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List Price: $80.95 | | Label: New Line Home Entertainment
Salesrank: 1031
Released: December 14, 2004 |
| Our Price: $94.95 |
| Used Price: $59.99 |
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
This critically acclaimed epic trilogy follows the quest undertaken by the hobbit, Frodo Baggins, and his fellowship of companions to save Middle-earth by destroying the One Ring and defeating the evil forces of the Dark Lord Sauron. With new and extended scenes carefully added back into the film, the 12-disc set also includes hours of bonus features.
Description of The Lord of the Rings - The Motion Picture Trilogy (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition):
The extended editions of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings present the greatest trilogy in film history in the most ambitious sets in DVD history. In bringing J.R.R. Tolkien's nearly unfilmable work to the screen, Jackson benefited from extraordinary special effects, evocative New Zealand locales, and an exceptionally well-chosen cast, but most of all from his own adaptation with co-writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, preserving Tolkien's vision and often his very words, but also making logical changes to accommodate the medium of film. While purists complained about these changes and about characters and scenes left out of the films, the almost two additional hours of material in the extended editions (about 11 hours total) help appease them by delving more deeply into Tolkien's music, the characters, and loose ends that enrich the story, such as an explanation of the Faramir-Denethor relationship, and the appearance of the Mouth of Sauron at the gates of Mordor. In addition, the extended editions offer more bridge material between the films, further confirming that the trilogy is really one long film presented in three pieces (which is why it's the greatest trilogy ever--there's no weak link). The scene of Galadriel's gifts to the Fellowship added to the first film proves significant over the course of the story, while the new Faramir scene at the end of the second film helps set up the third and the new Saruman scene at the beginning of the third film helps conclude the plot of the second.
To top it all off, the extended editions offer four discs per film: two for the longer movie, plus four commentary tracks and stupendous DTS 6.1 ES sound; and two for the bonus material, which covers just about everything from script creation to special effects. The argument was that fans would need both versions because the bonus material is completely different, but the features on the theatrical releases are so vastly inferior that the only reason a fan would need them would be if they wanted to watch the shorter versions they saw in theaters (the last of which, The Return of the King, merely won 11 Oscars). The LOTR extended editions without exception have set the DVD standard by providing a richer film experience that pulls the three films together and further embraces Tolkien's world, a reference-quality home theater experience, and generous, intelligent, and engrossing bonus features. --David Horiuchi
The Lord of the Rings - The Motion Picture Trilogy (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition) Reviews:
Best movie ever! 
2009-12-26 - The Lord of the Rings movies have the perfect combination of emotional acting, fantastical scenery, and thrilling plot twists. Peter Jackson and his team did a superb job and deserved every single Oscar they got. The movies are a wonderful tribute to the books. Fortunately, they've been made so well that they can be enjoyed by all, from the Tolkien aficionado to kids who haven't yet read the books.
Fellowship of the Rings has always been my favorite of the movies. I love how it dwells in the history of Middle Earth. The color filters used to set the moods are techniques still underutilized by cinema. My only recommendation is to get the extended edition - it includes over 40 minutes of new footage - rather than this theatrical release.
Best Movie(s) Ever
2009-12-25 - As a life-long fan of Tolkien's work, I am not exactly unbiased. However, this is a review of the Jackson film, so...
The film is not perfect. I am not a big fan of the changes Jackson made in the story -- the sub-plot with Elrond and Arwen that was not in the book and the absence of the Scourging of the Shire story. Nevertheless, overall the movie captures the essence of Tolkien's tale with brilliance. Jackson's settings, costumes, cinematography, the acting, casting, directing, all were exquisite, to me. Most old-time Tolkien fans I know have long held mental images of how they thought the story might look visually. Nearly every one of these whom I have asked agree that the Jackson film matches their images nearly perfectly. We got the movie we wanted and then some. After many fits and starts over the decades, Tolkien's genius is finally done justice on film.
Can't wait for The Hobbit.
Lord of the Rings DVD
2009-12-20 - I purchased Lord of the Rings, the extended version, to see if it followed the book more closely. It is apparent that several scenes have been added that improve the DVD. What I don't like is this website.
closer to the vision
2009-12-15 - Although I loved the theatrical versions of LOTR, so much needed to be left out, even to fit into 3 three hour movies.. The extended versions are closer to the vision. Characters beyond Frodo and Sam are fleshed out more. We also get a greater sense of the duration and duration of Frodo's quest. Great addition to the library.
A great interpretation of Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring
2009-12-10 - Any Tolkien or medieval adventure fan should own this movie. It's fairly useless without the second movie (The Two Towers) and the last one (The Return of the King). You gotta have all three!
