It should be no surprise that fans aren’t very pleased with the upcoming “Wizard’s Collection” Harry Potter box set. Fans were thrilled with the first two Ultimate Editions but when it turned out that Prisoner of Azkaban wasn’t the extended version, there were some choice words for Warner Bros.

However, while I feel that Warner Bros. has made odd release decisions with Harry Potter, I also think some fans are overreacting.

I think one topic that should be addressed is the idea of extended editions and Harry Potter. The amount of deleted material from the theatrical releases that is worthy of being edited into the films is very minimal. Most of the cut scenes were cut for very good reasons (i.e. they didn’t make sense, were not done well, etc) and do not add to the overall film in any cinematic way.

In reality, any extended cut of the movies would add half a dozen minutes to any given film and that’s stretching it for some. Of course, this point might be rendered moot if Warner Bros. is hiding a plethora of finished never-before-seen scenes. Unless they are concealing more HBP penseive scenes up their sleeves, then complaining about a lack of extended editions is senseless.

Another point of contention is that this set is rife with already before seen special features. To be frank, fans probably have every single little droplet of special features that will ever exist with the various editions of the films that are already out. There isn’t any truly “new” or “unseen” behind-the-scenes material. Any “new” special features from this point on will simply be re-hashed from other features that you’ve already watched. Any information that can be gleaned from bonus features is already at your finger tips with the exception of why John Williams chose not to score Goblet of Fire (oh wait, isn’t that because he decided to do Memoirs of a Geisha?).

Finally, the price tag is a major issue. As it stands, the set is actually priced decently at most online retailers. All eight of the Ultimate Editions are included and that alone retails for $400. Could the set afford another price drop? Absolutely. Yet, one must remember that no one is forcing you to fork over the price tag for a set of films that you likely already own and for bonus features that you could already watch as you please.

Some fail to realize that this set isn’t intended for those who already own the Ultimate Editions. This is for people who decided to wait for a box set or who just simply find themselves with a distinct lack of Potter in their home movie library. The self-entitled nature of certain uber Potter fans is very off-putting in many of those one star reviews on Amazon.

All this trite belligerence is birthed from plain old envy and the knowledge that another person might buy a Harry Potter set that has some footage yours doesn’t (and can be found on YouTube). Warner Bros. (a business and not a parent who placed the cookie jar out of reach) is going to release Potter the way they see fit and price it as they wish. If the “Wizard’s Collection” doesn’t sell well, then Economics 101 tells me that they will drop the price which will perhaps please some jaded fans.

If that doesn’t suit you then be content with your Ultimate Edition sets as Extended Editions of all eight films is unlikely for a very long time.