Fantasy

Harry Potter and the Complete Collection on Blu-ray

/ / Home Video
  • Title: The Complete Harry Potter
  • Wikipedia: link

harry-potter-complete-blu-raySeven books, eight films, spanning an entire decade. The complete Harry Potter collection is available for the first time on Blu-ray and it’s definitely worth picking up (even if it is definitely lacking in terms of extras).

For the first time I sat down and was able to watch the entire Deathly Hallows in one sitting, and I’ve got to say it holds up well. From glancing through the collection the other titles also work well on Blu-ray. Warner Bros. has a larger set ready to hit stores next year, but, unless you’re a total Harry Potter maniac, having all eight films on Blu-ray in one slim case is all you really need.

The set is listed at $140, but with not too much searching you should be able to pick it up for about half that price (a little less than $10 per Blu-ray isn’t too shabby). The series has its highs (The Prizoner of Azkaban) and lows (The Order of the Phoenix), but it’s a great collection to own, especially at this price.

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A World of Pure Imagination

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
  • IMDb: link

Willy Wonka

Years ago Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder), the world’s foremost creator of chocolate treats, closed his factory to the public to prevent people from stealing the secrets of his candy making. Out of nowhere the reclusive inventor ships five hidden golden tickets hidden in Wonka bars. Whoever finds a ticket will be allowed to enter the Wonka factory.

The five children include Augustus Gloop (Michael Bollner) who never saw a snack he didn’t eat, Violet Beauregarde (Denise Nickerson), spoiled rich girl Veruca Salt (Julie Dawn Cole), and television obsessed Mike Teevee (Paris Themmen). The fifth ticket is found by Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum) who lives in the slums just blocks away from the fatory with his mother (Diana Sowle) and his bedridden grandparents: Grandpa Joe (Jack Albertson), Grandma Georgina (Dora Altmann), Grandma Josephine (Franziska Liebing) and Grandpa George (Ernst Ziegler). Charlie and Grandpa Joe join the others for the tour of the factory led by Willy Wonka himself. Inside they find wonders that they could not even imagine.

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
  • IMDB: link

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2In 2001 Warner Bros. released the first film adapted from the Harry Potter books. Directed by Chris Columbus, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was a critical and box office success. Ten years, three directors, and seven films later, the hugely popular film franchise comes to a close with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

Picking up when the previous film left off, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his friends continue to lick their wounds and mourn their losses as Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), now armed with the elder wand, begins preparing for the final battle. And where better for that battle to take place than Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?

Aside from the conclusion of Harry’s battle with You-Know-Who, the series also wraps up several other stories including finally getting Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) together, the evolution of Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis) into a hero, and examination of the motives of Severus Snape (Alan Rickman).

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Thor

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Thor
  • IMDb: link

thor-poster

There are quite a few challenges and obstacles laid at the feet of Thor given its main character and choice for both leading man and director. Could Kenneth Branagh direct an action-heavy comic book film? Could Chris Hemsworth carry the movie? Would Thor look cool or ridiculous as a live-action character? Is there another important post-credit sequence? How large is Jeremy Renner‘s role in the film? Would the movie start out the summer season with a whimper or a bang?

We need not have worried. Yes, Hemsworth does a great job carrying the weight of the film. Yes, Branagh not only succeeds in the character-driven scenes but also with the film’s not inconsiderable amount of both humor and action. Yes, Thor looks good. Even the character’s more ridiculous features (such as spinning the hammer to create whirlwinds and tornadoes) come off as impressive and very, very cool.

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