Rating: 
Summary: Why not just release this to theaters?
Review: This is a truly magnificent DVD collection. I would recommend it heart and soul to anyone who has even the slightest interst in the films or the books. The extended edition does a much better job of transferring the book to the screen than does the original theatrical release, adding in little nuggets such as the giving of Galadriel's gifts and the extended prologue which, when combined with the already well-made theatrical release, help to make the extended cut the only version of the film worth seeing.In addition, the commentaries may justify the cost of the DVD's on their own. INteresting, humorous, and often very informative, the Directors commentary and the cast commentary are definetly worth the time it takes to rewatch the movie. The directors commentary will be especially intersting for those Tolkien purists upset with some of the movie's lackings, as it explains Jackson's rationale for many of the changes he made. All in all, this collection is a must for any fan of the series, a wonderful extension of an already stunning work of visual art.
Rating: 
Summary: 5 stars extended, 1 star regular
Review: The extended versioin was great because of all the fillers that they cut. The non-extended is just a waste of time so all in all. buy the extended burn the regular.
Rating:
Summary: A brilliant movie and a literatary masterpiece
Review: There are many fans of the book who decry Peter Jackson's LOTR trilogy. This is because Jackson took many liberties in his screen adaptation, changing some things, leaving other things out altogether, etc. Personally, I think most of these changes WERE needed. Sure, Tolkien's epic is a masterpiece of literary fiction. But it is also classified as a children's book. And as such, the story reads like many other children's books before it (and after it). Clive Barker's Abarat and C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia are good examples of contemporary literature that follow Tolkien's storytelling formula. IE: the main characters move from one location to another, avoiding evil, meeting fearsome creatures only to find that there is nothing to fear about them, etc. Danger is always looming, but it is seldom faced and it never prevails. Jackson's movie adaptation, thankfully, is not made for children. The film trilogy is a special effects-laden epic of good versus evil. And unlike in the books, that evil is sinister, unmerciful and deadly. To keep the action tense and to put an adult slant on the story, Jackson felt the need to make some characters less friendly and to take out some of those who are dreadfully nice. I applaud his decision as both bold and visionary. The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy is beautiful and exciting. It is storytelling cinema's new high-water mark. The effects are breathtaking. It is perfectly casted. The acting is superb. I am awestruck by almost everything about it. I believe that it will prove to be the Star Wars of this generation, a movie that will be loved and adored for decades to come. Tolkien's novel is excellent. Jackson's adaptation is excellent. I suggest you read the former and watch the latter. May they both consume you as they have me.
Rating: 
Summary: Where's the movie?
Review: How much is too much? Where is the line? How much CGI can you can put into a movie before it's a cartoon? I first noticed this trend with "Star Wars Episode 1: Phantom Menace" (and even worst in the sequel), but here it completely dominates all aspects of the movie. I knew I was in trouble when Frodo was being attacked by a dragon, and I knew he was safe because the dragon looked so animated, it couldn't have possably been there. I miss the days when the monsters were really there. They may have only been rubber and latex, but it was something physical that the actors could touch or interact with. My problem is that the effects are so overwhelming they over shadow everything else, even the story. And that's a shame, because the story is great bit of fantasy, with hobbits, dwarves, humans, kings sorcerers, kings, zombies. It is a tale of courage, bravery, nobility, sacrifice, and honor. But all that takes a back seat to technology. The only redeming value to this film is Viggo Morgenson's noble ranger. He was the only thing in the movie that was real. I realize my opinion will not be a populor one. I just believe that special effects should enhance the story, not be the excuse for making the movie.
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't get much better than this.
Review: I never saw the first "Rings" movie in theatres, but I did see it on dvd (which at the time I thought was really disappointing) but seeing as how I love epically long movies, I REALLY felt the need to buy this. If you ask me, if Peter(Jackson)were to go back in time and release this instead of the original, he probably would've made "A Beautiful Mind" look like the Lifetime Movie Of The Week (meaning Rings wins and Crowe loses). Plus on top of that, now I have this habitual expectancy that every disappointing movie I see from now on, seven months after its release onto dvd, will have its plots filled and its meanings emphasized. That may be a longshot hope from yours' truly, but if it's not, I can only hope that Adam Sandler and George Lucas are taking notes RIGHT NOW.
Rating:
Summary: A Breath of Fresh Air
Review: I don't think I can add anything that hasn't already been said, but I decided to add my two cents worth. It has become a rare thing indeed for a movie to move the hearts of so many people. And that is the key to the success of this movie; it has heart. People have grown tired of the typical hollywood movie that doesn't offer much in terms of originality. I have not read the books by Tolkien and I was not enthusiastic about the movie when it first came out. I saw the first movie just before I saw The Two Towers in theater. I think it is fair to say that this movie has impressed me as very few do. The heart of the story is the age old struggle between good and evil. The hobbit is not the person you would think that has the power to shape the course of the future, but he does in this story. This kind of story brings the viewer into the adventure and the struggles that Frodo and his companions must face. After all, it is a struggle for survival. The director Peter Jackson is to be commended for giving us a breath of fresh air. This is the kind of movie that will be cherished and appreciated for a long time to come. In addition to the crew, a spectacular cast has been ensembled for this movie. Those who particularly shine are Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Ian McKellen, Ian Holms, Christopher Lee and Viggo Mortenson.
