A poignant and action-packed end to a massive series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 was, despite its flaws, an impressive finale. While the changes - most notably the final duel between Harry and Voldemort at Hogwarts - were significant, not much took away from the overall story of Harry and his friends trying to destroy Horcruxes to vanquish the dark overlord once and for all. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson have far passed their early awkward days in front of the camera as Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and hold their own as proper action and even dramatic actors - most notably Grint, whose cries of anguish over the loss of a sibling were gut-wretching to watch.
Admittedly, there were a fair few cheesy scenes, such as Neville's speech, leaving one with a degree of second-hand embarrassment at how heavy-handed it was, and Voldemort's overall unintentionally comedic and over-the-top performance when he basked in his temporary victory. The glue that held the movie together was of course the magic, the epicness of the Hogwarts battle, and watching our three heroes fight with their last breath to bring justice and piece to the Wizarding World. While director David Yates' editing process may be questionable, the performances he got from his young cast was that to show that these kids could possibly have a bright acting career ahead of them, if they so chose to.
The extras of the Harry Potter DVDs and Blu-rays are usually what Harry Potter fans go for, as we get to see new interviews, lots of new behind-the-scenes footage, and an inside look at the making of this phenomenal series. With Deathly Hallows: Part 2's extras we get the rarest and most wonderful of treats: a rare interview with J.K. Rowling and Daniel Radcliffe, both hilarious and heartbreaking as they discuss the end of the series and saying goodbye to their beloved characters. The Blu-ray set is worth getting just to own that set. Rowling also discusses her characters in The Women of Harry Potter feature, focusing on beloved characters like Hermione, Ginny, and Luna Lovegood.
While there will undoubtedly be more ultimate sets and definitive collections of the Harry Potter series on DVD and Blu-ray in the future, this set is a great ending to the series at whole (so far).
Warner Bros Online Shops offers the
Deathly Hallows: Part 2 DVD and Blu-ray sets with several additional collectible items, including a Hogwarts tree ornament, Gringotts collectible case, Hogwarts crests pins and bookmarks, Dumbledore and Harry's wand pens with bookmarks, and a 48-page photo album commemorating highlights of the film series. The photo album is a favorite of ours as it has the same cover as Harry's photo album - the one that Hagrid presented to him at the end of the first film - and the first image is of baby Harry with parents James and Lily. Also, the last shot is of Harry, Ginny and their children, straight from the epilogue, giving the whole album an authentic feel. The pages are glossy and actually feel like photographs instead of just an average book.
Order the
Deathly Hallows: Part 2 DVD and Blu-ray sets, out today in the U.S. and December 2 in the UK, at the Amazon links below, or through the
official Warner Bros Shop.
Amazon.com (US) - Deathly Hallows 1-disc DVD | Deathly Hallows 1-disc Blu-ray | Deathly Hallows 3-disc Blu-ray triple play | The Complete 8-Film Collection DVD | The Complete 8-Film Collection Blu-ray
Amazon.co.uk (UK) - Deathly Hallows 1-disc DVD | Deathly Hallows 3-disc 3D Blu-ray | Deathly Hallows 3-disc Blu-ray triple play | Deathly Hallows 2-disc DVD | The Complete 8-Film Collection DVD | The Complete 8-Film Collection Blu-ray | The Complete 8-Film Collection BD limited edition 
Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 on Blu-ray 
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, just a DVD player), but I haven't watched it yet, although I plan to do that today sometime, and Thursday with a few of my friends.
