Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Ultimate Edition (Blu-ray Review)

December 8th, 2009 Blu-ray-au Posted in Blu-ray Movie Reviews | Comments Off

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Ultimate Edition (Blu-ray Review)

Potter and his pals earn a more fully-realized Ultimate Edition release…

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is an interesting conundrum. On one hand, it clings too dearly to the same bubblegum imagery and kiddie-pop fantasy director Chris Columbus brought to The Sorcerer’s Stone. On the other, it grants its fans their first legitimate glimpse into the seedy underworld lying dormant beneath Hogwarts. Shadows begin to push away the light, frightenin…

Video

For better or worse, Warner’s 1080p/VC-1 Chamber of Secrets transfer appears to be identical to the high definition transfer minted for the film’s 2007 Blu-ray release. But while a complete overhaul may have ironed out a few wrinkles, the studio’s recycled presentation isn’t a detriment to the Ultimate Edition box set. Lit by candlelight, bathed in shadow, and occasionally pierced by a bright and vivid sun, colors are inviting and blacks are inky, lending the image both richness and dep…

Audio

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets‘ Blu-ray debut already offered an able-bodied PCM mix, but Warner outdoes itself and its former efforts this time around with a pair of hearty DTS-HD Master Audio surround tracks. Sorry, I’m not exactly sure why the film’s theatrical cut is presented with a DTS-HD MA 6.1 mix and the extended cut only nets a DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix, but it honesty doesn’t matter. Both sound fantastic and both should help justify the Ultimate Edition’s cost. Dialogue — …

Supplements

The Ultimate Edition release of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is more satisfying than its Sorcerer’s Stone counterpart, but primarily because the features on its third disc are more substantial and enjoyable. Otherwise, it feels strikingly similar, offering fans a mildly disappointing Picture-in-Picture video commentary, a phenomenal documentary (the second of eight scheduled parts), and various supplemental content ported from previous DVD and Blu-ray releases. There’s…

Final Words

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is better than The Sorcerer’s Stone in some ways, but stays too close to the first film’s formula to rise to the level of later entries. However, Warner’s Ultimate Edition release is better. It delivers a stronger video transfer, a pair of powerful DTS-HD Master Audio tracks, and more pleasing supplemental content (thanks to the more traditional featurettes that grace its third disc). While its Picture-in-Picture experience falls fl……

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