Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince DVD Review

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Stefan Marseglia reviews the DVD version of the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince movie, which was released on December 7, 2009, in the U.K. and December 8, 2009 in the U.S.

The latest installment from the boy wizard will certainly do any Harry Potter fan proud. With the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince DVD quenching the thirst of any avid fan by containing dozens of new and exciting special features, the movie can be watched by new and returning followers, each being enticed by different yet spectacular features.

The regular DVD comes as a two-disk special: the first being the movie, which was released in cinemas on July 15, 2009, while the second disk contains Easter eggs, such as behind-the-scenes tours with various cast members, as well as the documentary directed by James Runcie on J.K. Rowling, which aired on ITV in December 2007.

The first set of specials incorporates ‘Close-Ups’ with the Potter cast, with each member allowing you to gain insight into the post-production world of Harry Potter. Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), among regulars and new-comers like Jessie Cave (Lavender Brown), help to explore the processes of editing, stunt training, make-up, special effects and many others, a truly enriching experience for anyone interested in how not just a movie, but the Harry Potter phenomenon is penned from paper to real-life.

The footage from Daniel Radcliffe on editing is certainly one to watch for a good chuckle. Working with Mark Day, editor of the Half-Blood Prince movie as well as the fifth movie, the special explores the library scene in which Granger asks Potter who he will be taking to Slughorn’s party. Describing the moment Watson hits Radcliffe over the head with a book as ‘the crunch of paper on bone’ which results in Radcliffe feeling ‘concussed,’ causes giggles around the set occur and a blooper to be born. Such light-hearted and gentle banter certainly gives the impression that the cast have gelled exceedingly well together over the years, and allows the viewer to feel like they would want to be a part of such a relaxed working atmosphere themself! With small, pop-up scrolls containing snippet pieces of information appearing on the screen in all of the specials, such as the number of edits the film actually had, new information is gained by all, which any fan could use to boost their Potter-knowledge status onwards and upwards.

J.K Rowling: A Year in the Life is the next special to feature on the DVD, and follows the life of the author from December 2006 for a year. The documentary is particularly insightful, since not only does it focus in on the creation of the final instalment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, it also allows viewers to delve into the world of Rowling, who rarely makes appearances or interviews on television. With the Potter series taking 17 years to write, the documentary conveys the struggles and hard decisions that Rowling had to make to get the Potter phenomenon to kick-start into life. With family grievances, depression, nearly being homeless, relying on benefits and rejections from publishers, the programme truly gives the impression that the author is down-to-earth and an all-around humanitarian. Describing her favourite virtue as ‘courage,’ this documentary will certainly be an eye-opener for all.

In a world with impossible obstacles, the next feature puts the cast under pressure, through the ‘One Minute Drill.’ With the task getting actors such as James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley) to recall their characters’ storyline for the past six movies in 60 seconds or less, the challenge is on to crown the winner. With montages of clips from all of the movies accompanying the cast’s synopsis, Potted Potter, a play which condenses all of the books into 70 minutes, could be coming in for some competition. To be used as either a re-cap of specific characters, such as Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley), to existing devotees, or as a brief History of Magic lesson to Muggles new to the wizarding world, the feature is jam-packed full of memorable clips to keep everyone entertained.

From delving into the mind of Rowling, ‘What’s On Your Mind?’ allows the viewer to gain more of an insight into the cast. Hosted by Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), this feature gets the cast to answer questions such as ‘What is your favourite word?’ and ‘If you had to only eat one food, what would it be?’ Predicting the answers to the ‘Hogwarts celebs’ is certainly a game which could be played by the family, especially with Christmas around the corner!

You’ve read the books and watched the movies, so what else is there to do? Well, the penultimate special feature gives a sneak-peek to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a theme park which will open at the Universal Orlando Resort in Florida in Spring 2010. Through interviews with the likes of Mark Woodbury, president of Universal Parks and Resorts, plus footage of the park in construction, this feature will heighten the anticipation of fans for the next Potter item, the same way the books and films do.

Finally, as with all Easter eggs, the second-disk comes with eight never-seen-before scenes from the movie that did not make it into the final cut. With scenes such as Harry and Dumbledore arriving at the entrance of the cave to Harry and Hermione discussing Ron at the astronomy tower, a greater understanding to the overall plot line can be seen.

All in all, the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince DVD is a must-get for any Harry Potter fan and with so much new footage it will feel like Christmas has come early by viewing these special gems.

The Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince DVD was released this week in the United Kingdom and United States.

It can be ordered via the following links:

Amazon.com: Standard DVD, 2-disc DVD, Blu-ray

Amazon.co.uk:Â 2-disc DVD, Blu-ray

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