Rating: 
Summary: Finally Got It Right
Review: Miraculously, the 30 minutes of additional footage and editing in the extended edition elevates The Fellowship of the Ring from a flawed good movie to a nearly-perfect great movie. I really wasn't expecting much except a longer version of the theatrical release, but fortunately I got much more. This is like a brand-new film, fuller and far less disjointed than the original. It's not your typical director's cut where a few things are shuffled around randomly; every change is appropriate and unquestionably benefits the film. I hesitate to use the word "masterpiece" here (hey it is just a fantasy film after all), but this is about as close as the genre will ever get to it. It's so good that I don't believe anyone will feel the need to try to remake it ever again.What I like most about it is that it brings the hobbits back as the focal point, where I felt they got lost in the shuffle before. Here there is a much better sense of what hobbits are, a closer bond between Bilbo and Frodo, and we can finally tell that Merry and Pippen are actually along for the ride and even tell them apart if you pay attention. Nearly every other character also benefits from the changes, most notably Aragorn, Boromir, Gimli, Celeborn, Galadriel, and Saruman. To be fair, there are still a few awkward bits of dialogue and questionable editing choices, but that's nitpicking. The one thing that I really hoped would be fixed was the way-over-the-top "Dark Galadriel" scene (complete with demonic voice enhancement and an overapplied After Effects filter), which needed to be toned down but unfortunately was left as-is...oh well. Technically, it's also nearly-perfect. I'd rather it didn't require being split up onto two discs but it was unavoidable in order to maintain a high bit rate for the video, which again looks more than excellent. There is NO trace of any blemishes to distract, contrast and color are excellent in general, and grain is almost non-existent. My one complaint here is that the color (particularly fleshtones) did not match in some of the added scenes. Those scenes still look good, but they could have taken some more time to nail it. I'm happy to report that certain scenes where the dialogue went weak in 2-channel stereo mode in the theatrical release have been fixed and the film also sounds fantastic. The extras will simply boggle your mind. This is the most complete DVD I've ever seen and I suspect it still will be for a long time. New Line has to be praised for really going way above and beyond the call of duty. How Jackson and the rest of the crew found the time to do all this while working on the other two films all at the same time, I'll never know. Do they sleep? In short, this is the only version of the film that should ever be shown again. It completely obsoletes the one we saw in theaters, IMO. I think it would benefit people who have not read the books to see this version, as the it should make keeping the characters straight easier -- we finally get to see enough of them to know who they are. Those people should be aware, however, that the ending isn't meant to be final; there's no resolution here. It really only works in the context of the other two films yet to come. That shouldn't stop you from seeing it, just be aware of it. And what a great value this DVD is. I paid [price]for it, and it comes with a movie ticket coupon for The Two Towers, which is worth close to [price]in my neck of the woods. What more do you want? If you haven't bought this thing yet, do it now without hesitation. Lets hope the other two films and their DVDs live up to the bar they've set here.
Rating:
Summary: A labor of love
Review: LOR was a labor of love, and millions have loved it. It is gratifying that the original movie captured the spirit of the marvellous, epic and the grand creativity of Tolkien. Watching the extended version is much more enjoyable than the original, allowing the film to more closely match the novel. The extra scenes are impeccably crafted and thrilling in all aspects, adding much more to the original. I thought the original was incredible, but the extended version is superlative. Tolkien said that his book was too short (see the prologe to the LOR) and true afficionados would say the same of the movie, this special edition goes a long way to rectifying this problem! The immense, and I mean immense labor that has gone into this epic production is completely and utterly astounding. Over five years in production, over 45 000 specifically made props, the costume details, the incredible and complex special effects, the love and attention paid to everything connected with this movie, from mugs in Bree, to dwarvish runes inscribed in Moria. Rhys- Davies' 4 hour prosthetic application every day with its attendant skin problems is just one example of the dedication the crew has shown. It is a great testimony to the great achievment of Jackson and his crew, that many of the things they did are not seen on camera but were still put in to enhance the reality of experience. The special edition DVD has fascinating insights into the complexities of scripting, editing, the amazing anectodes of the actors - who would have guessed that Sean Bean refused to fly by helicopter and climbed a mountain to get to the sets on foot!. The background to the movie in no way detracts from the movie magic. The DVD provides a marvellous insight into the complexities of creating such an incredible movie and the special features are well worth watching. The fact that Hollywood saw fit to give A beautiful mind the Oscar is just plain sad - don't get me wrong, Ron Howard is a good director, but Jackson has created true movie magic and stuck to the true spirit of Tolkien. No mean feat. Thank you JRR Tolkien and thank you Peter Jackson, Barrie Osborn, Richard Taylor, Fran Walsh and all the others who have shown such creative dedication and who have succeeded so eloquently in bringing the beloved book to the screen.
