Rating: 
Summary: They always leave you wanting more...
Review: I do not regret my purchase of this DVD - I am a fan and a student of J.R.R.Tolkien and have been since I first read his books in 1973. Seeing him "in person" was a treat. And the illustrations by the Hildebrandt brothers who basically captured the essence of these stories for me thrilled me; I have been collecting their art for years as well. Unfortunately there just wasn't enough. Not enough interview time with Tolkien, not big enough view of the illustrations - there were over 50 of these but they were visually very small on the tv screen - as they were framed and the floated in the center of the screen. Interesting historical notes and comments and antedotes - just not enough, never enough.
Rating:
Summary: Can't compare to new movies
Review: I purchased this DVD based on Amazon.com reviews and was disappointed before realizing how unfair it is to compare anything to director Peter Jackson's excellent Lord of the Ring movies that are coming out. This DVD's geographic landscapes were not as detailed as I had been led to believe; if you are hoping for realism, you would be better off consulting the maps in Tolkein's books. The use of human little-people as hobbits and dwarfs in dramatic snippets was sadly comical in contrast to the Fellowship of the Ring's unbelievable special effects, which after all won an Academy Award, out of four total. It was somewhat interesting to hear Tolkein's unintelligible speech in a filmed interview, and I suppose the narrative might help someone who had never read the books understand the story. But then who would buy this without having read the books?? Perhaps better to buy the extended version of the movie when it comes out in November, as I have.
Rating: 
Summary: For completists only...
Review: I too bought this due to some early 'rave' reviews, and after viewing it all can only think "it's not too bad...at least it didn't cost a lot". The disc basically has a narrator/host telling you the storyline of the Lord of the Rings interspersed with bland re-enactments, computer-generated geographic locations(nothing too complex or awe-inspiring), and interviews with 'experts'. This stuff is ok, but nothing really insightful or extremely interesting(well, the story is...but you can/should read the books for that right?). The two main selling points are some clips of the author and the art gallery. The clips are, as many pointed out, a little hard to hear but it's good to see them nonetheless. The big issue I have is with the Brothers Hildebrandt gallery. When you try to view these in its 'extras' section, you get small versions of them...as if they were framed and mounted on the screen at a distance. What moron decided to do this? You get big full-screen versions of the artwork(most?) in the actual documentary(so i guess you can pause them then to enjoy the detail), but you'd have to sit/fast foward through the feature everytime just to do that. The point of having a stills gallery is to access them all conveniently, but that's ruined by the artwork's small dimensions on the screen. Anyway, I wouldn't recommended this unless you're a completist with money to spare, or a beginner who wants the 'cliff notes' on the books. Not essential by any means due to its dissapointingly executed presentation, but not an entirely bad dvd either.
Rating:
Summary: For completists only...
Review: I too bought this due to some early 'rave' reviews, and after viewing it all can only think "it's not too bad...at least it didn't cost a lot". The disc basically has a narrator/host telling you the storyline of the Lord of the Rings interspersed with bland re-enactments, computer-generated geographic locations(nothing too complex or awe-inspiring), and interviews with 'experts'. This stuff is ok, but nothing really insightful or extremely interesting(well, the story is...but you can/should read the books for that right?). The two main selling points are some clips of the author and the art gallery. The clips are, as many pointed out, a little hard to hear but it's good to see them nonetheless. The big issue I have is with the Brothers Hildebrandt gallery. When you try to view these in its 'extras' section, you get small versions of them...as if they were framed and mounted on the screen at a distance. What moron decided to do this? You get big full-screen versions of the artwork(most?) in the actual documentary(so i guess you can pause them then to enjoy the detail), but you'd have to sit/fast foward through the feature everytime just to do that. The point of having a stills gallery is to access them all conveniently, but that's ruined by the artwork's small dimensions on the screen. Anyway, I wouldn't recommended this unless you're a completist with money to spare, or a beginner who wants the 'cliff notes' on the books. Not essential by any means due to its dissapointingly executed presentation, but not an entirely bad dvd either.
Rating: 
Summary: great DVD with one small error
Review: I was very happy with the DVD in terms of its content and its sound and picture quality. The only problem is a factual error in the synopsis. It states that Merry was the one who kills the Lord of the Nazgul. He stabs him in the back of the knee, but it is Eowyn who Merry calls to and she kills him. One small error in an otherwise perfect DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: Nothing I didn't already know. Don't waste your money!
