Product Description

Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort’s defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information. Even as the decisive showdown looms, romance blossoms for Harry, Ron, Hermione and their classmates. Love is in the air, but danger lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6521 in DVD
• Brand: Warner Brothers
• Released on: 2009-12-08
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: Color, Subtitled, Widescreen, Limited Edition, Special Edition, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 153 minutes

Features

• Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort's defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his

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The sixth installment of the Harry Potter series begins right where The Order of the Phoenix left off. The wizarding world is rocked by the news that "He Who Must Not Be Named" has truly returned, and the audience finally knows that Harry is "the Chosen One"--the only wizard who can defeat Lord Voldemort in the end. Dark forces loom around every corner, and now regularly attempt to penetrate the protected walls of Hogwarts School. This is no longer the fun and fascinating world of magic from the first few books—it's dark, dangerous, and scary.

Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) suspects Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) to be a new Death Eater recruit on a special mission for the Dark Lord. In the meantime, Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) seems to have finally removed the shroud of secrecy from Harry about the dark path that lies ahead, and instead provides private lessons to get him prepared. It's in these intriguing scenes that the dark past of Tom Riddle (a.k.a. Voldemort) is finally revealed. The actors cast as the different young versions of Riddle (Hero Fiennes-Tiffin and Frank Dillane) do an eerily fantastic job of portraying the villain as a child. While the previous movies' many new characters could be slightly overwhelming, only one new key character is introduced this time: Professor Horace Slughorn (with a spot-on performance by Jim Broadbent). Within his mind he holds a key secret in the battle to defeat the Dark Lord, and Harry is tasked by Dumbledore to uncover a memory about Voldemort's darkest weapon--the Horcrux. Despite the long list of distractions, Harry, Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) still try to focus on being teenagers, and audiences will enjoy the budding awkward romances. All of the actors have developed nicely, giving their most convincing performances to date.

More dramatic and significant things go down in this movie than any of its predecessors, and the stakes are higher than ever. The creators have been tasked with a practically impossible challenge, as fans of the beloved J.K. Rowling book series desperately want the movies to capture the magic of the books as closely as possible. Alas, the point at which one accepts that these two mediums are very different is the point at which one can truly enjoy these brilliant adaptations. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is no exception: it may be the best film yet. For those who have not read the book, nail-biting entertainment is guaranteed. For those who have, the movie does it justice. The key dramatic scenes, including the cave and the shocking twist in the final chapter, are executed very well. It does a perfect job of setting up the two-part grand finale that is to follow. --Jordan Thompson

Also on the Disc
The bonus features on the two-disc edition are some of the best yet for Potter fans. The cast, having now grown up on a movie set for nearly a decade, each host behind-the-scenes looks at the aspects of filmmaking that interest them most: editing (Daniel Radcliffe), makeup (Emma Watson), stunt training (Rupert Grint), etc. (this includes James Phelps--a.k.a. Fred Weasley--who did double duty as a floor runner during production and laments that part of his job is fetching his other castmates tea and sweets). Tom Felton, who plays Draco Malfoy, also hosts a lightning-round Q&A with cast members on their favorite music, foods, and more. In "One Minute Drills," they're further challenged to summarize the story arc of their characters throughout the entire series in 60 seconds. The most compelling feature on this disc, however, is the excellent documentary "J.K. Rowling: A Year in the Life," which follows the author through writing the final book (you literally see her hit her final keystroke and hand off the briefcase to her literary agent at Heathrow), the red-carpet rollout, and her childhood haunts, including a tearful visit to the humble flat she lived in when she penned the very first installment. In the doc's in-depth interviews, Rowling also freely answers probing questions about her childhood--the early death of her mother, her estrangement from her father, and her bout with depression; her husband and sister are interviewed as well. She's portrayed as a shy, self-effacing, type-A personality uncomfortable with her success, particularly when she balks at a question about wondering if people close to her will ask her for money. And finally, there's the icing on the cake: snippets of scenes being filmed and nearly one minute of finished footage from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. No Potter fan should be without this edition in their Muggle hands. --Ellen A. Kim