Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Blu-ray

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

 (2001)

Adventure | Family | Fantasy



Harry Potter is a ten-year-old orphan who has been living under the stairs in the house of his cruel and abusive aunt and uncle. But on his eleventh birthday, Harry receives a letter informing him that he has been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he learns not only that his parents were wizards, but also that he is destined to become a powerful wizard himself. Along with his new friends Ron and Hermione, Harry hones his magical powers and uncovers the secret of the Sorcerer's stone, which leads him into a confrontation with the evil wizard who murdered his parents.

For more details about Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone on Blu-ray, see the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Blu-ray Review

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane
Director: Chris Columbus

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Blu-ray, Video Quality

 


The Sorcerer's Stone may have received Ultimate Edition packaging, but its 1080p/VC-1 transfer is strikingly similar (if not identical) to the video presentation featured on Warner's 2007 Blu-ray release. Both the theatrical and extended cuts of the film boast warm, vibrant colors and a variety of showcase sequences, but suffer from mild contrast inconsistencies and intermittent softness, both of which undermine the picture's finer qualities. Blacks, though often deep and well-resolved, are sometimes either overpowering or underwhelming. Fleshtones, though frequently lifelike, occasionally appear flushed and oversaturated. While each case is certainly the exception rather than the rule, too many shots are hindered by such distractions; pesky oddities a complete overhaul could have presumably eliminated. Detail is also a bit too unreliable -- several potentially breathtaking establishing shots are marred by indistinct textures and lackluster definition, and a few closeups are simply too cushy for their own good -- but overall clarity remains a step above average. To its credit, a quick comparison to the standard DVD reveals little contest as the Blu-ray edition bests its last-gen counterpart in every conceivable way. Moreover, artifacting, aliasing, banding, source noise, and other digital riff-raff are held at bay, and edge enhancement is kept to a reasonable (at-times meddlesome) minimum. Ultimately, Warner's transfer isn't going to leave Potter fans shaking their fists at the heavens, but it won't leave them singing its praises either.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 


Regardless of whether you enjoy Harry's first adventure or find it lacking, it's tough to walk away from The Sorcerer's Stone without humming themes from John Williams' rousing score. But trust me... it's even more difficult after hearing it erupt through your speakers courtesy of Warner's newly produced DTS-HD Master Audio tracks. Yes, the theatrical cut is blessed with a DTS-HD MA 6.1 mix and the extended cut only earns a DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix, but both are sonic standouts and both deserve solid accolades. Dialogue is clean, intelligible, and nicely prioritized, even when bursts of flame, fizzling spells, and sweaty-toothed beasties invade the soundscape. A few lines get trampled in the mad whimsy of it all, but most instances should be attributed to the original sound design rather than Warner's technical efforts. LFE output is rewarding and aggressive (arguably too aggressive at times), injecting power into Williams' music and palpable intensity into the film's action sequences. The rear speakers are also brimming with a fair amount of activity, allowing gawking crowds to surround Harry and the listener, a bustling marketplace to enhance the immersiveness of the soundfield, and a lumbering troll to strike fear into more than the children it's pursuing. Granted, the soundscape, I suspect by its very design, isn't nearly as involving as those that grace later entries in the series (look no further than the film's Quidditch match), but it still delivers when it matters. Are the tracks perfect? Not quite. Memorable enough to please audiophiles of any age? I think so.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Blu-ray, News and Updates

• Today on Blu-ray - December 8th - December 8, 2009


• Harry Potter Years 1-6 Giftset Announced - September 23, 2009


• Ultimate Editions Announced for First Two Harry Potter Movies (Up... - September 18, 2009


• Harry Potter Films to Get Extended Versions - August 14, 2009

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