Rating: Summary: Do yourself a favour Review: Please, for your own sake, wait for the extended versions of the films to be released. Peter Jackson wanted the theatrical versions to be longer but was vetoed. See the movies the way he intended you to, please, for Saruman's sake!! The extra scenes are not throwaway scenes, they are integral.I've got the first two extended versions and they are amazing. The extra scenes add so much to the theatrical versions and I refuese to watch them now that I have the director's cuts. Also the special features are incredbible, best I have seen. My advice, buy both extended versions and hire out return of the king until the extended version of that film comes out in November, it's worth the wait. Do it to honour Peter Jackson and his vision, and Christopher Lee as well who's part had to be cut out of Return of the King. Thanks for your time.
Rating: Summary: Just an additional remark on Batman303's comments Review: I completely agree that LOTR is the Gone with the Wind or Ben-Hur for this generation. It is a masterpiece. However, I believe that the Platinum Series Extended Editions are much better than the theatrical version. Those 30+ additional minutes almost change the entire movie, especially in the Two Towers where a little background information is provided that details the relationship between Boromir and his younger brother, Faramir, as well as their relationship with their father. Also, I was extremely dissapointed that Return of the King did not even mention what happened to Saruman, and I will have to wait for the extended edition yet again. To conclude, if you really love these movies, purchase all of them separately in the extended edition format and you will not be disappointed.
Rating: Summary: The Greatest Movie Trilogy Ever Made, Period Review: The Godfather Part III. Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi. Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. What do these movies all have in common? They're all the third & final installments in popular movie trilogies....AND they were all bad. Francis Ford Coppola should've left the Godfather saga alone after Part II, George Lucas should be read the riot act for those icky-cute Ewoks in Return Of The Jedi (AND for those trainwreck Star Wars prequels), and just what in blazes was George Miller thinking when he turned Mad Max into a frigging babysitter for some annoying kids? These talented filmmakers get the first two parts of these beloved movie trilogies so good and so right and so perfect, only to trip on the finish line. It's both very shocking and very, very sad to witness.But with The Lord Of The Rings, Peter Jackson has finally broken the curse of the disappointing "Part Three" movie, giving us a movie trilogy that actually delivers all the way through. Devoting seven years of his life to bringing J.R.R. Tolkien's immortal fantasy classic to the big screen, he has brought Tolkien's fantastic world of Middlearth to life with all the love, care, and respect that this legendary literary work deserves. The Lord Of The Rings movie trilogy---The Fellowship Of The Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return Of The King---weaves a brilliant, intriguing tapestry of drama, comedy, action, and fantasy that flows together so effortlessly through it's nine hours-plus running time, and never once does it drag. The acting by the ensemble cast is superb, with each character perfectly defined. The script is marvelously written and respectful of Tolkien's original text. The groundbreaking visual effects are nothing short of phenomenal, and yet, they never overshadow the story or the characters. And Jackson's direction is simply outstanding. He knew he wasn't going to please every Tolkien purist out there, but he rose to the challenge (and then some) to give us the best possible film adaptation of The Lord Of The Rings that we could possibly see. And he succeeded brilliantly on all counts. The 17 Academy Awards total for the whole shebang are so very well-deserved.Like J.R.R. Tolkien's classic original books, Peter Jackson's masterful cinematic rendering of them will be enjoyed for generations to come. The Lord Of The Rings trilogy is without a doubt one of the all-time greatest achievements in film history, and the greatest movie trilogy ever made, period. So buy them, enjoy them, treasure them, and share them with your children and your grandchildren. One ring to rule them all, indeed.
Rating: Summary: no matter what Review: you really must have this one! I always was against LOTR because it was too much of a hype. But once you've seen it you cannot ever live without anymore, that is the truth! So also to the sceptics among us: it is definitely worth your money to buy this box! You cannot regret purchasing Lord Of The Rings... nót this time!!
Rating: Summary: BEST MOVIES EVER! Review: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy is perhaps the best trilogy I have ever seen. The similarities from the books are inspiring. It appeared as though Peter Jackson spoke to Tolkien and brought the characters to live. The cast, the scenery, make this a must have for everyone. You can watch the movies over and over again and never tire of it. It is a story that speaks to the human condition and how it is not always the powers of evil that are at work.
