Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #29872 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-11-19
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Formats: Box set, Full Screen, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 6
• Running time: 442 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The filmed version of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, adapted from the wildly popular book by J.K. Rowling, stunningly brings to life Harry Potter's world of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The greatest strength of the film comes from its faithfulness to the novel, and this new cinematic world is filled with all the details of Rowling's imagination, thanks to exuberant sets, elaborate costumes, clever makeup and visual effects, and a crème de la crème cast, including Maggie Smith, Richard Harris, Alan Rickman, and more. Especially fine is the interplay between Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his schoolmates Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson), as well as his protector, the looming Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane). The second-half adventure--involving the titular stone--doesn't translate perfectly from page to screen, ultimately because of the film's fidelity to the novel; this is a case of making a movie for the book's fans, as opposed to a transcending film. Writer Steve Kloves and director Chris Columbus keep the spooks in check, making this a true family film, and with its resourceful hero wide-eyed and ready, one can't wait for Harry's return.

First sequels are the true test of an enduring movie franchise, and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets passes with flying colors. Harry's second year at Hogwarts involves a darker, more malevolent tale (parents with younger children beware), beginning with the petrified bodies of several Hogwarts students and magical clues leading Harry, Ron, and Hermione to a 50-year-old mystery in the monster-laden Chamber of Secrets. House elves, squealing mandrakes, giant spiders, and venomous serpents populate this loyal adaptation (by director Chris Columbus and screenwriter Steve Kloves), and Kenneth Branagh delightfully tops the supreme supporting cast as the vainglorious charlatan Gilderoy Lockhart. At 161 minutes, the film suffers from lack of depth and uneven pacing, and John Williams's score mostly reprises established themes. The young, fast-growing cast offers ample compensation, however, as does the late Richard Harris in his final screen appearance as Professor Albus Dumbledore. Brimming with cleverness, wonderment, and big-budget splendor, Chamber honours the legacy of J.K. Rowling's novels.

Some movie-loving wizards must have cast a magic spell on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, because it's another grand slam for the Harry Potter franchise. Demonstrating remarkable versatility after the arthouse success of Y Tu Mamá También, director Alfonso Cuarón proves a perfect choice to guide Harry, Hermione, and Ron into treacherous puberty as the now 13-year-old students at Hogwarts face a new and daunting challenge: Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) has escaped from Azkaban prison, and for reasons yet unknown (unless, of course, you've read J.K. Rowling's book, considered by many to be the best in the series), he's after Harry in a bid for revenge. This dark and dangerous mystery drives the action while Harry and his third-year classmates discover the flying hippogriff Buckbeak (a marvelous CGI creature), the benevolent but enigmatic Professor Lupin (David Thewlis), horrifying black-robed Dementors, sneaky Peter Pettigrew (Timothy Spall), and the wonderful advantage of having a Time-Turner just when you need one. The familiar Hogwarts staff returns in fine form (including the delightful Michael Gambon, replacing the late Richard Harris as Dumbledore, and Emma Thompson as the goggle-eyed Sybil Trelawney), and even Julie Christie joins this prestigious production for a brief but welcome cameo. Technically dazzling, fast-paced, and chock-full of Rowling's boundless imagination, The Prisoner of Azkaban is a Potter-movie classic.

Synopsis
Three features: 'Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone', 'Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets' and 'Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban'. In the third feature adapted from J.K. Rowling's novel, Harry Potter and his best friends Hermione and Ron, face the dangerous convict Sirius Black. Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban Prison and is said to be on his way to Hogwarts.

Customer Reviews

Great box set!
If you are thinking of buying this set, you've probablly already seen the films and don't need me to tell you how great they are!

So the box set itself is more important, great value for money! Each film is in its own two-disc set, with lots of interesting and fun extras. Definitely worth buying!

Two average adaptations, one great film
"Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" was a bit of a strange movie for me - I've been a fan of the books for many years, and when I left the cinema after seeing it, I was a little confused about what to make of it. It was a good adaptation. All the characters and locations I loved were there. There were some great actors. And yet something seemed to be missing. The best word to describe the movie is "solid" - it's good, but not very inspired. It's a by-the-books adaptation - throw all the scenes into the movie, and don't even stop to think about themes or character-arcs. Chris Columbus' direction is flat, boring and lacks sparkle; the visuals are generally dull; Steve Kloves script is sometimes horribly clunky with awkward dialogue ("Holy cricket"???); and there were many scenes that should have been cut out or trimmed to make the movie flow together as a story. "Philosopher's Stone" shows the danger of adapting a novel scene by scene - the child fans of the books loved it, but as a movie, it just doesn't quite work. It's good fun, but the irony is, you couldn't call it a "magical" movie - it just doesn't live up to the material. Put it this way - if I didn't love the book, I don't think I'd have enjoyed it, as it just doesn't work well enough on its own. 3 stars.

