Rating: 
Summary: Much more than the first movie in the theater
Review: I have previously thought that seeing some movies was like going to church. Even the title "Saving Private Ryan" suggests a consideration of something more than merely winning WWII, a major conflict in the middle of the 20th century which might never rest in peace without this kind of sugarcoating. The main effect of the commentary and additional information included in this set is to show how J.R.R. Tolkien's is more than an allegory for such situations. As a popular series of book, THE LORD OF THE RINGS has an audience that rewards the highest expectations as much as most congregations that gather weekly for services together. Among the people who worked on this movie were some fans known for the artistic recreation of Middle Earth, whose devotion to capturing the reality of forgotten things stimulated all who were involved. It is reality, more than philosophy, which is the foundation for everything that lies so deep within our psyches that even the music *works* to the satisfaction of people who finally appreciate what has been created.THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING is mainly an introduction, and the theatrical version cut scenes mainly to maintain a momentum that hardly fit that role. THE TWO TOWERS is more impressive in its theatrical release. The ominous threat of wanton destruction is brought much closer to reality by the end of that movie. Having these DVDs helped me appreciate the movie cycle as a set that is greater than any individual movie. This is based on a set of books which was one of the most popular stories of the 20th century, which was when I read it at college. Some people might have had college courses on Tolkien, and he taught in England, usually a long way from whereever I was at the time. Educated people couldn't seem to come up with anything better than this.
Rating:
Summary: amazing
Review: this movie brings middle earth to life in a way i could never have imagined. never has a movie been able to take its viewers into a mythical world like this and make you feel as though you were part of the journey.
when first seeing this movie i thought it was ok, good but not outstanding. but after seeing it a second time i was hooked. i felt the emotions the characters on screen felt like i was the 10th member of the fellowship. if you only have seen the movie once spend the extra 4 bucks to rent it again and see what you might have missed the first time.
i have read the LOTR series and it really helps in understanding the complexities of the movie and the subtle details in the world of middle earth. so if you haven't seen it yet...what are you waiting for? and if you have only seen it once...your crazy, see it again!
Rating:
Summary: The best movie of the past decade, hands down!
Review: I never read the books. I knew nothing of the plot. I didn't even know the meaning of the rings. I didn't even bother to see this move in the theaters. I'd heard the hype, and even the praise of some of my friends. But fantasyland is not my favorite movie genre. Curiosity eventually got the best of me, so I borrowed a neighbor's dvd copy one day during summer vacation. Little did I know what I was getting myself into... Five minutes into the film and I could already feel its hook sinking into my flesh. LOTR transports the viewer to the world of Tolkien's Middle Earth - and it's more wonderous, beautiful, and horrifying than my wildest and darkest thoughts could ever have imagined. I found it nearly impossible to get the film out of my mind, for weeks afterwards. It is, perhaps, the greatest fictional story of all time. To date, I've watched the Fellowship of the Rings three times through, and I love it more and more after each viewing. The film is absolutely beautiful. Tolkien's story is timeless. The dvd I watched during the summer was the original theater cut. I bought this extended version the week it came out. The extra 30 minutes found on this director's cut is well worth the purchase. (Give your old copy away to someone who hasn't seen the film yet!) The extra time makes some points more clear (great for a Tolkein novice such as I), and elaborates on many important elements of the storyline which made my experience even more enjoyable. The two discs of bonus features are also very entertaining, and help one appreciate the scale and scope of this production. There's also a fantastically funny "easter egg" on disc one - the MTV recreation of the Council of Elrond starring Jack Black. Probably not appropriate for kids, however. To view the "easter egg," use the scene selection menu. Go to scene 27, "The Council of Elrond." While this scene is highlighted, used the down arrow on your remote to bring up a ring. Select enter on your remote and the "easter egg" will play. If you haven't seen this film, don't wait any longer. You will not be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Spectacular DVD, With Good Extras
