Blu-Ray/DVD Holiday Review Round-Up - Part 1
In our first of several holiday review round-ups, we check out Potter, Spy Kids and dragons!
From Warner Brothers Home Entertainment
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2- Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital combo pack
Some fans think this last installment of the “Harry” saga is the best. Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) has the powerful Elder Wand and is determined to destroy Harry and pals forever. Hogwarts is in Snape’s (Alan Rickman’s) hands as Harry, Hermione and Ron go on a search and destroy mission for the missing Horcruxes that make up Voldemort’s soul.
After a trip to Gringott’s Bank for a missing piece to their puzzle, the trio leads the good guys in a spectacular final battle against the forces of darkness.
Special Features: Lots of cool ones! “A Conversation with J.K. Rowling and Daniel Radcliffe” is awesome. This is a whole hour with Dan and J.K. having a chat discussing his casting, the big themes of the entire series, details on characters and a whole lot more. One of the best extras ever!
“Maximum Movie Mode” lets you join cast and crew members who host while you watch the film pausing for behind-the-scenes details, interviews, effects and production design info etc. The final battle in examined in detail. Well worth a watch after you see the movie the “regular” way.
“Focus Points” give you a selection of production featurettes on costumes, sets, characters and more. Another nice extra!
“Deleted Scenes” – 8 of them that fans will want to watch. Nothing earthshaking was left out but little details, like Harry and Ginny holding hands and Ron and Hermione getting closer while facing a possible final snake attack are well worth a watch.
I enjoyed “The Women of Harry Potter” which is an in-depth portrait of the good and bad female characters in the Potter saga. Pretty awesome femmes!
In “The Goblins of Gringotts” you see how a ton of little people were hired then made-up painstakingly into the creepy little denizens of that special bank. Pretty cool.
“Final Farewells” might make you want to cry. The cast and crew say a sad but looking forward goodbye to fans, characters and 14 years of Potter-mania.
“Warner Bros. Studio Tour London” is a selling but interesting glimpse of the U.K. theme attraction at the studio where the sets still stand.
J.K. introduces her new website “Pottermore” which is still being tested.
Wrapping Up: Let’s face it, if you, or a pal you want to gift this holiday season, are a Potter fan, you’ve got to have this last movie. Sure, you can wait for the Blu-Ray/DVD set of all of the films that is bound to come out but few true fans can wait that long. This combo (Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital copy) set looks crisp and clean, sounds amazing and there are more excellent extras than anyone can shake a wand at! Collecting or gifting, ya gotta have it.
From The Weinstein Company Home Entertainment
Spy Kids: All the Time in the World – Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital Combo pack (plus Blu-Ray 3-D disc)
Retired secret agent Marissa Cortez Wilson (Jessica Alba) is married to a TV reality show spy hunter (who obviously isn’t great at his job since he doesn’t have a clue about her past). She has a new baby and two cute step kids… who don’t like her. When a bad guy called the Timekeeper (Jeremy Piven) threatens to stop the world, Marissa comes out of retirement.
With the aid of now grown-up Spy Kids Carmen (Alexa Vega) and Juni (Daryl Sabara) Cortez, the stepkids are recruited and trained along with their cute robo-dog Argonaut (voice of Ricky Gervais) just in time to stop the Timekeeper.
Special Features: “Robert Rodriguez Interview” with a kid reporter gives us a young “journalist” talking to the director about making his film, tales of his family and working with young actors.
In “Spy Kids: Passing the Torch” we see Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara working with their young replacements played by Rowan Blanchard and Mason Cook.
“Rowan & Mason's Video Diary” is a tour of costumes, make-up etc. while the duo gets prepared for a day of shooting.
In “How to Make a Robotic Dog” we meet Elmo the pup who plays Argonaut and learn that a puppet replaced him in a few scenes. Cute.
“Ricky Gervais as Argonaut” is a tame talk with the raunchy Bit comedian who chats about giving a voice to Argonaut the dog.
We go to the Spy Kids Division HQ to check out “Spy Gadgets”, the high tech tools used by the old and new Spy Kids.
Wrapping Up: The lesson of this action film is to live in the present and not the past but the movie itself is a blast to the past when Alexa and Daryl were kids in the first Spy Kids movies. The film is entertaining enough and effects are fun. Special features would appeal more to younger kids but the movie is watchable by teens for a fun popcorn-chomping night in. Good for gifting to keep the younger set busy while older teens open their presents.
From DreamWorks Animation Home Entertainment
Dragons: Gift of the Night Fury & “Book of Dragons”- Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack
We return to the world of the How to Train Your Dragon film and are back in the Viking village of Berk for a special adventure and holiday celebration. Story goes: Teen Hiccup and his pals celebrate Snoggletog, their version of the holidays, the first one since the group has made peace and co-exists with the area’s dragon population.
Suddenly, all the dragons fly away and only Hiccup’s pal Toothless is left behind due to his damaged tail. It’s up to Hiccup to solve the mystery of the disappearing dragon herd.
“Book of Dragons” is a cute, animated (the animation style is totally different) story that breaks down all the various types of dragons and introduces an ancient warrior/hero who had to face them. Lightweight but also very engaging and cute.
Special Features: "The Animators' Corner" (on Blu-Ray) is a picture-in-picture feature where you can watch Gift of the Night Fury while the animators explain different shots. There are also storyboards. Interesting after a first watch without it.
“Ultimate Book of Dragons” examines all the types of dragons. With a click you get more info.
"Gobbler's Training Secrets" shows each of the lead character working with… and messing up, with their particular dragons. Cute and funny.
“Deleted Scenes” are in sketch and storyboard form as director Tom Owens talks about why they were left out. Some are very cute.
"Spot the Difference" lets you compare two pix of dragons and Vikings to see what is different. There are various levels of difficulty.
The artist wanna-bes in the group will enjoy "Learn How to Draw: A Baby Gronkle" in which Owens shows you step-by-step how to draw your own baby dragon.
In “World of DreamWorks Animation” you get a lot of the different fave DreamWorks animated characters from several movies in various musical numbers. Fun.
“Hatch A Dragon” shows kids’ drawings of dragons that are brought to animated life. Cool
“Dragon Lair” is found on the DVD only.
An “On-line Video Game” lets you use a game card and play the game online with a friend.
Wrapping Up: Just like the Shrek Christmas special, this Blu-Ray and DVD present the characters you loved in the movies in a new adventure with a holiday-themed setting. The How to Train Your Dragon Vikings shine in a new adventure that is sweet, fun and has a nice moral. Very worth adding to your collection or gifting. The “Book of Dragons” runs like a cute cartoon to accompany the other short movie. A really nice set for your holiday needs.