Rating:
Summary: Good Movie
Review: I love this movie! The Black Riders are sometime scary, but everything else is great.To understand the movie better you should read the Hobbit first before you see the movie. I did and so did my friend and we understood everything. I wish that you would buy this movie. P.S. Also get the books!
Rating:
Summary: Simply AMAZING!!!!!!!!
Review: When someone announces they are going to make a beloved book into a movie I cringe, fearing another Interview with a Vampire fiasco! I dislike most movies made from books, because our imagination is just so rich it is hard for a movie to match the level in our minds. However, on occasion they do reach that quality and this movie does that. I approached the movie as judging the movie as though I had never read the books. That is the fairest way, though a bit hard not to draw comparison. This movie, no matter how many times I view it never fails to draw me, compel me. The actors are some of the best around, which speaks for the film off the bat. The amazing Christopher Lee as Suraman the evil wizard, Ian McKellan as the kindly sage Gandalf the Grey,
Viggo Mortensen - the long underrated actor - is amazing as Aragorn, Sean Bean - another underrated actor as Boromir, John Rhys-Davies so amazing as the dwarf Gimli, Hugo Weaving as Elrond, Ian Holm as Bilbo Baggins, Cate Blanchett as Galadriel,
Liv Tyler so gorgeous as Arwen and Orlando Bloom as the elf Legolas Greenleaf ...I mean WOW what a superb cast and each does such wonderful jobs! The movie touches so many emotions on so many levels...the near wistful perfection of the Shire, the fear evoked by the Orc and the Ring Wraths, the majestic scenery, the powerful darkness beginning to spread across middle earth...all work so vividly to create the true spirit of fellowship of the 9 setting on a quest to save middle earth from destruction. It is so fast paced that you do not notice the length of the movie, yet it gives leisurely pace to the growing romance between Aragon and Arwen, the love of Elrond for his daughter, the hobbits devotion to each other, and especially between Frodo and Gandalf. Well, I could go on and on about the perfection of this wonderful movie, but nothing I could say would touch the level of amazement you must experience. I would caution younger viewers seeing the film without any form of guidances. It is not a child's film, so please do not mistakenly assume it as such because of the fantasy element with dwarves, elves and hobbits. It is often very dark and very scary and is quite violent in passages, so younger children not be able to grasp the complex tale and could be quite frightened by it. For the imaginative adult, it is pure bliss. I have seen Twin Towers and love it is well. So am eagerly awaiting the holidays' release of the final episode. FOr anyone wanting to own the DVD I suggest this version with an extra 30 minutes of footage. Once you view it you will not want the theatrical release version.
Rating:
Summary: Go for it.
Review: I'll make this short by assuming you have seen the theatrical release and are a fan.
Pros:
Bottom line is the extended edition (consisting of disk 1 & 2) is well worth the purchase alone. After seeing it, you get a lot more out of the movie (character development, storyline, etc.) These extended scenes were obviously cut out due to the movie running too long. They have done a good job adding them back in with the exception of only a couple of transitional glitches. The VERY in-depth appendices (disk 3, & 4) provide you with everything from writing the screenplay to design and special effects by Weta. Cons:
The packaging is done well, with a book style looking DVD case, holding all four discs. However, getting the discs out of the case is another story. If you have rented a fair amount of DVD's then you know what I'm talking about. You feel as though you're going to break the discs when trying to get them out; I guess not all cases are created equal. Verdict:
Go for it.
Rating:
Summary: A perfect example of what a DVD set ought to be!!
Review: Let's start with the fact that the 'extended' version is a big improvement on what other DVDs try to do with 'deleted' / 'extended' scenes. Instead of having them as an 'extra feature' that is shown separately from the actual film, seeing these scenes in context (as a part of the whole movie) makes them (and the movie) richer, and their nuances much clearer. I can't even complain that the production company hadn't advertised in advance that the extended version would be out a few months after the theatrical one - because they had. Except for the commentaries (which I'll get to in a moment), the extra features are just perfect, and should be an example and an insparation to other films. Instead of the usual behind the scenes "blah blahs" (or "featuretes") and theatrical trailers, we get a full account of how the movie was created - from the adaption of the book to a script to finding the actors, the work on the film itself (or rather - the films), and so on. This is done so thoroughly that no matter what interests you in the process of making this film, you will easily find it on this DVD set because of the well organized menus. As for the commentaries, the casts' and Peter Jackson and co.'s were the most interesting. The only thing I didn't like was the fact that the cast hadn't been given the chance to do it as a group (except for the hobbits, who commented together, and their group dynamics & discussions were fun and interesting). Viggo Mortensen's commentary about Aragorn was also sorely missed.
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