Rating: 
Summary: Oh, My "Lord."
Review: Before I sing my praises, let me first admit, with slight embarrassment, that I haven't read a single page of the Tolkien books on which "Lord of the Rings" is based. But that didn't prevent me from appreciating this movie. Quite simply, I was literally blown away. Quite possibly the greatest epic adventure since "Lawrence of Arabia," "Lord of the Rings" thrills, captivates, enthralls, and entertains you from start to finish. It's the great fantasy adventure that "Harry Potter" should have been (and can never be). I saw the extended 3.5 hour version late Friday night, and I watched every frame of the movie until 3:00 in the morning because I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. You can tell that director Peter Jackson invested a lot of love into this project through the scenery, the performances, the breathtaking action sequences, and the pacing. Elijah Wood is badly underrated as Frodo, who along with his cohorts, begins an adventure in which he protects a ring with magic powers against various forces of evil. Viggo Mortensen and Sir Ian McKellen also shine tremendously, especially McKellen, who was robbed of a Supporting Actor Oscar. Unfortunately, women don't have much of a presence in this movie, though Cate Blanchett and Liv Tyler make the best of their underwritten roles. When "Lord of the Rings" first came out in DVD in August, I deliberately avoided the 2-disc version, for I knew that a deluxe edition was forthcoming. And while the pricetag is somewhat steep, it is worth every dime. I never saw the original theatrical release, but the 3.5 hour version passes along nicely and never drags. If there is one DVD you must buy this year, this one is certainly it. It's bound to be remembered as a beloved classic, and having finally seen it, I now eagerly await the next two "LOTR" films.
Rating:
Summary: Even More Faithful to the Book
Review: The theatrical release of "Fellowship" brought Tolkien's classic to life, but the extended version presents us with a more fully realized Middle Earth. The expanded introduction allows us a longer glimpse into the simple, peaceful lives of the hobbits, and in so doing, the sense of loss--the realization that all this will end no matter what the outcome of the quest--makes the movie that much more compelling.No longer does the movie feel like a feature film but a TV miniseries. It has been transformed into a grand epic, accompanied by a stronger sense that our heroes have embarked on a quest, a journey, and not simply a stroll across the countryside. The journey now seems to take weeks and months. The characters now have the opportunity to discuss plans, fears, and dreams. Everything in the movie has been given an added dimension. This edition is a must have for every fan. The question then is whether you should buy the gift set. The set has an added DVD (a National Geographic special about the movie) as well as a few collectibles. Most of the collectibles will appeal to only the die-hard fans. The bookends are nice, and the set will look great if the remaining movies are released in matching cases. Otherwise, it will be a waste, but I imagine that having matching cases was the whole point behind it. So now you have a choice. Do you want an action movie, a fast and fun flick about good vs. evil? Get the theatrical edition. Do you want the opportunity to truly explore Middle Earth before it passes away? Get the extended edition. Most fans, though, will find room on their shelves for both.
Rating:
Summary: A REAL JEWEL
Review: I am not usually a fan of expanded, so-called Director's Cuts of popular movies; usually, they are nothing more than inserted scenes designed to differentiate the film sufficiently enough to garner additional sales from loyal fans. THE LORD OF THE RINGS - THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (PLATINUM SERIES EXTENDED EDITION) is a worthy exception in that the additional 30 or so minutes of footage truly augments and enhances the story. While I have been a long-time devoted fan of LOTR, I found that the theatrical version, despite some omissions and deviations from the book, was an absolutely marvelous work. The extended edition is, in my opinion, even better, particularly in the beginning. The new "shire" opening provides a deeper glimpse into the magical world of the Hobbits and gives the viewer, particularly those who have not read the books, a better understanding of the characters as they develop throughout the movie. While other scenes are brief, they provide just the extra touch needed to clarify a plot twist or character later in the story. A pleasant surprise is the addition of poetry and song snippets which were such a nice part of the books. They are not just inserted gratuitously, but rather bring just a touch of additional insight as to the various characters and their unique charms. The quality of the four disc set is very good, although the length and additional features require that the movie be contained on two discs. The first disc ends rather abruptly (as if someone just turned off the switch rather than a more graceful scene ending fade), however the separation was unavoidable given the limited capacity of the DVD discs, especially with the addition of the various commentaries which can be accessed along with the movie. I have not had the time to fully view the various appendices on discs three and four, however what I have watched to date has been most enjoyable. The packaging is very nice and this extended version is a real jewel.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: This is great. When will I find the time to look at all of the cool stuff on the two extra disks?
Rating:
Summary: The rebate sucks
Review: Everybody is right - this movie is awesome. But beware the rebate offer. Click on 'details' to see the facts, but to sum up: you have to have both the regular version AND the extended-version. And you need the proof-of-purchase from both - which on the extended version means chopping up your beautiful slipcase. Plus you need to have the Collector's edition to get the $10 rebate, otherwise it's just $5.
