Rating: 
Summary: Great movie, not so great collector's set
Review: The regular extended edition DVD comes with one free ticket to the upcoming Two Towers - LOTR Part 2. My collector's set did not. The National Geographic disc included with this set is also disappointing - not awful, just not that interesting. The best part of the set is the box, which is specially designed by Alan Lee whose illustrations grace some editions of the LOTR books. The included statues are nice, but hardly worth the price of the set. I'd suggest sticking with the regular extended edition DVD. The movie itself is amazing as is the transfer.
Rating: 
Summary: Hype!
Review: The release of this movie will mean that no other attempts to cover this material will likely be maded within my lifetime. The website said that they (producer/director) were commited to being true to the literature and that they found it best to let Tolkien speak for himself, yet, as one who could at one time recite the text in question, I found very, very little dialogue or even story line from the books. This is particularly sad because the LoTR is not just a story, but a means of conveying a sense of certain deep themes of human beingness, and to massacre it in such a way occludes the perception of these currents and themes and memes. For those who have not read the books and never intend to do so, I suppose even what remains of Tolkien's grand epic is as absorbing as most fantasy movies. But, for my part, Ralph Bakshi did far, far better many years ago - being more consitantly true to Tolkien's vision.
Rating:
Summary: Visually beautiful but be prepared to concentrate.
Review: The scenery is fantastic - both the real and created places! What really captured me, though, is the appropriateness of the actors for their roles. Each seemed very much at home with their character and that made it easy to accept and believe in them. The struggles they face, both externally and internally, are ones we can all relate to. I also liked the focus on friendship and bonding. Sam's devotion to Frodo is especially powerful and moving. I don't remember the books well. I read them years ago and didn't really care for them. There are likely major characters, places and events missing that may bother die-hard fans of the books, but I believe that the film does a very good, if not excellent, job of bringing life to Middle Earth. So why only 4 stars? Well, if you haven't read the books, the story is rather hard to follow. I think the movie is assuming that you will have at least a basic familiarity with the characters and story. I know that if they tried to spell everything out for newcomers the movie would run much longer than the 3 hrs it already is, but it's easy to lose track of what's going on if you don't focus on it. Still, I liked it and will probably see it again. I may even re-read the books. If nothing else, the film gets an A+ for effort.
Rating: 
Summary: THE BEST DVD I OWN!
Review: The second greatest film ever made (behind "The Two Towers") gets the royal treatment: a four-disc set that cronicles the entire creation of the film. The new 208 Minute Extended Edition blows the 178 Minute Theatrical Version away. Tons of awesome special features. You're sure to enjoy. Prepare to be amazed in November 2003 by "The Two Towers" Extended Edition! Movie/DVD Grade: A+
Rating:
Summary: Not a "Rings" fan, but I liked this movie
Review: The sheer feel of this movie is worth the price of admission. I've never been able to plod through "LOR" but I really enjoyed this movie. I may have enjoyed it more than many "LOR" junkies as I carried no baggage into the theatre. Great FX and music. What a fun film. Dock a star for some wooden acting.
Rating: 
Summary: 2 disc split = 2 star blunder
Review: The single most noticable aspect of this DVD set is that the extended version of the Fellowship of the Ring is split across two DVDs. Both DVD's include 4 commentary tracks. I believe that the film merits placement upon a single disc to allow full viewer immersion into the complex story, and am certain that one disc would have sufficed had the 4 commentaries not been included. While many may find the commentaries of interest for one viewing, the movie ultimately can be judged on its own. The two disc format detracts greatly from the experience of the movie and speaks poorly upon the producer's judgement. As for the extended version of the film itself, it does make for a far superior version of an already brilliantly cast, well-directed adaptation of Tolkien's work. Hobbits are revealed in fuller colors, revealing greater understanding of Tolkien's love of the pastoral, simple life. The distrust between elves and dwarves, a clear commentary by Tolkien upon the ills of racism, is given more depth, and the members of the Fellowship are all allowed more character development. There were a few chronological and narrative misteps in the original film which were not corrected, and diminish its cohesiveness against the novel. Nevertheless, the movie remains an incredible work, and Mr. Jackson, the remarkable cast, and amazing crew all deserve the highest accolades. The audience, however, deserves this film on a single DVD, and I recommend neophytes to Tolkien's work go and read the books. Their depth is simply unbelievable, and there will never be a substitute for them,
Rating:
Summary: The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring (Widescre
Review: The sound track overpowers the dialogue. Therefore, onbe misses too much of the conversations. This is by far the worst example of bad sound vs. video I've ever seen.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful Still Life
Review: The source material for The Lord of the Rings is among the most beloved stories in literature, so it's a noble undertaking by Peter Jackson and his team to have adapted it for the screen in the first place. That he achieves it with so much of the books' details intact is amazing. The performances are majestic, the cinematography lush, and the special effects are stunning. In short, it's the first truly "epic" epic I've seen in awhile. However, I'll admit that while the attention to detail is commendable, there seems to be something missing in terms of emotion. The saga, the characters, all are archetypal, as was "Star Wars," but while Star Wars had a dash of modernism and humor to enable a viewer to connect with the story on a "you are there" basis, the legend of The Lord of the Rings seems so removed and almost exclusionary by nature ("they" are the fellowship, a band we are allowed to view without feeling like we're a part of the kinship) that I felt slightly wanting at the end -- not for more spectacle, of which there's plenty, but for more of a personal window into the story, so that I might better care about and appreciate it. Even without that element, the movie is still a marvel to watch and highly rewarding from the popcorn level on up. The behind the scenes extras on the disc are fully encompassing as well, and fans of the story will doubtlessly have no trouble spending hours dwelling on every minute detail, as Tolkien and Jackson would intend.
Rating:
Summary: Magnificent
Review: The Special Edition DVD is far superior to just the regular edition. I might go so far as to say that this DVD is even better than seeing the original in the theater. The movie is enriched by extended and extra scenes that were not included in the original for time constraints. It borders on epic length at 3 1/2 hours, but it is well worth it. The film flows much more seamlessly and you really get more of a feel for the movie Peter Jackson wanted to put out but couldn't because it was too long. This should be the gold standard for DVDs, because it not only improves on the film the extras are actually worth watching. By far the best DVD I have ever seen. Even if you are not an avid fan of the Lord of the Rings books or movies, this DVD is well worth the purchase. I can't watch the original anymore because this film is so far superior it's like watching the Godfather III and not the first two.
Rating:
Summary: Special Edition Extras!
Review: The special edition DVD will include about 30 minutes extra footage that didn't make it to the big screen. They will be incorporated into the film as fully finished, scored scenes, not as separate features. Most of these scenes, according to an interview with director Peter Jackson, are primarily charater-developement scenes that were removed for pacing reasons (hints have been made, for fans familiar with the books, that more will be seen of Sam's gardening, the gift-giving of Galadriel in Lorien, more of the fellowship enjoying Lorien, and some more development between Aragorn and Boromir, etc). None of the extra features on the first DVD will be included on the second DVD--if you buy both, you won't be getting a lot of the same stuff, Jackson has assured us. It's gonna be super cool!
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