Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 - Triple Play (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) [2010][Region Free]

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Correctly billed as the beginning of the end, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 kicks off the two-part finale to the massively popular movie franchise, and it does it with some style.

It shoots out of the traps, too. It’s established in double-quick time that the evil Lord Voldemort is closing in on his play to kill Harry Potter, and courtesy of a tremendous opening escape sequence, the chase is soon on. This means that Harry, along with Ron and Hermione, spends the film away from the sort-of-safe grounds of Hogwarts, and they’re up against some sizeable dangers.

It does all present Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 with a bit of a problem, though. Already having to contend with being the first half of a story that many are craving the ending to, it’s an elongated road movie for long periods, and not always one that’s able to sustain the full sense of menace and excitement.

But when it does perform, as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 often does, it’s excellent blockbuster entertainment. There’s a boldness to large sequences of it, too, not least a terrific animated segment, and you get a lot of entertainment for your money, here. And, without question, it looks stunning in high definition. No corners have been cut here at all, and the cinematic quality of the picture and sound is reference standard.

It ends with a bit of a sudden application of the brakes rather than a natural lead in to the next film, and it’s too long, certainly. Yet the pentultimate Harry Potter movie keeps the standard high, and most certainly whets the appetite for the final reckoning to come… --Jon Foster