Being such a dark film, it's very important for the black levels to be consistent. No worries here. Along with the muted color tones, the darkness perfectly suits the film and Warner has provided a fine 2.35:1 transfer to keep it that way. You'll find some light grain in a few scenes and maybe a compression artifact strewn about, but overall, this is a very solid transfer. (****)
For the first time in the series, this disc only gets a 5.1 treatment. It's not a major step down, but the 5.1 EX tracks of the first two discs really helped in the rear speakers. Anyway, once again it's the Quidditch game that is unbelievable as far as audio goes. It's a short scene, but the combination of thunder (which has some great range) and zooming players make it a treat. Though there are only few scenes in the film that really have a chance to work all five speakers, when called upon, you'll hear great separation and some nice subtle ambience. (*****)
Complaint time. Warner has packed this 2-disc set in a standard snapper case, abandoning the folding cardboard cases of the first two films. How about some consistency? The three sets now look awkward sitting on a shelf.
Regardless, there really isn't a lot here unless you're under 10 years old. Disc one only holds three trailers (one for each film in the series, duh). The rest of the extras are fleshed out on disc 2.
There is a somewhat clunky menu system at work here, so finding what you want may be an issue. It's not as bad as the first "Harry Potter" set, but it's still irritating. Why can't all the games be put in one place and the documentaries in other? Sigh.
"Creating the Vision" is comprised mostly of an interview with the director and J.K. Rowling. There is some behind the scenes footage and various other brief interviews, but the majority of this 12-minute piece goes to the main participants. Five deleted scenes are included, though there is no commentary as to why there were cut. "Head to Shrunken Head" is a collection of seven interviews with various cast members. Along the way through these surprisingly insightful Q & A sessions, Shrunken Head gets in a few words of his own to keep the kids entertained.
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