Harry Potter finale makes its way to DVD

The Harry Potter finale leads movies released on DVD and Blu-ray this week.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" (Warner/Blu-ray, 2011, PG-13, three discs, $35.99). Harry Potter is dead, long live Harry Potter. OK, he's not really dead, but that's one of the teaser twists in this final entry in the series, one of the most successful franchises in movie history. (Hey, there are no spoilers months later with movies this popular.)

"Part 2" is a satisfying conclusion (much more so than the dull "Part 1," to my way of thinking) and it's loaded with thrills and spills enough to satisfy fans — which it obviously did, big time. Not to mention neatly wrapping up dangling plot points.

The Blu-ray has some featurettes not included on the DVD, which Potter-philes will doubtless find enthralling, including an interview with author J.K. Rowling conducted by Daniel Radcliffe, who has played the title character for most of his young life.

Extras: widescreen; Blu-ray, DVD and digital versions; deleted scenes, featurettes, trailers (also on single-disc DVD, $28.98)

"Little Big Man" (CBS/Paramount/Blu-ray, 1970, PG-13, $24.99). Here's a generally forgotten western that nonetheless boasts a fanatical following. And why not? After all, it is one of the best pictures of the 1970s, smoothly shifting its tone from farce to tragedy without sacrificing character or emotion.

The title character is yet another rich portrayal by Dustin Hoffman, starting out as a 121-year-old recalling his unusual life. In flashbacks we see that he was an orphan adopted by the Cheyenne, later a gunfighter and finally a witness to the battle of Little Big Horn.

The rest of the cast is also excellent (especially Richard Mulligan as Custer). And as with many such films, the outdoor locations really pop in Blu-ray.

Extras: widescreen, trailer (also on DVD, $14.99)

"Mutiny On the Bounty" (Warner/Blu-ray, 1962, $19.98). Trevor Howard is great as Captain Bligh, whose cruelty leads to the mutiny led by his first mate, Fletcher Christian (Marlon Brando) in this version of the oft-filmed true story. And young Richard Harris also makes an impression (which led directly to his first starring role in "This Sporting Life").

There's also much to enjoy visually, and this Blu-ray edition reinforces the value of bumping up the quality for colorful, shot-on-location epics of the kind they just don't make anymore.