HARRY POTTER
Years 1 - 5
Starring:
Daniel Radcliff, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Richard Harris, Michael Gambon,
Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Rickman, Tom Felton, Jason Isaacs, Shirley
Henderson, Gary Oldman, Pam Ferris, Richard Griffiths, Fiona Shaw, David
Thewlis, Kenneth Branagh, Ian Hart, Emma Thompson, Timothy Spall, Brendan
Gleeson, Miranda Richardson, Robert Hardy, David Tennant, Mark Williams,
Julie Walters, Imelda Staunton and Ralph Fiennes
Directors:
Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuarón, Mike Newel and David Yates
Out to buy on repackageded on Blu-Ray or as Year 1-5 Box Set
Harry Potter
and the Philosopher's Stone
Young Harry (Radcliff) had grown up the unwanted nephew of Vernon and Petunia
Dursley. Pouring all their love into their own son Dudley and making Harry
the brunt of all their frustrations and abuse, even making him sleep in
the cupboard under the stairs, he never felt like he belonged. This all
changed when Harry started to receive mysterious letters that his Uncle
wouldn't let him open. When one was hand delivered by a seven-foot giant
called Hagrid (Coltrane), Harry opened the letter to find that it was an
invitation to Hogwarts School of Witch Craft and Wizardry and that he was
in fact, a Wizard.
Harry Potter
and the Chamber of Secrets
About to start his second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,
Harry Potter (Radcliff) is visited by Dobby the House Elf much to the detriment
of the Dursley's. Dobby tells Harry that he should not return to Hogwarts
this year because if he does something disastrous will happen. Not knowing
what to do and locked in his bedroom after the disturbance that Dobby's
visit caused, Harry is rescued by Ron (Grint) and his brothers in their
parents flying blue Ford Anglia. As they head to Hogwarts, strange things
start to happen and Harry wonders if Dobby could have been right.
Harry Potter
and the Prisoner of Azkaban
As Harry Potter (Radcliffe) returns to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and
Wizardry for his third year, he learns that Sirius Black (Oldman) has escaped
from Azkaban prison and his life is in danger. With the help of Ron (Grint)
and Hermione (Watson), the three delve into mystery that surrounds Black's
imprisonment because all they know is that he had something to do with the
death of Harry's parents and he may be looking for him to finish the job.
Harry Potter
and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter's (Radcliffe) fourth year at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft
and Wizardry starts with an attack at the Quidditch World Cup by Death Eaters,
the loyal followers of Lord Voldemort. As Albus Dumbledore (Gambon) and
the Ministry of Magic investigate, the Tri-Wizard tournament starts and
the magical Goblet of Fire selects the three contestants from Hogwarts,
Beauxbatons Academy and Durmstrang Institute that will face three challenging
and dangerous contests. This tournament is going to be very different as
the Goblet of Fire has chosen a fourth wizard to join the contest and that
student is Harry Potter.
Harry Potter
and the Order of the Phoenix
After his confrontation with he who must not be named, Harry Potter (Radcliffe)
is dismissed by the Ministry of Magic as a liar as they continue to believe
that the Dark Lord has not returned. When he is attacked by Dementors, Cornelius
Fudge (Hardy) plans to have Harry expelled from Hogwarts for using magic
outside of the school but Professor Dumbledore (Gambon) comes to his rescue.
As he return to school, things are very different with many of the students
and the new defence against the dark arts teacher Dolores Umbridge (Staunton)
saying that he has made everything up, Harry feels more alone than ever.
With the new Professor pushing the ministry's agenda, Ron (Grint), Hermione
(Watson) and the rest of Harry's friends push for the young wizard to teach
them defensive spells, leading them to form the Army of Dumbledore to defend
themselves against the growing forces of Voldemort (Fiennes).
When it comes to defining family entertainment and box office dominance you just have to say one character's name, Harry Potter.
Back in 2001, Warner Bros released the first adaptation of the beloved fantasy novels written by J.K. Rowling, 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's (Sorcerer's) Stone)' and a box office juggernaut was born. With the release of 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' in 2002, 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' in 2004, 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' in 2005 and 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' in 2007, the series goes from strength to strength with each release becoming a box office phenomenon around the world.
Each year Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to face in new level of danger as he who must not be named (Voldemort) plots his return and vengeance on the boy who lived. From the first movie his power has been growing, his influence returning and his followers emerging and as we head into the sixth and seventh years. This is the underpinning story to all of Harry Potter's adventures and it reveals more about Harry's past, his parents and his destiny. It is his relationship with his friends and fellow Hogwarts schoolmates Ron Weasley and Hermione Grainger that is the heart of the Harry Potter series however, as the trio work together to fight the emerging evil and stop Voldemort from taking over their school and then the world. The friends share Harry's responsibility for this and are just as influential in the adventures as our spectacled hero.
What every one of Harry Potter's adventures has showcased is the best in British acting talent. As the three leading players, Daniel Radcliff, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson have grown up and into their roles on screen, they have been surrounded by some of the best British actors to ever grace the silver screen. Maggie Smith as Professor Minerva McGonagal, Julie Walters as Mrs Weasley, Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid, Kenneth Branagh as Professor Gilderoy Lockhart, Alan Rickman as Professor Snape, John Cleese as Nearly Headless Nick, Gary Oldman as Sirius Black, David Thewlis as Professor Lupin, Emma Thompson as Professor Sybil Trelawney, Timothy Spall as David Tennant, Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort and the late, great Richard Harris and Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore, to name but a few. This always stellar cast makes the Harry Potter as distinctly British as the James Bond series.
When it comes to family entertainment you can't get much better than the Harry Potter series. With stunning visual effects that get better and better with each film, a superb cast, young and old, and a story that continues to draw you in and fill you full of magic, this is a series of films that defines family entertainment.
PICTURE & SOUND
The Blu-Ray discs are presented in High Definition wide screen 2:40 up to 1080p, with Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound. The HD treatment of the movies is first rate with the first film's budgetary restrictions on the special effects front needing a little bit of a looking at.
BONUS FEATURES
Each of the five Blu-Rays is filled with the bonus features that accompanied the double disc DVD releases with some of the featurettes on 'The Goblet of Fire' and 'The Order of the Phoenix' presented in HD. These are repackaged from the initial release with covers that now denote the Hogwarts year which the adventure takes place.
OVERALL
If you are thinking of upgrading your Harry Potter collection to High Definition, then you will not be disappointed with these new, repackaged editions.
BLU-RAY
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