Rating: 
Summary: It takes talent
Review: First, let me begin by saying, this is a truly great book, a truly greater BBC radio dramatisation (available on CD) and a total disaster of a movie. How on earth you could conclusively wreck such a world all time classic piece of literature on such a big budget is a mystery. It must be the Power of the Ring! If you had to do it, here is what you would do: Lengthen the timespan of the movie to ensure that you can include all your clever ideas. But in lots of SPFX that would make a Sony Playstation laugh in scorn. Include lots of funky atavars that don't quite move realistically. Tell all your actors to look permanently awe-struck. Remove the merest hint of sensuality from any female member of the cast, ideally remove almost all females from any scene in fact to leave more room for the atavars. Remove any attempt at philosophical context when a character dies, because that is what the book is mostly about. Given the hash made of almost anything else, it may have been a wise decision not to go there, come to think of it. Throw in some tedious melodramatc sound effects at every possible opportunity so that their artificial nature are bound to become fatiguing during this marathon. Take the completely logical ending of the trilogy , but stop a few pages short of it. And there you have it, don't worry that it is a rubbish product, trade on the superb reputation of the book. Call up your pals in the media and tell them to praise it. If people are still in doubt, they may watch a complete DVD of Hollywood luvvies telling us how clever they are to have made this act of celluloid carnage. In short, buy the book, or buy the BBC boxed CD set. This is a terrible adaptation.
Rating:
Summary: Extended Version - WOW !
Review: This is not so much an extended version of the theatrical release as it is the complete, uncut version (although the director denies this) - not complete in terms of what Tolkien wrote but complete in terms of the scope of the film production. Next to the theatrical version it contains many extended scenes and some altogether new scenes all of which work very well indeed and add a great deal to the movie in terms of content and pace. The overall pace is a little slower and more measured with greater emphasis on the journeys and the relationships of the Fellowship - more satisfying and truer to the book. A number of scenes omitted from the theatrical release which set up events in the later books are included - these are generally so crucial to the plot that it is difficult to understand why they were left out in the first place. Characters such as Haldir and Celeborn, who had little more than cameo roles in the theatrical release, are much more fleshed out and Galadriel is allowed to show her kinder, softer aspect in addition to the dark, dangerous elf queen seen in the cinema version. The extras - A superb and mind boggling array of by far the best thought out and most generous special features that I've ever seen on DVD. Documentaries on all stages of production from Tolkien's childhood through to the opening night in Wellington, maps of the shire, several commentaries, stills, and more - all accessed via a beautifully designed set of suitably Tolkienesque menus. Conclusion - I would not have believed it possible but all of the additional footage in this extended version of The Fellowship Of The Ring adds up to a vast improvement on the theatrical release. Add to this the truly superb special features and improved theme packaging and you have a DVD set that should be indispensable to any fan of the book, film, tolkien or just good movies in general. Buy it - you'll never watch the theatrical release again.
Rating:
Summary: This version should have hit theaters!
Review: Wow. I saw the original version several times in the theater, then many more times at home on DVD. However, I probably won't watch the first version again. The extended version is so much more balanced and developed, it's just so amazing what a bit of dialogue here, a short scene there will do for character development and plot.
There are enough extra features included to impress anyone in this set, what with four discs included, two just for bonus features. It seemed to me the sound has been tweaked up a bit(or two!) I was continually turning my volume down on my sound system for fear of offending the neighbors! The new chapter, "Concerning Hobbits", and the "Gift-Giving" sequence were my favorite new parts, and really, I can't see why they were cut in the first place. Thankfully, Peter Jackson put what little magic that was cut out back in, and made his masterpiece one for the ages.
I must say, if this version were shown theatrically, instead of the shorter version, it probably would have won the oscar for best picture. What most people had negative about the film was the lack of character development. This version has it. Although I'll likely never watch it again, I'll keep my shorter version on DVD, but I'll watch this extended one from now on!
