Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Princeis Warner Bros. sixth movie in the HP universe based on the best-selling books. Continuing the story from Order of the Phoenix, Harry is tasked with finding the reason for Lord Voldemort’s ability to resurrect himself after his repeated defeats. Half-Blood Prince is by far the funniest of the HP movies and sticks close to its hard bound counterpart save a few liberties taken by the screenplay writers. The Blu-ray version is a welcome addition to any fans collection and is another show case for the house that Sony built.
Highlights
Returning here in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince are all the regulars from the previous five films as well as some welcomed new additions. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint have really grown into their roles and it’s really great to see them mature not only as their characters, but as actors as well. The introduction of Jim Broadbent as Professor Horace Slughorn is one of the highlights of this film. Every scene with him is extremely memorable and he is in large part the reason for the majority of the plot in Half-Blood Prince. Tom Felton’s role as the brooding and conflicted Draco Malfoy also adds much of the emotion this time around.
The transfer on the Half-Blood Prince provides another reason why WB is one of the top studios supporting Blu-ray. Everything is very crisp and the colors show really strong and clear here especially in the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes scene. A few of the special effects appear a little too computer generated in some scenes (the Inferi), but it isn't so noticeable that it deters from the overal picture. As far as sound goes, John Williams has done a fantastic job with the soundtrack and it rumbles crystal clear on Blu.
Special Features
This 3 disc collection includes a Blu-ray and standard DVD movie disc along with a second Blu-ray disc of special features and a digital copy via dowload. The mix of special features here should please about every type of movie fan. The movie discs include Warner Bros. version of commentary called Maximum Movie Mode while the second BD disc includes deleted scenes, J.K. Rowing: A year in the life feature, Close Up with the Cast featurettes, One-Minute Drills, Deathly Hallows trailer, and a sneak peak at the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park at Universal Studios.
Although I prefer a standard commentary track (then tend to be a lot funnier) Warner Bros. Maximum Movie mode presents the movie with an occasional pop-up picture-in-picture with the director or one of the actors describing how a scene was filmed or how something was done. David Yates speaks a lot in this one but rarely provides any info that readers of the books don’t already know. It’s also nice to her how excited Daniel Radcliffe is about his role after all these years. Fans of the movies who haven’t read the books will like all the additional comments on the characters and their feelings, but I felt it interrupted the movie more than it provided worthwhile information.
Most notable is the J.K Rowling: A Year in the Life feature. It is by far the shining star of the special features. Originally airing earlier this year on ABC, this documentary follows Rowling’s stardom and pressure during the year she finished Deathly Hallows. It’s a very personal story and one that fans will certainly love. Seeing how she came from being a single mom living in a one bedroom flat to being one of the richest females in the world is a triumph. At one point they actually re-visit that same apartment she lived in and witnessing her reactions are emotional indeed. The sneak peak at the theme park is pretty cool, but they don’t actual show anything other than miniature models and paintings of what the buildings will look like once it’s complete. Despite that, I’m looking forward to it as part of my vacation next year.
The deleted scenes show a lot of small parts that were in the book but missing from the film. The scenes are finished, which is unfortunate because they should have been included in an extended cut of the Blu-ray version of the film. They were clearly cut just to trim time on the theatrical release and that’s a shame. The One-minute Drills feature is just that, 60 seconds with each of the main actors as they describe their roles over the last six films. The Close Up with the Cast is eight short films with various cast members talking with the behind the scenes staff. It’s exactly what you’d expect with the actors showing a lot of charm throughout each of these. The special effects feature is particularly funny. Lastly the second disc includes a trailer for the upcoming Deathly Hallows double feature which is just awesome.
Overview
Warner Bros. has done another excellent job with the Half-Blood Prince on Blu-ray. Like the previous HP films, the transfer is gorgeous and the sound quality is amazing. This Blu-ray is packed with plenty of stuff that HP fans will go nuts for. The year in the life of J.K. Rowling is a must see and the inclusion of the first Deathly Hallows trailer will have you counting the months till next holiday season. More humorous elements makes number six a lot of fun to watch, but the removal of the fight scene at the end among other changed elements will ultimately upset some fans. Other than that, this is a great example of how a Blu-ray should be done.
ComicsOnline gives Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on Blu-ray 4 out of 5 rooms of requirement.
Buy Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on Blu-Ray at Amazon.com now
Keep Visiting ComicsOnline.com for more Blu-ray reviews and everything geek pop culture.