Rating: Summary: At least that much! Review: At last the trilogy is here.In only 3 years! Other trilogies finish a whole lot later.(6 years for the Star Wars preaquals!)No other trilogy has ever been this huge! I know what word for movie excellence will be now:THE LOOORD OF THE RIIIINGS! For those who may not still know what these movies are about I'll tell ya a little! A Ring! A strange fate that it causes so much fear and doubt for so small a thing. Frodo is happy in the Shire.He lives with his uncle Bilbo in a plush hole in the ground near Hobbiton. All the shire is peacefull and content.Up the road comes Gandalf, a old gray fool.A party is in the making for Bilbos 111 birthday(hobbits live long and are fat.) As the party goes on Bilbo is called to give a speech.He's leting it rip when suddenly in the blink of a eye he's gone.Vanished! None of the hobbits are without a shiver at the sight.But Gandalf sneeks away. A door opens by itself.Bilbo appears.Holding his ring of invisiblity he laughs.Fooled them! Plodding a long happily on his hairy feet.I suppose you think that was terribly clever! Gandalf caught him. He knows Bilbo is planning on leaving the shire forever. Leaving everything except?....The Ring.Had that ring a long time, give it up says Gandalf.Bilbo glares at him.he then stares gloatingly at his ring. No he will not give it up! He starts boxing at Gandalf! His own friend. Gandalf rears up for what he truly is is a powerful wizard! Bilbo falls to the ground in terror. Giving up his ring at last he leaves in the night. Gandalf see's it on the floor and decides to leave it be.A Eye has flashed! The Eye of Sauron! Interested? You ain't heard nothing yet! Elves,Darves,waterfalls,Battles,RingWraiths,a beautifull shield maiden,incredible journeys,a exile King,Gollom,men of Gondor,and huge white city! You have to watch this movie! I mean it.It's wonderful.
Rating: Summary: not the best since star wars Review: The Lord of the Rings was not the best since Star Wars. It IS the best ever. Film/trilogy/whatever. It is quite simply the greatest film to ever grace human eyes, and Legolas Greenleaf is the hottest elf to have ever graced our eyes as well. None of this respect for Star Wars thing. They were great films, some of teh best ever. But face facts folks, LOTR is and always will be the best film of all time.
Rating: Summary: words cannot describe how brilliant it is! Review: "The Lord of the Rings" is without question the most phenomenal display of art I have ever, ever seen! Winner of a record 17 academy awards (including Best Picture** and Best Director, 2004) these three films have brought a new character out of people these few years. Adapted from the legendary J.R.R. Tolkein masterpiece, "The Lord of the Rings" is a stunningly crafted film which is certain to inspire anyone you watches it. "The Fellowship of the Ring" (4 oscars) opens the ten-hour-adventure and follows the footsteps of nine companions setting out on a quest to destroy the essence of pure evil once and for all - the One Ring of the Dark Lord, Sauron. The story is about a tiny hobbit Frodo Baggins of The Shire, whoes task is to cast the Ring into the fires of Mount Doom, the one place where it can be unmade. However soon, Frodo realises he must complete is task on his own and it is here the Fellowship breaks. "The Two Towers" (2 oscars) follows on, with Frodo and his devoted friend Sam continuing towards the peril of Mordor. Meanwhile the remaining Fellowship set out on their own quests. The man Aragorn, elf Legolas and dwarf Gimli venture toward the kingdom of Rohan, and the remaining two hobbits find themselves in the forest of the talking trees and befriend the ancient Ent, Treebeard. Superbly these three seperate stories meet in a simply electrifying climax in "The Return of the King (11 oscars**), where the fate of Middle Earth "stands upon the edge of a knife" It is true when I say that these films begin with increibal magic, continue with equal brilliance and end in an explosive and emotional finale. The acting is so special and fantastic because these actors didn't just act the charater, they BECAME the character! Elijah Wood as Frodo, and Sean Astin as Sam perform with such truth and depth they will have you in emotional spin-outs throughout the entire saga. The Cinematography of New Zealand is breath-taking including snow-capped mountains, flowing green hills, rushing plains and more. This makes the whole experience of these films extra supreme and exhilerating. There is simply not enough I can say about the music which would pinpoint how beautiful it is! From calming "Hobbit" pieces, epic sounds, and absolutely heartbreaking swoons the music will have you gripped to your seat! The Battle Sequences are dubbed as the most brilliant ever seen on film, which give you an overwhelming feeling that you are in the action your self! Finally the Visual effects are by far the greatest you are ever likely to see again. An example of its brilliance is the creation of the creature Gollum, who was totally depicted from a live actor (Andy Serkis) and moulded into an animated addition, which by the way looks so real you'd think nothing had been done! I might also add, that these films are NOT all fantasy and magic! For those (like me) who don't particularly like fantasy, you will be mesmorised at how real this story feels! The brilliant thing about "The Lord of the Rings" is they will turn anyone non-believer into... well a BELIEVER! This is because the themes are SO important and SO real in our world today. Themes like love, loyalty, bravery, courage, sacrafise and above all, friendship! Not today, not tomorrow, not after a century do I believe that any one (or three) movies will ever measure up to "The Lord of the Rings". In my opinion, nothing could ever give me so much emotion and captivation as these three films did! Do not be affraid if you are a lover of the books to see these films, for fears like leaving out or changing of events etc. Although there ARE certain areas neglected, it is times like these when we must look beyond the chapters and REALLY capture is on screen. Director Peter Jackson and all the cast and crew are deep fans of the books and brought as much as the masterpiece to the screen as possible, and that in itself is a massive achievement! Through acting, cinematography, music, visual effects, and the unquestionable power of its themes, "The Lord of the Rings" from gripping beginning to spine-snapping end is the most phenominal achievement in film history. You will cry, and you will smile, and you will watch in horror, but most importantly, you will have the most unbelievable experience imaginable, and become a being of the world of Middle Earth yourself. Simply the One (or three!) to RULE THEM ALL!