Rating:
Summary: A Gem
Review: one of the best movies mad from book to film.I love the extra scenes in this.Though havn't watched all of it.Thrilling new scenees and other packed stuff.
Rating:
Summary: An overabundance of effort went into the creation of the set
Review: This 4 disk set is simply incredible. Given the amount of extra features the total run time of the set is something like 20 hours of information (counting multiple but separate commentaries.) The National Geographic disk included is interesting, although ultimately lacking as it was made before the release of the movie and was thus limited to the clips it could work with. The extended edition of the movie while longer obviously still flows well. I really enjoyed the character moments that were missing in the theatrical release. There is a nice index menu included to help navigate directly to your items on the two extra disks. A note of caution, While hitting "play all" is the logical thing to do, it is 2 1/2 hours of featuretts on one disk, not counting over 2000 photos and 3 1/2 hours on the second disk, yes... with hundreds of photos as well. The Argonath bookends are fun, much smaller than I would have thought, and not heavy enough for a serious readers bookshelf, but functional for what it's worth The single lacking feature of the set was that there were no trailers included, it would have been nice to see how they planned the media marketing. Overall, there is an abundance of enthusiasm, and everyone seems to exude a pure joy at being able to bring this fable to life through the movie.
Rating:
Summary: Extended Edition is THE One to Have
Review: I had never read the "Ring" books and didn't see the film in the theater, preferring to get it on DVD when it was released in August. I thought it was an excellent film, and found myself watching it again because there's so much that you miss the first time. The DVD of the theatrical release was fine and included a second disc with some good features. But after reading reviews here of the difference the additional 30 minutes made in the film itself, I had to see for myself. I was not disappointed! As others have already written, this extended edition truly does enhance the film. Some of the added footage gives meaning to otherwise unclear parts of the theatrical release. It definitely provides greater character development. The video and audio of the basic version were fine, but they're even better on the new set. The DTS soundtrack is amazing, particularly in the subtle power of the low-frequency effects. I have really been enjoying the cast commentary. The stage name and the character the actor plays are shown on-screen each time a cast member speaks, which is an excellent idea that should be standard for all multi-speaker commentary tracks. You can also hear the commentary without the super-titles by selecting the appropriate soundtrack through your DVD's sound control while viewing the film. I haven't had a chance to watch any of the material on the bonus discs yet. As you can see from the information on Amazon.[com] as well as in many of the customeor reviews, there's a LOT of extra material! I'm sure I will enjoy watching all of it, but I bought this set to see the extended version of the film, and for that alone, it was worth the money. If you love this film as much as I do, then you must see the extended version.
Rating:
Summary: Finally, a Masterwork DVD
Review: This is what the power of the DVD medium is all about. Peter Jackson and co. have utilized this format better than any other filmakers in the short history of DVD. This is a set for true fans of moviemaking. By the time you finish the endless hours of extras, you will be not only a fan of the film, but a fan of the filmakers as well, who pored so much heart and soul into the production of this instant classic. Highest possible recommendation.
Rating:
Summary: You'll spend a week watching this
Review: In case you're been living under a rock for the past year, this is the first of 3 movies adapting JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy for the big screen. This is a review of the Platinum Edition DVD, which I purchased in the Gift set. THIS is the definitive edition, although in his commentary, the director does threaten to fix it all up yet again... so start saving now. For all you Tolkien fans, there is an extra half hour of movie added, which contains most of the character bits and fun stuff that you found missing in the theatrical release. It includes the full Lothlorien gift sequence, which you should force your friends to see before they see the Two Towers. The director and writers' commentary track is a delight. They tell us why they decided to keep some bits and discard others; it's clear that all of them have a deep knowledge of the books and related works, and made their choices to be true to the themes of the book while changing the exact details for cinematic purposes. I haven't yet listened to the other THREE commentary tracks, but I'm looking forward to it. The gift set includes a National Geographic DVD and a pair of bookends. The DVD is very interesting if you want to learn more about the life of JRR Tolkien and the influences on the story. The bookends are fun to look at, but don't seem to be heavy enough to hold up books all that well. You may want to save your money and get just the Platinum Edition DVD instead of this gift set; I don't regret it but I don't think it's a terrifically good value. Definitely a keeper. I wouldn't plan to find this DVD available used very often.
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