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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, December 14, 2007

Latest Potter and Bourne epics arrive on discs

By Susan King
Los Angeles Times

Oddly, adolescent wizard Harry Potter and amnesiac hero Jason Bourne seem to have plenty in common.

With their shared literary background, both characters managed to anchor hugely successful movie franchises fighting evil — admittedly in radically different ways. In the case of Harry, the young wizard created by author J.K. Rowling is trying to defeat the ultimate evil as embodied by his nemesis, Lord Voldemort. On the other end of the spectrum, trained assassin Bourne is after corrupt executives in the CIA who took away his identity and turned him into a killer.

Their latest movie installments — both of which scored at the summer box office — arrived this week on DVD.

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" (Warner) is the fifth film and one of the darkest entries in the Potter saga, allowing Daniel Radcliffe to really shine as Harry. In this outing, no one will believe Harry, Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) that Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) has returned, especially the Ministry of Magic. To keep Harry and his friends quiet at Hogwarts, the Ministry appoints one of its own, the vicious Dolores Umbridge (the wonderful Imelda Staunton) as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

Extras on the DVD include deleted scenes, a documentary, "The Hidden Secrets of Harry Potter" and a tour of the set with actress Natalia Tenan, who plays Tonks.

Coincidentally, Radcliffe also stars in the nostalgic Australian drama "December Boys" (Warner), where he plays the oldest of a group of orphans who discover that a young couple may want to adopt one of them.

"The Bourne Ultimatum" (Universal), meanwhile, is crackerjack entertainment based on the novel by the late Robert Ludlum that moves at a breakneck speed. Directed by Paul Greengrass, who also helmed "The Bourne Supremacy," the action-thriller finds Bourne (a perfectly cast Matt Damon) traveling the globe to find the C.I.A. operative who knows the truth behind his identity.

Julia Stiles and Joan Allen return from the previous two installments, and newcomers David Strathairn, Albert Finney and Paddy Considine offer terrific support. Extras include an exciting look at the trials and tribulations of filming in Berlin, Paris, London, Madrid and Tangier, compelling mini-featurettes on the stunts and car crashes in the film and deleted scenes. Rounding out the disc is commentary from Greengrass.

Speaking of franchises, the Disney Channel shattered ratings records in August with "High School Musical 2" (Disney), the cable channel's sequel to its award-winning sensation, "High School Musical." A talented and attractive young cast, including Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale and Corbin Bleu, returns in this tune-fest choreographed by Kenny Ortega. Extras include a look at the dance rehearsals and a karaoke sing-along.

ALSO NEW

"Interview" (Sony): Sienna Miller received a Film Independent Spirit Award nomination for her work in this drama as a TV and movie star who is a fixture in the tabloids; Steve Buscemi, who also directed, plays a jaded journalist who has covered wars around the globe, assigned to interview her. "Interview" was initially one of the three films made in Holland by director Theo van Gogh that he wanted to remake in America. After his murder in 2004 by an Islamic extremist, his producing partners decided to continue van Gogh's wish and have the films made by American directors. Included are interesting behind-the-scenes documentaries as well as clear-eyed commentary from Buscemi about why he became involved in the project.

"Walt Disney Treasures" (Disney): Every year, Disney releases special discs geared for the adult aficionado. This year's offerings are terrific: "Disneyland-Secrets, Stories & Magic," which features a new documentary on the history of Disneyland as well as the 1956 CinemaScope film, "Disneyland, U.S.A."; "The Adventures of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit," which features the 13 surviving shorts of the popular pre-Mickey Mouse Disney character as well as the new documentary "The Hand Behind the Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story"; and "The Chronological Donald, Volume 3," which features all the cartoons made between 1947 and 1950 starring the temperamental duck.

"Dirt — The Complete First Season" (Buena Vista): "Friends" star Courteney Cox returned to TV in this F/X series about an ambitious tabloid magazine editor in Hollywood. Ian Hart plays her schizophrenic photographer.

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