One blu-ray to rule them all
Rating: 5/5 stars
J.R.R. Tolkien's epic high fantasy story The Lord of the Rings has been beloved by fans for over half a century. Between 2001 and 2003, director Peter Jackson brought the story to the big screen to the delight of fans around the world, and in 2004 the extended versions of all three films became available on DVD. June 2011 finally gave the fans what they were really looking for: the extended editions of the trilogy in full high-definition plus over 25 hours of bonus material.
One the best features of this edition of the films is the inclusion of all the additional scenes that were previously removed from the theatrical cuts. The total run time of the complete trilogy is 682 minutes, or almost 11 and a half hours. The highlights of the additional scenes include the trolls turned to stone in the story of The Hobbit; the Huorns advancing towards Helm's Deep, killing the fleeing orcs; and the Mouth of Sauron speaking at the Black Gate, deceiving the fellowship into believing Frodo is dead.
The overall look of the films — the vivid greens of the Shire, the pale blues of Rivendell and the horrific cold steel of Mordor — is brilliant in high-definition. The CGI is astoundingly vivid, particularly in the characters of Gollum and Treebeard. The lands of Middle Earth, created with a variety of miniatures, location shoots and film matting and grading, look flawlessly realistic.
Beyond the films themselves, this release contains 15 DVDs with over 25 hours of special features. Included are all 12 "appendices," the complex making-of features that Peter Jackson commissioned during the span of production. These give insight into production aspects such as casting choices, location scouting, consulting Tolkien scholars and artists and much more. There are especially detailed and enlightening features covering how the creature Gollum was created so realistically, the groundbreaking work of Weta Digital and the Weta workshop who were responsible for all the special effects and props in the films, and the use of a program called MASSIVE, to create artificial intelligence in computer-generated crowds and armies.
This edition of the films also contains the three feature-length making-of documentaries by Costa Botes. Botes was the sole independent permitted access to the set, actors, director and many other aspects of the filming process. With the footage collected, he crafted enlightening and entertaining documentaries to correspond with each film.
You will also find download codes for a digital copy of the trilogy in high-definition, as well as full-length commentaries and access to online content.
This is by far the most comprehensive edition of the films released, and for the super-fan, it has it all. Tolkien lovers will revel in watching the magic and brilliance of the trilogy in its uncut form.
J.R.R. Tolkien's epic high fantasy story The Lord of the Rings has been beloved by fans for over half a century. Between 2001 and 2003, director Peter Jackson brought the story to the big screen to the delight of fans around the world, and in 2004 the extended versions of all three films became available on DVD. June 2011 finally gave the fans what they were really looking for: the extended editions of the trilogy in full high-definition plus over 25 hours of bonus material.
One the best features of this edition of the films is the inclusion of all the additional scenes that were previously removed from the theatrical cuts. The total run time of the complete trilogy is 682 minutes, or almost 11 and a half hours. The highlights of the additional scenes include the trolls turned to stone in the story of The Hobbit; the Huorns advancing towards Helm's Deep, killing the fleeing orcs; and the Mouth of Sauron speaking at the Black Gate, deceiving the fellowship into believing Frodo is dead.
The overall look of the films — the vivid greens of the Shire, the pale blues of Rivendell and the horrific cold steel of Mordor — is brilliant in high-definition. The CGI is astoundingly vivid, particularly in the characters of Gollum and Treebeard. The lands of Middle Earth, created with a variety of miniatures, location shoots and film matting and grading, look flawlessly realistic.
Beyond the films themselves, this release contains 15 DVDs with over 25 hours of special features. Included are all 12 "appendices," the complex making-of features that Peter Jackson commissioned during the span of production. These give insight into production aspects such as casting choices, location scouting, consulting Tolkien scholars and artists and much more. There are especially detailed and enlightening features covering how the creature Gollum was created so realistically, the groundbreaking work of Weta Digital and the Weta workshop who were responsible for all the special effects and props in the films, and the use of a program called MASSIVE, to create artificial intelligence in computer-generated crowds and armies.
This edition of the films also contains the three feature-length making-of documentaries by Costa Botes. Botes was the sole independent permitted access to the set, actors, director and many other aspects of the filming process. With the footage collected, he crafted enlightening and entertaining documentaries to correspond with each film.
You will also find download codes for a digital copy of the trilogy in high-definition, as well as full-length commentaries and access to online content.
This is by far the most comprehensive edition of the films released, and for the super-fan, it has it all. Tolkien lovers will revel in watching the magic and brilliance of the trilogy in its uncut form.