Rating:
Summary: a most for lord of the rings fans
Review: This DVD collecters set I recommend for LOTR fans.
Rating: 
Summary: A Half hour more of this?!?
Review: Wow, you mean I can be bored out of my mind for an extra half hour, but wait, you give me all the bonus stuff too, man, I could be comatose for an even longer period of time.
I really tried to like this movie, I gave it every benefit of the doubt, I ignored the running time, I ignored my better judgement, but I couldn't have foreseen how much I wouldn't like this movie. I place it in my top 5 bad movies I have had the misfortune to see, number one is and probably always will be jeepers creepers. I know it took three books to tell the story, but three movies? I sat there watching, the end came and then I thought, what the??? That's the end, and even the ending didn't make sense, hey guys, let's say we failed and go whack some random evil and let some little guy go off and fight the darkness with his friend, I'm sure they will be ok, and it's ok that we failed. Another thing, how is it a few random individuals with individual talents can somehow just take out a huge ammount of unstoppable evil? I'm just glad I didn't pay to see it and saw it for free at someone's house.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Addition to your DVD Library!
Review: If you saw and loved the theater version, you won't want to miss this extended edition. I won't go into detail about the theater version; instead I'll assume you've seen it and write about the new scenes. I was very excited to learn that these new scenes weren't going to be a "special section" of the DVD. Instead the extra scenes were added into the movie, edited and polished to blend perfectly. There were some scenes which were altogether new; at other times a familiar scene would include added dimension. Every added minute (I believe there were about 30 altogether) was thrilling and illuminating! For example, I enjoyed learning more about Hobbits and life in The Shire! This extended opening to the movie gave a broader foundation to those of us who knew nothing about Hobbits before seeing this movie. Though there was some great battle footage added, a great deal of the added footage included conversations amongst the characters. These conversations gave the characters--cherished and beloved as they already were--a greater depth and warmth. It caused the obvious brotherly link of the Fellowship to make greater sense. One example is an added conversation between Boromir and Aragorn while they are well into their journey to Mordor. I'd already felt sorry for Boromir and his well-intentioned weakness for the ring, yet my husband couldn't understand why I felt endeared to him. But after hearing the conversation between the two men, my husband was more able to understand my pity for Boromir. Another example is the last fight scene in the movie. In the theater version, Peregrine and Merry seemed to have run off and hid throughout the battle, until they saw Boromir shot. But in the extended version, we see the courage and heart of these two Hobbits as they fight these huge, intimidating creatures with everything in them and using every resource available--even stone-throwing! I was so proud of them that I clapped my hands as I watched! As I write, I'm the process of watching the second of the two "making of" DVDs. The first contains the process from book to movie concept. It includes a short but interesting biography of the writer, J.R.R. Tolkein (though it doesn't mention his Christian roots). The DVD also contains much of the process of making the book into a movie--the creation of the sets (using real locations, miniatures, and computer graphics, etc)., the creation of the creatures, and the costumes. The first DVD itself is long and gets a little dry after a while, but it's well-divided so that you can watch it a piece at a time or skip the less interesting parts. I haven't finished watching the second DVD, but it's already a lot of fun! So far it's mainly made up of character interviews where the actors talk about what it was like to work with one another. I've also enjoyed seeing the make-up process. All that to say this: I highly recommend this set! If you're a fan of the first installment of this movie series, you won't be disappointed!
Rating:
Summary: Best DVD Ever?
Review: Quite possibly! This new four disc set of Fellowship Of The Ring is absolutely fantastic.
I thought the original theatrical cut was great(saw it four times at the theater!),but this new 208 minute director's cut is much better,immersing one even deeper into the world of Middle Earth.This is what a director's cut should be.
Picture quality is outstanding and the sound(I listened to the DTS track)is amazing.There are four commentary tracks,and loads & loads of bonus materials on the third and fourth discs. As a previous reviewer stated,if you haven't purchased the two disc theatrical set,don't even bother.This is the way to go!
(I know I'm glad I held out!) By the way,there's also a coupon for a free ticket to LOTR:The Two Towers.I can't wait to see it!!
Rating:
Summary: Don't buy this DVD if your playing it on a DVD-ROM
Review: I purchased this movie with my hard earned money to find out that is does not work with 3 of the most used DVD-ROM's made. Now I have to wait for a patch just to watch this DVD. I've found several others who also have the same problem. Check Dell Computer Support Communities to find out if your DVD-ROM is one of the three. New Line Cinema should of thought of this before releasing the DVD. Unsatisfied customers are hard to please after problems. I really would like to watch the movie to rate it. I will never purchase a New Line Cinema DVD again.
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