Blu-Ray Review:
Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone Ultimate Collector's Edition
By Jason Gillard
*Screenshots are not from the Blu-Ray source.
Movie
As Harry Potter's (DANIEL RADCLIFFE) 11th birthday draws near, he anticipates little in the way of excitement or presents from the Dursleys, Harry's unpleasant relatives who took him in following his parents deaths and forced him to sleep in the cupboard under the stairs. But this year, Harry's birthday will be different. A mysterious letter addressed to Harry arrives, written in peculiar green ink and accompanied by an owl. Harry is surprised and excited by the curious dispatch, but his horrified Uncle Vernon (RICHARD GRIFFITHS) destroys the letter before Harry has a chance to read it. The next day, another letter and owl arrive, only to be squelched by the Dursleys. As each day follows the next, letters and owls continue turning up on Harry's doorstep until the Dursleys, fearing they can no longer suppress the contents of the peculiar correspondence, flee with Harry in tow to a remote hut where they're confident they cannot be found. Their plan appears to be working when suddenly a LOUD CRASH carries the hut door off its hinges, revealing the awesome bulk of an enormous giant called Hagrid (ROBBIE COLTRANE). Furious with the Dursleys for destroying the letters and trying to conceal their nephew's real identity, Hagrid reveals the secret that will change Harry's life: he, Harry Potter, is a wizard! Much to Harry's disbelief, it transpires that the puzzlingly persistent letters are invitations for him, on the occasion of his 11th birthday, to leave the regular world and join his similarly-talented peers at the legendary Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hagrid goes on to explain that Harry's parents did not die in a car crash as his insecure relatives have repeatedly told him they were in fact murdered by an evil wizard who in turn etched the distinctive lightning scar on Harry's forehead! Harry is completely overwhelmed by the revelations about his parents and the invitation to Hogwarts. However, faced with another night in the cupboard under the stairs and a life of hand-me-downs, he doesn't hesitate in accompanying Hagrid to London's Kings Cross Station, where he discovers the secret Platform 9 3/4 and catches the Hogwarts Express. Aboard the train packed with wide-eyed first year students, Harry befriends fellow wizards-in-training Hermione Granger (EMMA WATSON) and Ron Weasley (RUPERT GRINT). Together with his new friends, Harry embarks on the adventure of a lifetime at Hogwarts, a wondrous place beyond Harry's wildest imagination where he discovers his extraordinary talents and finds the home and the family he never had. -- © 2001 Warner Bros.
I am a big fan of Harry Potter and I have loved all the movies that have been released so far. With the original movie the actors are so young and Chris Columbus does a great job with the material. I am sure most people have seen this movie by now or have read the books many times over, so there is not much I am going to say here. I think everyone would say that they would love to find out that they were a wizard and could go to this amazing school, that I think this is why this series of books and movies are so interesting to everyone and why they have remained so popular.
8.5 out of 10
Video
I did not own the original Blu-ray that was done for Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone. So I don't have anything to compare it to other than the DVD release. I can start off by saying this is a definite upgrade to the DVD. From what I have read online not much of anything has been done to this transfer compared to the original Blu-ray release. On this ultimate edition there is a theatrical cut and an extended cut of the film. Looking at both of these cuts they have very strong colours. The colours on the children scarves look warm and cozy. Skin tones look flushed sometimes when I don't think they should be. Detail is quite good, with many scenes looking sharp and detailed. Black levels are also good, but occasionally could look better than they do. It would have been nice if Warner had went back to the original source material and did a complete overhaul, but what we have here is a transfer that is good but not great. When comparing it to the DVD this transfer wins hands down.
