|
 Movie A |
Video A | Audio A
| Extras A+| Recommended!
Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, John
Cleese, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Richard Griffiths, Richard Harris,
Ian Hart, John Hurt, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Maggie Smith, Julie Walters
director Christopher Columbus | Warner Bros. Pictures
2001 | Supernatural - Mythical - Adventure | PG | 152 minutes
Region 1 | DVD-9
& DVD-5
anamorphic
widescreen 2.35:1 aspect ratio
| Dolby Digital EX 5.1
Summary: Finally, the first installment of
J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter comes to DVD-Video in two editions: widescreen
and full frame. Except for the screen aspect ratio, everything is
the same between these two versions. In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry is rescued by Hagrid and finally heads off to
the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is amazed that
everyone knows his name and has heard of his gift and the lightning scar on this
forehead. Harry Potter meets up with Ron and Hermione who are his classmates
in the Gryffindor House,
and the three develop an inseparable bond. As the gang studies the
curriculum, their extra-curricular adventures lead them to a well-kept
secret of the Sorcerer's Stone.
The visual special effects are a mixed bag.
Some define the current state-of-the-art, while others seemed quite unreal
(perhaps because certain magical powers are too outlandish?). The
sound design is delightful and wonderfully presented in Dolby Digital EX 5.1.
As a parent of three children. I was
delighted with Harry Potter. Not so much with the wizardry
and witchcraft, but rather with the values it instills in the younger
audiences. There's an ample dose of good values like friendship,
loyalty, team work, and good study habits. But there are some
not-so-good traits portrayed as well. That's why Harry Potter is
rated "PG" for parental guidance. Having said that, even
children as young as five can watch most of film. But be advised
that there are some brief scary scenes and a few foul words, so be quick
with your hands over their eyes and ears  .
Other than that, I can see why Harry Potter will be one of the best
selling DVDs in 2002. It certainly gets an emphatic nod of approval
from me. See you on platform 9 3/4!
Don't forget to pick up the sequel, Harry Potter and the Chamber of
Secrets.
Special Features: The bonus features are
magical and delightful, and are sure to entertain your little ones who may
be future Hogwarts scholars.
Disc 1: (feature film)
- Cast & crew
- Teaser trailer
- Theatrical trailer
Disc 2: (bonus disc)
- Guided tour mode
- Interactive 3-dimensional iPIX virtual reality tour of the
Hogwarts (the Great Hall,
The Gryffindor Common Room, and Harry Potter's
dorm room)
- A visit to Diagon Alley, with access to Gringott's Bank, Ollivanders
Wands, and
Eeylops
Owl Emporium
- A visit to Hogwarts' Library which features a screaming
book, a clue to the Mirror of Erised,
videos montages of characters, and meet the
ghosts of Hogwarts
- Interviews with producer David Heyman and director
Christopher Columbus, with insights
into the Harry Potter and the Chamber of
Secrets (the second movie)
- Classroom: visit Professor Snape's, McGonagall's, and
Flitwick's classrooms to discover new
scenes unique to the home video/DVD release and
view video montages of Hogwarts faculty
- Hogwarts Grounds
- Additional never-before-seen scenes that were completed for
the home video/DVD release
- Cast a spell over Harry and his friends and watch a scene
in eight different languages
- A lesson in Quidditch, the Hogwarts' favorite's sport
"Extra Credit" DVD-ROM features include:
- One Voice voice-activated technology that allows viewers to
navigate the DVD-ROM with
voice commands
- Hidden Easter Egg
- Enhanced interactive 3-dimensional iPIX virtual reality
tour of Hogwarts, including Hagrid's
Hut, with split-screen technology
- Unique and exclusive electronic trading cards
- Harry Potter video game demo from Electronic Arts
- Harry Potter Lego Media game demo
- sign up for owl e-mails to keep up to date with Harry
Potter information
- Sorting Hat assigns users to one of Hogwarts' houses
- Downloadable screensavers and remembralls
DVD released on 5/28/2002 | Reviewed 5/14/2002
List $26.99 | online $15.96 | order from Amazon.com,
Buy.com,
Walmart
for $15.96
Also available full screen edition from Amazon.com, Buy.com,
Walmart
for $15.96
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Additional Notes: Unless we specify otherwise, the
video and audio quality are very good when their grades are "A-"
or better. Only the highest number of channels of surround sound
format is listed (e.g., Dolby Digital 5.1). If there are both Dolby
Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 soundtracks, then both are listed. All
DVD-Video discs are backwards compatible with stereo-only playback
systems.
Let us know what you think about this DVD review, write to us at
Staff@TimeForDVD.com.
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Associated equipment used in evaluation: Sony
DVP-S7700 reference DVD player, Sony
KP-61V45 61" rear projection TV (4:3 screen aspect ratio), Sony ES STR-V444ES A/V receiver, four
B&W CDM 9NTs as left/right main speakers
and left/right surrounds, B&W CDM CNT center channel speaker, Monster Cable M-series S-Video cable MSV-500, Monster
Cable Interlink LightSpeed 100 (Toslink) optical cable, Monster Cable
Interlink 400 MKII interconnects, Monster Cable
Original speaker cables in bi-wire configuration with Monster Cable twist-on gold-plated banana plug
connectors, Lovan Sovereign T HiFi audio
rack, and Sony MDR-V600 studio monitor headphones. Our home theater equipment was calibrated
with the Video
Essentials DVD.
Be sure to check out our Top 10 DVDs of the year
2001 and our list of this year's Oscar winners on DVD.
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