Product Description
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This critically accled 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.
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The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: As the
triumphant start of a trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The
Fellowship of the Ring leaves you begging for more. By necessity,
Peter Jackson's ambitious epic compresses J.R.R. Tolkien's
classic The Lord of the Rings, but this robust adaptation
maintains reverent allegiance to Tolkien's creation, instantly
qualifying as one of the greatest fantasy films ever made. At 178
minutes, it's long enough to establish the myriad inhabitants of
Middle-earth, the legendary Rings of Power, and the fellowship of
hobbits, elves, dwarves, and humans--led by the wizard Gandalf
(Ian McKellen) and the brave hobbit Frodo (Elijah Wood)--who must
battle terrifying forces of evil on their perilous journey to
destroy the One Ring in the land of Mordor. Superbly paced, the
film is both epic and , offering astonishing special
effects and production design while emphasizing the emotional
intensity of Frodo's adventure. Ending on a perfect note of
heroic loyalty and rich anticipation, this wondrous fantasy
continues in The Two Towers (2002). --Jeff Shannon
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers: The Lord of the Rings: The
Two Towers is a seamless continuation of Peter Jackson's epic
fantasy based on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. After the breaking
of the Fellowship, Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin)
journey to Mordor to destroy the One Ring of Power with the
creature Gollum as their guide. Meanwhile, Aragorn (Viggo
Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies)
join in the defense of the people of Rohan, who are the first
target in the eradication of the race of Men by the renegade
wizard Saruman (Christopher Lee) and the dark lord Sauron.
Fantastic creatures, astounding visual effects, and a climactic
battle at the fortress of Helm's Deep make The Two Towers a
worthy successor to The Fellowship of the Ring, grander in scale
but retaining the story's emotional intimacy. These two films are
perhaps the greatest fantasy films ever made, but they're merely
a prelude to the cataclysmic events of The Return of the King.
--David Horiuchi
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King: With The Return of the
King, the greatest fantasy epic in film history draws to a grand
and glorious conclusion. Director Peter Jackson's awe-inspiring
adaptation of the Tolkien classic The Lord of the Rings could
never fully satisfy those who remain exclusively loyal to
Tolkien's expansive literature, but as a showcase for physical
and technical craftsmanship it is unsurpassed in pure scale and
ambition, setting milestone after cinematic milestone as the
brave yet charmingly innocent Hobbit Frodo (Elijah Wood)
continues his mission to Mordor, where he is destined to destroy
the soul-corrupting One Ring of Power in the molten lava of
Doom. While the heir to the kingdom of Men, Aragorn (Viggo
Mortensen), endures the massive battle at Minas Tirith with the
allegiance of the elf Legolas (Orlando Bloom), dwarf Gimli (John
Rhys-Davies) and the great wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen), Frodo
and stalwart companion Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin) must survive
the schizoid deceptions of Gollum, who remains utterly convincing
as a hybrid of performance (by Andy Serkis) and subtly nuanced
computer animation.
Jackson and cowriters Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens have much
ground to cover; that they do so with intense pacing and epic
sweep is impressive enough, but by investing greater depth and
consequence in the actions of fellow Hobbits Merry (Dominic
Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd), they ensure that Return of the
King maintains the trilogy's emphasis on fellowship.
While several major characters appear only briefly, and one
(Christopher Lee's evil wizard, Saruman) relegated entirely to
the extended version on DVD, Jackson is to be commended for his
editorial acumen; like Legolas the archer, his as a filmmaker
is consistently true, and he remains faithful to Tolkien's
overall vision. If Return suffers from too many endings, as some
critic suggested, it's only because the epic's conclusion is so
loyally inclusive of the actors--most notably Astin--who gave it
such strength to begin with. By ending the LOTR trilogy with
noble integrity and faith in the power of imaginative
storytelling, The Return of the King, like its predecessors, will
stand as an adventure for the ages. --Jeff Shannon
Also on Disc: 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 Os). 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