“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” Blu-Ray + DVD Combo Pack (Disc 2)
Upon opening the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 combo pack, a choice had to be made. Which disc would be played first? There is the first disc, sure to include Warner Bros.’s second iteration of “Maximum Movie Mode” in a Potter film, and the second disc, simply labeled “Bonus Features.” I chose the second disc.
Pottermore trailer: The first item I watched is a trailer video for Pottermore. At only a minute long, the various scenes in Pottermore are shown in animated detail. From the Dursleys’ kitchen and the zoo to Diagon Alley and Charms class, all of the things that move (like the snake or the letters) do so.
Studio tour trailer: Next was a trailer for Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter. In this trailer, several cast members talk about the tour, and the announcer says that “secrets will be revealed.” Tickets, the trailer says, are available for pre-order only at www.wbstudiotour.co.uk.
Deleted Scenes
There are eight deleted scenes present, and all of them are of good quality. The first two, which take place at Shell Cottage, actually contain excellent character moments: first for Bill Weasley and second for Luna Lovegood. The remaining six clips are all under a minute long and feature Seamus, Ginny, Tonks, Aberforth, Hermione, Ron, and more.
Behind the Story
This section of Disc 2 is the largest section and has only three features.
The Goblins of Gringotts: This video’s focus is on prosthetics. It shows the casting process of some 50+ actors to play the goblins in the Gringotts bank break-in scene from Deathly Hallows – Part 2 AND the casting process for their prosthetic masks and their transformation from human to a goblin. The video runs ten minutes and is at times narrated by actor Warwick Davis. We meet several of the actors who play the different goblins and watch the make-up team struggle to create 45 separate prosthetic goblin heads (not to mention dozens upon dozens of nubby goblin hands!) each with their own individuality, as goblins would have.
The Women of Harry Potter: This feature is narrated almost entirely by J.K. Rowling, runs twenty minutes (four times the length of all deleted scenes), and offers MANY wonderful insights into the various female characters of the Harry Potter book and film series. The theme of the mother’s love is very prominent, as are the female characters being able to hold their own. In this feature, we also hear from Bonnie Wright, Julie Walters, Emma Watson, Helen McCrory, and Helena Bonham Carter. Hearing these women talk about their characters, discuss their camaraderie with fellow actors, and their own experiences growing up is refreshingly vibrant.
A Conversation with J.K. Rowling and Daniel Radcliffe: In this feature, J.K. Rowling and Daniel Radcliffe get to talk candidly and ask each other about their experiences with the Harry Potter series. Throughout the feature, Dan and Jo discuss the following things: what the first days were like, certain cast members and how they fit their characters, different changes that were proposed and then nixed, Jo’s understanding of where the (book) series was going, how Jo revealed secrets at different times to different people on the staff of the movies, what “the end” will feel like for each of them, how Potter has changed lives, Dumbledore being gay, personal moments with the crew, different premiere experiences, whether Potter is going to hold the actors back, and many more.
Final thoughts on Disc 2
The bonus features disc of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 has about 70 minutes of content that directly pertains to J.K. Rowling and fifteen minutes of content that pertains directly to the film itself. Seeing as how this is the final film, it is perceivable that there would be content on the DVD that relates to cast members finding closure, and yet little content has anything to do with that. The ending of Potter is a very personal thing, for each of us. No special feature is going to mean to us what the films or books mean, and why would they try? This is not the end, after all.