Review: If you are interested in learning about Tolkien read Humphrey Carpenter's excellent biography rather than wasting money on this DVD. The only thing of interest on this disc is the footage of Tolkien himself, but there's not enough to make the price you pay worthwhile. The majority is taken up by a badly performed synopsis of the story. Also includes a disc of totally boring music supposedly inspired by LOTR. Buy Howard Shore's soundtrack to the Peter Jackson films if you want great music that really sounds like it fits the story.
Rating:
Summary: Nothing I didn't already know. Don't waste your money!
Review: If you are interested in learning about Tolkien read Humphrey Carpenter's excellent biography rather than wasting money on this DVD. The only thing of interest on this disc is the footage of Tolkien himself, but there's not enough to make the price you pay worthwhile. The majority is taken up by a badly performed synopsis of the story. Also includes a disc of totally boring music supposedly inspired by LOTR. Buy Howard Shore's soundtrack to the Peter Jackson films if you want great music that really sounds like it fits the story.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty Good Despite Low Budget
Review: J.R.R. Tolkien: Master Of The Rings manages to be a fairly informative and entertaining piece of work despite its obivious low budget. Even this is only a major hinderance in the footage enacting scenes from The Lord Of The Rings, which resemble nothing so much as some home videos made by a bunch of guys in the Society for Creative Anachronism.Having said that, there are many good bits here, the most impressive of which are the computer-generated 3D maps of Middle-earth, which are actually quite stunning. One final word to the Tolkien neophyte: if you haven't read Lord Of The Rings all the way through, DO NOT WATCH THIS FILM. There is a detailed plot synopsis of the entire novel toward the beginning of the movie which reveals the ending of the book. If you haven't read LOTR and feel you must watch this, make sure you skip Chapter 4 on the chapter menu.
Rating:
Summary: Dude of the Rings
Review: Produced at as joint production between Cromwell Productions Limited and Eagle Media, J.R.R. TOLKEIN: MASTERS OF THE RINGS: THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO THE WORLD OF THE RINGS (not to be confused with an unauthorized version out there by nearly the same name) is a treat for any serious fan of Tolkein. Indeed, I watched the DVD twice the first day I bought it. Perhaps the greatest feature available on the disc is the 3D CGI mapping and virtual tour of Middle-Earth, a treat for the eyes laying out in exacting detail the geography of one of the 20th century's most beloved tales. While the lands of Mordor don't exactly spring to life on the screen before you, the wizards manage to lay out all of the key locations as they (chronologically) appear in THE LORD OF THE RINGS. Additionally, the film on the disc features excerpted interviews with Tolkein experts (ranging from literary critics, Tolkein scholars, Tolkein family members, to military specialists) and even a few words from the master himself, J.R.R. Tolkein. While these video clips are well worth the purchase price, don't be boondoggled: it isn't as if Tolkein gives you any grand insight into the substance behind RINGS, as he spends a great deal talking about WHERE he wrote the epic and not so much his methodology. Certainly, a great deal more information is learned from the others interviewed than from Tolkein. Additionally, the disc offers several brief interviews with artists (including two music videos) whose work is heavily laced with Tolkein inspirations. One feature, an interactive interview with a literary historian, is very interesting, but the footage (for reasons unknown to me) appears fuzzy and 'jiggling' on the screen, whereas the same footage is vibrant and crisp throughout the film.
Lastly, the DVD offers a library of The Brothers Hildebrandt images from throughout the years. Is it a great DVD? For Tolkein purists, you betcha. For Tolkein neophytes inspired by the recent blockbuster film, be warned: the entire story of THE LORD OF THE RINGS is laid out, not in precise detail, but enough to give away some of the surprises that lay ahead for the silver screen.
Rating:
Summary: Talking heads are the most interesting part of this
Review: The host is great and some of the experts interviewed are fine, but the rest of the material is sub-standard. Witness the recreations of scenes from the books: The hobbits are played by midgets wearing tacky feathered hats - the guy playing Frodo is probably 70 years old. The guy playing Aragorn, on the other hand, is maybe 28 and probably moonlights as an underwear model. Very little included about Tolkien's interesting life and how it shaped his Middle-earth stories. While I love the Brothers Hildebrandt illustrations, these are used so often you get tired of them.
Think of this as a very poor Cliff Notes for the video age. If it were my first exposure to Tolkien, I'd never look further.
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