“Deathly Hallows – Part 1” Blu-ray Combo Pack Review
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 is not a hard sell for Potter fans. It’s a fan’s duty to pick up each one of the DVDs in the franchise as soon as it’s released. We all know that the films have fantastic replay value, and we all look forward to having a complete set of eight films by the end of this year.
It’s worth noting that DVD sets have changed over the years. As we reported the other day, big special features weren’t included with the DVDs until Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban‘s release. Over the years, the producers have told us that it has become increasingly important to include enticing special features to provide consumers with a more convincing sell.
So it comes as no surprise that the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 set includes many nice features. Easily the most interesting feature is the Maximum Movie Mode, which is an enhanced commentary of sorts. Throughout the movie, you’ll see various cast and crew members share interesting behind-the-scenes tidbits, and most of these are aided by great additional visuals. It’s a fun way to watch the movie again because you’re bound to learn new information. One of our favorite moments is when we see footage from the final day of filming. We highly recommend watching the film at least once with Maximum Movie Mode.
There are three miscellaneous segments that are both fun and educational. “Dan, Rupert, and Emma’s Running Competition” and “On the Green with Rupert, Tom, Oliver, and James” are fun segments, but they didn’t blow us away. We wish these were replaced by other behind-the-scenes looks that are as interesting as the “Seven Harrys” segment.
There are eight additional scenes, and we’re very happy that they included so many. What’s more, many of them are interesting, and we found ourselves wishing they were included in the film. We hope we get to see them inserted into the film during a special run (perhaps on ABC Family).
Our only other issue with the Combo Pack was that it did not include the TV spots or trailers for the film. These have been included in past sets, and for us, it’s fun to watch them recall the excitement prior to the film’s release in theaters.
Overall, the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 Blu-ray Combo Pack will be a great addition to your collection. One important note: If you do not have a Blu-ray player, we’d highly recommend getting the single-disc DVD version because the special features in the Combo Pack do not work without a Blu-ray player. This will definitely come as a disappointment to some. If you can afford it, we recommend getting a Blu-ray player and the Combo Pack.
