to a combination of poor script adaptation, suffering CG sequences or lack of acting prowess from a number of principal actors. "Deathly Hallows, Part 1", however, is one of the only Harry Potter movies I walked away from without feeling it was incomplete in the way I felt about some of the other films. I was actually very satisfied with the end result, even with the changes it had, and felt strongly enough about it to see it again another 4 times. There are obvious limitations when bringing a book to life on the big screen like budget problems and time constraints, actor availability, finding suitable and affordable filming locations and hiring a CGI company with the chops to get the job done. I thought this movie addressed the shortcomings in prior films because most of what I saw I thought was done exceedingly well, both on the part of the crew and the actors.PROS:Nearly everything in this movie conveyed a sense of impending doom and haunting depression, even the rusted and dilapidated WB logo at the start of the film. That sense of malcontent and sadness has been a big source of criticism from some, mostly those who have not read the book and don't understand that the feeling of hopelessness is canon in a majority of the plot. That said, I found it to be appropriate, even if a little exhausting at some parts such as the times where we see Harry and Hermione slowly gathering their things, without speaking to each other, getting ready to change locations, just to set up again without speaking. This movie is about a war and, although it's primarily viewed on the periphery, war is never happy. Relationships are severely tested and splintered in this installment, but such is the life of someone who has been tasked with a near-impossible job, with limited knowledge of how to handle and complete the task, with the added burden of having few allies to turn to, no family and no contact with friends, all while being hunted by a racist, fascist government. It's not exactly a walk in the park for Harry, so to those who are criticizing the gloominess of the movie, try to keep that perspective in mind. The book conveys those feelings of overwhelming depression well and I think the movie does as well as it can, without the help of the creative exposition that is the luxury of the written word.I thought the crew did an excellent job setting the tone of scenes with lighting and camera angles and finding gorgeous filming locations that took my breath away. They were far more beautiful, unique and - more poignantly - much lonelier than I pictured in my head when I read the book; that to me was one of the things that contributed heavily to the sadness the heroes felt. This was also one of the few things that I thought the movie did better than book. And I don't say that lightly or very often.The relationships between the characters are so very strained the whole novel; I felt this was handled well in the movie, though I confess it was something I was very worried about going in. Prior to this movie, there haven't been many opportunities for our heroes to express and sustain emotions as powerful and deep as the emotions they experience in this novel, and I while I've enjoyed the previous movies, I've always felt the actor's abilities (especially those of our 3 heroes) left something to be desired and I wasn't sure they could hack the more intense emotional scenes. I was relieved to find that they did very well in many of the major scenes, such as the big fight that sends Ron packing. I was so happy with the way this scene went, nearly word for word faithful to the book and acted wonderfully by Grint and Radcliffe. Another favorite was the scene when was Ron is Splinched coming out of the Ministry. I about cried the first time simply because of Watson's feeling during that ordeal, it was very impressive. Also, her performance in the scene at Malfoy Manor was incredibly unnerving. That scene was difficult to watch and had a few people around me covering their eyes.Harry's birthday was cut out entirely, which I'm reasonably fine with; there was nothing hugely important in that chapter that couldn't have been put where it ended up and I felt that was an acceptable re-write. In fact, I quite enjoyed seeing sneaky big brother George (complete with a toothbrush stuck tactlessly in his wound) coming in to embarrass Ginny And Harry. I felt that scene was one of the most awkward of the film, mostly because I find the "chemistry" between Radcliffe and Wright to be pathetically strained, put-on and creepy to watch. Oliver Phelps (George) saved that scene.I also appreciated that when everyone regroups at the Burrow after the "Seven Harrys" scene, they gave Mr. Weasley's lines in the book (or the equivalent of his lines) to Fred instead. I felt that was a nice touch, and even as I was reading Deathly Hallows the first time through, the whole time I thought it would have been more touching and appropriate to give Fred more of an interaction with his twin than he had in the book. It was so moving that even the audience seemed to breathe the same sigh of relief that Fred did. That's tough to manage in a film so major kudos to the sorely underused and underappreciated Phelps brothers. I had high standards for the portrayal of Fred and George from the beginning due to the fact that they easily number among my favorite characters of the whole series, and I'm very pleased that James and Oliver deliver so well every time we see them.CONS:The only scene that was cut that