Rating: Summary: Great movies, but buy with caution. Review: The films that make up this box set are, in a word, epic. However, as many of you know, there are the extended edditions with supurb supplimentary features disks. When I learned of the Fellowship extended eddition (from a trailer on the origional dvd I had just spent $20 for) I nearly killed myself. It wasnt so much that I was upset about the money, I was just uneasy with the fact that I would have to buy the same movie twice in order to experience it fully --wich is a marketing ploy if I ever saw one. I vowed not to be decieved again, happily passing by the theatrical release of The Two Towers. When I finnaly got my hands on the extended eddition I discovered to my supprise that I liked the theatrical version better! Im not entierly sure why, I quess I just thought it was paced better. Now I havnt seen the extended version of the Return of the King (could that movie get any longer?), but if its anything like the Two Towers, you can expect an incredibly lenghthy film, with ausome exteras. My point is, If you havnt seen the extended edditions, rent them, because you may just find their theatricle predecessors better. If so, buy the box set. Its even released on the last day of school (at least for me!), and it would make a great gift for your kids. Oh, and Mom, just in case your reading: this box set would be the diffinitive gift for your loving son.
Rating: Summary: The first (and perhaps only ever) great fantasy epic Review: First off, buy the wide screen version. Only wide screen allows you to view the films as the director meant them to be viewed. Buying the full screen version of a film is like going to an art gallery and only looking at the middle third of all the paintings. Or buying a CD with the first and last minutes of each song shaved off. You would never do such a thing. Buy the wide screen version. That said, here is my review of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is by far a collection of five-star films that have (hopefully) set the pace for all future fantasy films. In the past fantasy films fell into one of two categories: Category 1 -- Good, but too light (not serious enough): Examples being movies like "Willow," "The Princess Bride" and "The NeverEnding Story." While these are very enjoyable films, they are more adventure-like fantasy than they are epic dramas. And others (such as "Labyrinth" or "Legend") although still enjoyable, made the genre even less respectable by using silly costuming and childish humor. Category 2 -- Flat-out stupid: Three words: "Dungeons & Dragons" The Lord of the Rings trilogy consists of fantasy movies made the way fantasy movies were supposed to be. Gone is the notion that the fantasy genre is for kids, or that comic relief and cheesy characters are needed to make the movie bearable. The Lord of the Rings is an epic drama. It has the majesty and dramatic tone of "Braveheart" or "Gladiator," only set in the context of Tolkein's masterful tale of Middle Earth. Let us hope that Hollywood studios and film execs have learned their lesson--you CAN make a big-budget, high-quality, dramatic fantasy film and still make a lot of money. Let us give credit to New Line Cinema for going out on a limb to make the LOTR movies. And let us all hail Peter Jackson, cast, and crew for pulling off the film accomplishment of a lifetime. I only hope that future fantasy films can at least try to come close to the extravagant perfection of The Lord of the Rings. Having said all this, the Extended Versions are EVEN BETTER! Usually when watching the "deleted scenes" on various DVDs I say to myself, "well I can see why they deleted that scene." Scenes are usually deleted for a good reason. Either they cause the movie to drag on, or do nothing to develop the plot. This is not the case with the new scenes on the extended versions of the LOTR films. These scenes not only help add more clarity to the plot, but they go a long way in further developing the characters--the lack of which was a common criticism of the theatrical release of the first film, The Fellowship of the Ring. Add to this how well done these extra and lengthened scenes have been done. Each scene has been edited smoothly into the movie for a seamless experience. Sounds, special effects, and even additional scoring have been added to ensure the same quality throughout. These extra scenes are not essential, but surely add quite a bit to the films, enough so that I don't even watch the theatrical version anymore, because the extended versions offer so much more enjoyment. The packaging is very well done and with two discs of bonus material, you definitely get your dollar's worth. So, my suggestion is that if you're one of the dozen Americans who don't own any of the LOTR films yet, splurge and get the extended version. I promise that after seeing them you'll realize that you don't need (or even want) the theatrical versions. However, if you're on a tight budget, this box set is a nice way to get three of the best films of all time for a fair price.
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