I approached "The Chamber of Secrets" with hopes that they'd get it right this time - the reviews and hype were all about it being "darker and funnier", and this emphasis on darkness excited me. But actually, it's not really a dark movie. It's darkER than the first one, but not dark in itself. In fact, it feels like a carbon copy of the first movie, but with the lights turned down and more Hollywood cliches, more awful writing, and more flat directing. The child actors were a lot better in this movie than the first one, but they were let down by the direction. The movie was full of the sickening hyper-sentimentality Columbus is famed for, something that is not found in the books - this is Harry Potter, cheap-trashy-Hollywood style. The ending is a perfect example - probably one of the most sick cases of audience manipulation I've ever seen in a movie, and it just doesn't make sense. Overall, "Chamber of Secrets" is probably even weaker than the first movie, and at least 20 minutes two long - and this is coming from an obsessive fan of the books. 3 stars.

However, with "The Prisoner of Azkaban", everything is redeemed, and all the mistakes are corrected. When I heard that Columbus would not be directing, I jumped for joy. I didn't know Alfonso Cuaron, but given his reputation for visual flair combined with focus on character-stories, I was very excited about this movie. He seemed like the perfect choice to direct a Harry Potter movie - and so it proved. "Prisoner of Azkaban" was always my favourite book, and of all the movies, I was hoping they'd get this one right most of all - and I was so relieved when they did. The movie is just wonderful, and has that thing the first two lacked - magic. The visual flair of the movie is stunning - the use of lighting, camera moves and editing is quite beautiful. This movie is TRULY dark - they've finally worked out how to do it. It's emotional without ever being sentimental. Cuaron has clearly though carefully about the themes and meanings in the story, and his visual imagery compliments them perfectly. As JK Rowling herself (who rates this the best of the three movies) has said, this is the perfect marriage of the right director for the right material. John Williams' score, which in the first two movies seemed to be portraying emotion and grandeur that just wasn't present on the screen, is perfect this time. The story is much tighter, and all scenes that were not important to the plot have been edited out. Some fans have complained about the lack of background for the Marauder's Map, but if you just stop and think about this story and what it's about, it doesn't need to be there. The story is about Harry sarting to let go of his parents emotionally, and becoming his own man - it's Harry who saves himself, not his father. He doesn't long for them as he used to. He's grown up. "Prongs!" doesn't have to be there, and would take away from Harry's true heroism in this moment. It's still thinking of his parents that enables him to become more powerful and use his Patronus - but having that "prongs" moment would be overkill, when the moment really needs to be about Harry. Good edit. The dialogue and writing is much better this time, as is the acting - the three leads have grown into accomplished young actors, and there are quite brilliant performances from Gary Oldman, Timothy Spall, the wonderful Michael Gambon (THE perfect Dumbledore - the late Richard Harris, as great an actor as he was, simply played a "stereotypical wise old wizard" - Gambon IS Dumbledore), Robert Hardy, Emma Thompson, and the usual cast including the great Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith and Robbie Coltrane. Special mention goes to David Thewlis, who is truly the heart of the movie. Overall, "The Prisoner of Azkaban" isn't just a great Harry Potter film, the first HP film that lives up to the title Harry Potter - it's also a great film in its own right. Alfonso Cuaron gave great freshness and magic to the story, and the experience of seeing this movie will live long in my memory. This one has truly wonderful moments that you will actually remember - Buckbeak flying above the Hogwarts lake, the first appearance of the Dementors, the wereworlf transformation. As an individual movie, this gets 5 stars.

So overall, this package contains two average movies, and one great one. The first two are worth watching as a fun introduction to the world, but they're not the real deal, and they're not the true essence and brilliance of Harry Potter. They're not films you'll be watching over and over again. On the other hand, "Prisoner of Azkaban" as sheer bliss from start to finish, and will be stuck in my DVD player for weeks after its release. Thank you for saving my favourite series, Alfonso!

Harry Potter and the Prisoner Of Azkaban
In this third episode Harry Potter is 13. He spends the summer with his horrible aunt and uncle, the Dursleys. At the end of the holidays his uncle Vernon's sister, Marge, stays with them for a week. A week of hell for Harry, who has to endure the horrible Marge's constant criticisms and sarcasms about him and his parents. Not being able to dominate himself, Harry magically blows her up... and finds himself in the street, running away from the Dursleys but also in great, great danger. Not only has he violated the underage wizards decree forbidding him to perform magic outside of the wizard school Hogwarts, but he has also put himself in great danger, for someone far worse than the Dursleys and Aunt Marge is on the loose. Sirius Black, who is accused of the murder of 13 people and of having led the Dark wizard You-Know-Who to Harry's parents, has escaped from Azkaban, the wizard prison. Alfonso Cuaron directed this third film, giving a new vision to Harry's universe yet respecting JK Rowling's story entirely. As usual, the cast is really good and the special effects are stunning (especially the Dementors, the Azkaban prison guardians, which look really scary). The film is a bit darker than the 2 others but excellent. Most of the cast is the same apart from Emma Thomson (who does an excellent Professor Trelawney).
I've already watched this film about 5 or 6 times