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The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition) Review

I am a huge lifetime fan of this genre. Tolkien was a tremendously gifted author and the LOTR series of books has had a huge impact worldwide from the time it was first released. I was excited when I heard that the series was going to be made into a movie. However, as happens so often when trying to take a story of this magnitude and put it on the silver screen, I was afraid that the movie would fall short of the expectation. I'm happy to say the movie exceeded the expectation. And while some would say the original was too long, all I could say was give me more. The extended versions fulfill that request. And, while I was disappointed that the movie did not include the return to the Shire at the end, it is still one of the greatest movies of all time. As stated previously, if you are a fan of LOTR, the extended additions are a must-buy.

The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition) Feature

The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition) Overview

Not seen in theaters, this unique version of the epic adventure features over 30 minutes of new and extended scenes integrated into the film by the director.

The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition) Specifications

In every aspect, the extended-edition DVD of Peter Jackson's epic fantasy The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring blows away the theatrical-version DVD. No one who cares at all about the film should ever need to watch the original version again. Well, maybe the impatient and the squeamish will still prefer the theatrical version, because the extended edition makes a long film 30 minutes longer and there's a bit more violence (though both versions are rated PG-13). But the changes--sometimes whole scenes, sometimes merely a few seconds--make for a richer film. There's more of the spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien, embodied in more songs and a longer opening focusing on Hobbiton. There's more character development, and more background into what is to come in the two subsequent films, such as Galadriel's gifts to the Fellowship and Aragorn's burden of lineage. And some additions make more sense to the plot, or are merely worth seeing, such as the wood elves leaving Middle-earth or the view of Caras Galadhon (but sorry, there's still no Tom Bombadil). Extremely useful are the chapter menus that indicate which scenes are new or extended.

Of the four commentary tracks, the ones with the greatest general appeal are the one by Jackson and cowriters Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, and the one by 10 cast members, but the more technically oriented commentaries by the creative and production staff are also worth hearing. The bonus features (encompassing two complete DVDs) are far superior to the largely promotional materials included on the theatrical release, delving into such matters as script development, casting, and visual effects. The only drawback is that the film is now spread over two discs, with a somewhat abrupt break following the council at Rivendell, due to the storage capacity required for the longer running time, the added DTS ES 6.1 audio, and the commentary tracks. But that's a minor inconvenience. Whether in this four-disc set or in the collector's gift set (which adds Argonath bookends and a DVD of National Geographic Beyond the Movie: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring), the extended-edition DVD is the Fellowship DVD to rule them all. --David Horiuchi

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jul 16, 2010 00:45:58

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