8 out of 10
Audio
For the audio, Warner has upgraded us to a DTS-HD Master Audio 6.1 track for the theatrical edition and a 5.1 track for the extended and both sound fantastic. For me what makes all of the Harry Potter films great is John Williams fantastic theme. Every time I watch one of the movies or read the books I find myself humming that theme. To me the theme makes the movie. So hearing it blast out of your speakers in DTS-HD is fantastic. The dialogue in the movies are clean and prioritized. Not once did I hear myself saying "what did he just say" even as fire is blazing or when they are standing in front of a three headed dog. The LFE channel bursts to life to add weight to the score as well as the effects. The surround speakers are constantly active as well bringing Harry's world to life. An example of this is Diagon Alley. You can hear people talking and shopping all around Harry and Hagrid. Overall I think Warner has done an excellent job with the audio and fans of Harry Potter and audiophiles alike should be pleased.
9 out of 10
Extras
This is Warner's First Harry Potter Ultimate Edition in a series of 8. If you have owned the previous releases most of the content here will not be new. The reason for getting this set if you're a fan, is the first in an 8-part documentary. Before I get to all the extras that are included, let me tell you a little about the packaging and trinkets inside. The case is made to look like a hard cover book. It's very sturdy and closes with a magnetic clasp. It looks very nice and large, some might say too large, but I think it looks awesome. Inside this case you will find:
48-Page Hardcover Booklet
2 Bonus Character Cards
Inner 3-Disc Digipak
Digital Copy of the film
The 48 page Hardcover Booklet is mostly made up of photos, but for a HP fan it's nice to see production art and behind the scenes photos. It's a nice little edition to the overall package. I am not sure what one would do with the Character Cards, but they are made on sturdy cardboard and I do like the design. The 2 cards you get are Harry Potter and Professor McGonagall. One thing to note that I am sure I have not seen before is that the digital copy of the film has an expiry date. So you must download it before the date.
Disc 1
Theatrical cut (152 minutes)
Extended cut (159 minutes)
Picture-in-picture
Disc 2
Introduction by Daniel Radcliffe
Creating the World of Harry Potter Part 1: The Magic Begins
Glimpse Into the World of Harry Potter
Additional Footage
Trailers and TV Spots
Disc 3
Capturing the Stone: A Conversation with the Filmmakers
Diagon Alley
Classrooms
Library
Sorting Hat
Hogwarts Grounds
Interactive Tour
All of the extras on Disc 3 could be found on previous releases. Plus all of those features are in SD. The extra I want to talk about and the very reason for owning the set in my opinion is "Creating the World of Harry Potter Part 1: The Magic Begins." This is a fantastic behind the scenes look into the making of the Harry Potter films. It is part of an 8-part documentary. So it's quite exhaustive in a good way. There are many things that I learned while watching this doc. I didn't realise how green/novice the 3 main actors were and how much Chris Columbus had to work with them to get the take he wanted. I learned that originally they were going to put green contacts in Harry's eyes to match the book, but he was allergic to them. When you see the scene when he waving goodbye to Hagrid and he looks like he has been crying, well that was the first scene they shot with the contacts. The documentary is 63 minutes in length and it features the actors early days on set and balances footage from back then with interviews from the cast now. It was a joy to watch and for a fan of HP this is absolute gold. I remember getting the early DVD's and being disappointed with the extras because they were mostly geared to younger kids. This new documentary is what I was wanting back then. On Disc 1 the Picture-in-Picture track also has a wealth of information. While a little slow in the beginning it seems to pick up near the end. There are interviews with the cast, storyboards, concept art, and behind the scenes video. At the beginning of the Picture-in-Picture track there were rather long gaps where nothing appeared on-screen, but as it goes on it gets better and more frequent. The only feature I will talk about that's on the third disc is "Capturing the Stone: A Conversation with the Filmmakers". This 15 minute feature is the best on this disc and it features Chris Columbus, screenwriter Steve Klove, and other crew members discussing all the decisions they made along the way.
9 out of 10
Overall
If you're a fan of HP I would bet you have already bought this set. The documentary they include is great and I can't wait to see the rest of it. The video is a big step up from the DVD and the audio is fantastic as well. As a fan of HP I think this set is great. If you have never seen the movies you probably can just get away with the original Blu-ray release.
9 out of 10