I truly actually missed, was the scene when Kreacher tells the trio the heartbreaking truth about Sirius's brother Regulus; a truth that not even Sirius or the rest of his family knew. Although it probably would have taken up a full 5 minutes in the film - a hugely long time for a theatrical scene - in order to convey the message accurately and do the story justice, I still missed it since it was inspiring to learn about Regulus' bravery and sacrifice. That scene also marked the beginning to Kreacher's newfound loyalty to Harry, which comes into play later on. I hope we'll see at least some mention of in Part 2, even though the fact that the basis for it was cut from Part 1 may make the connection in Part 2 seem a little random so those who haven't read the books.Another thing I didn't like, but don't blame "Part 1" for, is the immense amount of damage control it had to do after the shoddy, rushed offering that was "Half-Blood Prince". It seemed like all the loose ends that were introduced in HBP and were important to the overall story but we cut out of HBP were all stuffed into the "Seven Harrys" sequence. It was like as each character comes into the room, they have to stop and explain themselves to Harry (or rather, the viewing audience) since Yates failed to include those many major points in HBP. It's too bad the "Deathly Hallows, Part 1" has to take the heat for that shortcoming.My one major criticism would be the soundtrack. With the exception of the song "Obliviate" at the beginning, I found the music to be unremarkable and that it added next to nothing to the movie. As a former music student and performer for many years, I tend to listen very hard for a movie's soundtrack (harder than many of my friends and family members do) and look for a good connection between the movie and music, since music has the power to convey so much that actors or good lighting simply can't. I just didn't find that in Part 1. A good score can be easily used to express a message or feeling in a scene, but I can't remember a point in the movie when I felt moved by anything on the soundtrack. I wish they'd stuck with John Williams or another proven veteran, rather than change things up, though I understand scheduling conflicts probably came into play. The dreariest, saddest music can also easily be the most beautiful and stirring, but this soundtrack really disappointed me. Had the movie not been so good as to prevent me from really caring about how bland the music was, I might have rated it lower.-----------As for the criticisms I've been seeing from others, one of the most common ones is that it's "only half a movie". In order to preserve the integrity of the conclusion to the biggest selling book series of all time, it was split into two parts to allow for more time to address as much of the canon story as possible without rushing or cutting out too much detail that's so critical to the plot. Some also complained it dragged. This isn't a fair criticism for the movie since the camping scenes dominate the novel too, so to those who don't like it, take it up with Rowling, because the movie sticks to her book very well. Actually, there's more camping in the book than there is in the movie, if I remember correctly. Still, I didn't mind the camping scenes, since it illustrated the fact that Harry and Hermione (and Ron) really struggled with their goal while also having to be on the run for a majority of the story.Another popular critical judgment is the debated reason for the split in the first place. Was Part 1 merely a "lead-in" to Part 2? Just a "filler" or "built-up tease", as I've seen some critics and fans write? To each his/her own, I suppose. My opinion on it is no, it's not filler, and certainly not a way to squeeze more money out of the franchise, as a popular and shrewd argument that's been getting repeated quite a bit says. However, if it were true, and money were the only driving force here - which I don't agree that it is - then please keep in mind that WB, whose purpose it is as a business is to bring in as much profit as possible, then really, what's the complaint here? A corporation in a capitalistic society trying to cash in on something people like? Perfectly understandable.But like I said above, I do not agree that the choice to split it was based on money-grubbing. That decision was about maintaining the integrity of the story and I think a lot of people who've read the book can agree that this would have been a total let-down had the powers-that-be allowed all of Deathly Hallows to be stuffed into a single movie. It's easy for those who are unfamiliar with the books to criticize that decision now simply because they don't know what's all to come from this point on, while the readers know that there's still A LOT of story in "Deathly Hallows" left to cover. I'll be very interested to see if that attitude changes after Part 2 is released. When they see just how much story is crammed into the final installment (certainly in the book and hopefully in the movie, assuming it does a good job of staying true), I think many of them will be forced to rethink that original opinion. I think the 2-part split was for the best.Overall, I was impressed and very satisfied with how Part 1 was translated on-screen. I, like many others, are stoked for Part 2 and can't wait to see how the movie brings to life the conclusion of the best-selling book series of all time. I'm just annoyed there's an 8-month wait between Part 1 and 2. Is it July 15th yet?!