Review: This DVD is jam packed with great interviews of your favrotie characters, behind the scenes, and what I found most interesting, WETA Workshop has been the best extra on it so far. The deleted scenes are wonderful, they give the characters much more characterization. This is a must have for any Lord of the Ring DVD fan, and I got a free The Two Towers ticket in mine, so that paid off the extra 10 bucks right there. I can't wait untill The Two Towers releases in Extended Edition!!!! On the downfall, the movie is formatted in Widescreen but with my new 27" RCA I got for Christmas, WHO CARES. GO GET IT
Rating:
Summary: Worth every penny
Review: The extended scene itself is a very welcoming addition, and I would have been satasfied just with that and a few behind the scene. But what you get is over 8 hours of the best 'making of' documentary made. Ever! I think the only way you can get more indepth knowledge of the film is to have actually worked on it for 15 months. Exhaustive interviews with the main actors, producers and, of course, Director Peter Jackson. From the preshooting swordplay training the actors went through, to the premier in New Zealand and elsewhere, the bonus material has everything.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent movie, made even better
Review: This review is for the Platinum Series Extended Edition DVD. Put simply, it is outstanding. Although only 25 minutes longer than the theater version, those 25 minutes add tremendous depth and breadth to the characters and backstory because the extra footage is largely spread out through the course of the film and each snipet of footage adds a little extra to the movie as a whole. There's the addition of Bilbo readying for his journey out of Bag End, some Hobbiton scenes that show the character of the hobbits in greater detail, an extensive addition to the Lothlorien chapter, more screen time for the Balrog, increased interaction among the characters (Legolas-Gimli, Galadriel and the Fellowship, Boromir-Aragorn, Gandalf-Frodo) that is excellent, and improvements to the fight scenes (including a more courageous Frodo). The added scenes are seamlessly integrated into the film such that the editing is smooth and the acting is just as good in the scenes that Peter Jackson cut from the theater version as it was in the theater version itself, and sometimes better (Galadriel is more nuanced, Sam is more stalwart, Boromir's motivations are more fully shown). Indeed, Jackson and Ian McKellen continue to demonstrate with their work that they were completely robbed at Oscar time. The full run time is more than 3 hours, 20 minutes but the movie is logically split between the first 2 DVDs of the 4-DVD set so that it is easy to view in two sittings (although that is blasphemous in some quarters). If you are going to get the Lord of the Rings set, then get the Platinum Series -- unquestionably worth the time and value.
Rating:
Summary: Best Special DVD Ever
Review: This is by far the best special-feature DVD I've ever seen . There are over 6 hours of behind-the-scenes features and documenteries, not to mention all the included artwork and production photos. Unlike lots of DVDs, the extra footage on this is highly entertaining andit is something you can watch again and again. The actual extended movie is great too. It makes a great companion to the origional. I really hope they bring out one of these for 'The Two Towers' and 'ROTK.'
Rating:
Summary: The included scenes explain the "Huh?
Review: This is the version of the movie that should have been released instead of the theatrical version. The gifts from Lothlorien, the ring falling from Isildur's hand the mithril coat are valuable setups to events in this movie. It also explains the scene from "The Two Towers" where the hobbits can hide under the cloak from Lothlorien.
Rating:
Summary: Overshadows original theatrical release!!
Review: The new and extended scenes alone are worth buying this new DVD, even if you've already got the first release. I can't even begin to tell you what a difference there is between the two films, and there are lots of great details and pieces from the book that are incorporated into this edition that just makes a perfect movie even more perfect. The special features are mind-blowing, and anyone who loves Lord of the Rings just HAS to get this special extended edition!!!
Rating:
Summary: One of the best DVDs
Review: I viewed this last night on my big screen TV. I have a copy of the wide-screen version. This is simply an amazing DVD with great special effects, sounds and extra features. The cover says that there is an extra 30 minutes of scenes, which were difficult for me to find. Overall if you are a LOTR fan, then you should definitely get this DVD.
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