I'm so very happy that I can recommend this one without any hesitation at all!The last couple Harry Potter films disappointed me in a myriad of ways. My disappointment didn't cause me to hate them, but I did feel let down and I have to admit that I found Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince pretty forgettable. But, being a Potter fan, I still found myself rushing out to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I today. And to my great relief and happiness, I loved it - really loved it! Yeah!The chase of the Seven Potters by the Death Eaters and the trip to the Ministry of Magic are tense and exciting, the endless camping trip is just as effective at portraying the helplessness and frustration the characters are experiencing as it was in the book and the scene that gives us Hermione reading Beedle the Bard's "Tale of the Three Brothers" is riveting and wonderfully creative - much, much better than I would have thought it could be. We finally get to meet Bill (and Fleur's briefly-glimpsed wedding dress is gorgeous!) and the whipped cream on top of all this goodness is that the film is much more humorous than I expected. While not everything is included, of course, I didn't come out of this film grumbling things along the lines of "How could they leave out _____?" or "Why did they add ________when it wasn't even in the danged book?" - both comments I have been known to make after viewing some of the other films. Instead, I left the theater feeling like I'd seen a relatively faithful rendering of the "real" story. And there were even one or two things that I thought the film did better than the book, most notably the interruption of Harry & Ginny's kiss. The not-in-the-book added scene of Harry and Hermione dancing was both amusing and incredibly poignant - a true highlight of the film for me.For some reason, the enjoyment this film gave me seemed to lift some sort of weight off me - which seems a very odd thing to say, I know. I think it returned a good deal of the joy I found in the earlier films - when seeing the characters and the places come to life on the screen was so magical. (That first glimpse of Hogwarts!) In a way, I feel like I'm back *in* - that I'm once again immersed in the film version of the story in a way that more closely echoes the effect the books had on me. While the films, IMHO, can never hope to match the books, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, Part I, let me feel the magic again. For that I thank everyone involved with it.I thought the acting by Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson was better than it's been in any of the Potter films - they really seem to have come into their own here. Helena Bonham Carter was freakishly perfect as usual, Jason Isaacs very good and Rhys Ifans as Xenophilius Lovegood a welcome newcomer. The film sounds good - the score is a mood-setting addition to the film (especially effective, I thought, were the screeching radio sounds during many of the camping scenes) - and it looks even better. The shots of the English countryside are beautiful but often seem almost overwhelmingly empty and lonely - perfect for the story.When it was announced that Deathly Hallows would be split into two films, I was glad because I hoped that by doing so the filmmakers would be able to do justice to the complexities of Rowling's plot. And now, having seen Part I, I feel that they've succeeded in doing just that. After this, I can look forward to the last film, not with dread, but with pleasure. And I am incredibly thrilled to be able to say that.Very highly recommended!Some info and cautions on the products:PLEASE NOTE: Because there are reports of various versions of the DVD available from different sellers, I strongly suggest buyers check the packaging carefully to ensure the version they are considering contains everything they're looking for.I purchased the 3-Disc Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy Combo Pack offered here on Amazon. The DVD included in this pack contains ONLY the film - no extras at all. This means that, in this pack, NONE of the extras are watchable without a Blu-ray player. For Blu-ray owners, however, the other two discs in this 3-pack contain the following extras:Additional Scenes- The Burrow's Shed: Ron Discusses Radios with Mr. Weasley- The Dursley House: Harry and Aunt Petunia As They Leave House- The Dursley House: Harry and Dudley Shake Hands- The Granger House: Death Eaters Search Deserted Home- Ministry of Magic Lifts: Harry Tells Arthur He's Being Tracked- Tent: Trio Discusses Destroying The Locket- Rabbit Chase in the Forest- Montage: Ron and Hermione Skimming StonesOther Extras:- Exclusive Sneak Peek of an opening scene from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2- Maximum Movie Mode: Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy) and other members of the cast and crew take viewers on an interactive journey through Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1. Plus, revisit important moments from the previous films to prepare for the final battle that takes place in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2.- Dan, Rupert and Emma's Running Competition - While filming the escape scene from the Snatchers in Swinley Forest, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson engage in a little competition of their own. With commentary by director David Yates.- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1: Behind the Soundtrack- The Seven Harrys - See how Daniel Radcliffe recreated the personalities of the different characters that transform into Harrys during the escape from Privet Drive.- On the Green with Rupert, Tom, Oliver and James - Accompany Rupert Grint, Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), Oliver Phelps (George Weasley) and James Phelps (Fred Weasley) for a round of golf and get a glimpse into their 10-year friendship that developed while making the Harry Potter films.- The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Promotional Trailer - Join Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and other cast members from the Harry Potter films on their first visit to the Grand Opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida. (I was fortunate enough to visit the Wizarding World recently and enjoyed it immensely. Those responsible for its creation have done a terrific job in creating an atmosphere true to the books and films. I particularly enjoyed the many small and delightful details they took care to include. Harry's youngest fans, though, may be disappointed that the rides are geared to older fans.)

Ich habe schon einmal mitgeteilt, dass ich die Filme nicht für mich sondern einen Verwandten - der total zufrieden ist - als Geschenk gekauft.Ich werde nicht jeden Film einzeln bewerten, da sich an den Aussagen nichts ändert.Ich hoffe, dass Amazon das intern so regeln kann.HJK

お安く買えて良かった。視聴も問題無し。

Excellent at its best

never read the books but I enjoyed the films

Premetto che Colleziono tutti i film di Harry Potter, un film che mi è sempre piaciuto sin dalla sua prima uscita al cinema, quindi questo DVD non poteva mancare alla mia collezione. Ovviamente ho anche la seconda parte e quando è uscito al cinema la cosa che da sempre fastidio è aspettare l'uscita della seconda parte del film lasciandoti in sospeso, come del resto è anche vero che anche se fosse uscito in un unico tempo non si sarebbe potuto fare cosi bene e nello stesso tempo rispettare i tempi di sala. Io personalmente ho rivisto la prima e seconda parte di fila stando comodamente seduto nel mio divano di casa :-) Un film da vedere assolutamente, molto bello e scorrevole, almeno io non mi sono annoiato nemmeno un po' nel guardarlo.