Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy (DVD, 2004, 4-Disc Set, Extended Editions)

The Lord of the Rings, the book of the 20th Century is about to become the motion picture event of the 21st Century – A groundbreaking epic of good versus evil, extraordinary heroes, wondrous creatures and dark armies of terror. Generations of more than 50 million people around the globe, in 25 different languages have grown up with this epic history. The legend has inspired an entire genre of movies, fiction, and has influenced some of the greatest artists of our time. It has made dreamers out of children and adults, and has recently been named the number one most popular book of the century. But it has never been told in its entirety on the screen.

Using the power of contemporary cinema technology, New Line Cinema is proud to transform J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings into a history-making motion picture event. Beginning in the year 2001, New Line will present a grand trilogy of live-action feature films -- The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King -- that will take audiences inside Tolkien’s living, breathing mythology, the world that is Middle-earth. The Lord of the Rings will collectively re-tell the story of Frodo Baggins, who battles against the Dark Lord, Sauron to save Middle-earth from the grip of evil. In the films, Frodo and The Fellowship embarks on a desperate journey to rid the earth of the source of Sauron’s greatest strength, the One Ring, a ring of such power that it cannot be destroyed. His extraordinary adventures across the treacherous landscape of Middle-earth reveal how the power of friendship and courage can hold the forces of darkness at bay.

By shooting all three films consecutively during one massive production and post-production schedule, New Line Cinema is making history. Never before has such a monumental undertaking been contemplated or executed. The commitment of time, resources and manpower are unheard of as all three films and more than 1,000 effects shots are being produced concurrently with the same director and core cast. Helmer Peter Jackson, whose visionary style of filmmaking and emotional acuity won accolades for his Heavenly Creatures and The Frighteners, brings his deep love for the source material to the project.

The film features a strong international cast that includes (in alphabetical order) Sean Astin, Sean Bean, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Brad Dourif, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Ian McKellen, Dominic Monaghan, Viggo Mortensen, John Rhys-Davis, Andy Serkis, Liv Tyler, and Elijah Wood. But the real star of the film is the story itself - a classic hero’s quest in which the smallest of beings changes the course of the future with the vastness of his courage. -- © 2001 New Line Cinema

I give Peter Jackson a lot of credit for even attempting to take on a challenege as huge as LOTR. I think he has succeded wonderfully in the special effect and production design department; his WETA team has created some ground breaking CGI and the attention to detail on every single set and costume is truely amazing.
The first time I watched the trilogy I loved it, mainly because the images on the screen were so amazing and I did not know what was going to happen since I hadn't read the books. After you watch the whole trilogy and find out that Frodo does indeed complete his mission, the films lose almost all of their tension and suspense the second time you watch them. This is obviously the case with a lot of action/suspense movies that have a big climax, but I have watched many of those other movies (Jurassic Park, Back to the Future, Aliens, Star Wars) multiple times and still find them very entertaining. LOTR is lacking that extra something that the other films have that prevent it from being truely great. I think Peter Jackson maybe tried to blend too mnay genres into one, trying to combine fantasy and action with drama and romance, the latter two really slowing down the story at times. I know he was trying to stay as close to the books as possible and not just turn it into an action flick, it just didn't work for me.

If you are dead set on buying the trilogy, then I do reccommend you get the extended editions instead of the theatrical release. Some of the extra scenes are cool, and they do fill in a few gaps in the story. The video bitrate is much higher than the theatrical version, buyers who have a HDTV will notice a difference. FYI: A new extended edition is planned for release on HD-DVD later this year, if you really want the best HD quality wait for that.

I like this movie. I consider it one movie since it is one story based off one novel. This movie is among my favorite and by far my favorite film adaptation.
The added length helps align the movie to the novel more, and although it falls short of my ideals, it greatly exceeded my expectations. The story as it is presented in the movie is great. The action parts are well directed and the story actually makes sense. I have read the book and only had to explain a little to my brother who hadn't. All the rest of the movie is great. The novel was made as one novel, so the movie should be viewed as a six disc film. This excuses the fact that the director changes when the books end. Despite mistakes that any dedicated goof finder could find, the special effects are amazing. Some of these special effects come at the high cost of discrepancy. I would recommend this book to everyone except the most dedicated Lord of the Rings fans.
Warning: SPOILERS BELOW
The director changes too many things for my tastes. The one cut I dislike the most is the cut of "The Scouring of the Shire." Several characters change significantly. Frodo distrusts Sam for a while. Faramir is portrayed as a bad person. Gimli is funny. If you would like to see other changes, look up the videos on a big public encyclopedia.

Short of pouring over every single word Tolkien ever wrote about Middle Earth...which I am in the process of doing, by the way...these 12 DVDs give a much greater depth and understanding to what is depicted on the screen in the 3 LOTR movies. Even with the extended editions of the movies, I, as a thorough LOTR fan, always wanted to know even more about the story, characters, location, etc. etc. and this was like the answer to my prayers. In addition to the extended versions of the theatrical releases, the twelve discs in the set are completely loaded with hours of additional information and insights such as cast and director commentaries and production notes. Beyond that, I just really enjoyed the chance to see more of the wonderful costumes and sets, the inspired music, the sheer beauty of the New Zealand landscape used in these movies. There are many scenes added back into the mix that were deleted when the theatrical releases were edited, and other scenes that did make the final cut were enhanced with more info and more clarity. I recommend this set to anyone who cannot seem to get enough of Middle Earth, as well anyone who wants to gain an understanding and appreciation of what really goes into the making of movies such as these.

I loved the books since I was a youngster - and that was a long time ago. When I heard that one of my favorite stories was to be on the big screen, I was very excited about it. I was a little apprehensive about it - it is a BIG bood mind you! After I saw the first one and saw how good it was, I could hardly wait for the rest. The theater copy does leave some important scenes out in the plot, but it still was very good. When the movie hit the video stores with extended editions, I thought they were great. These extended copies filled in some areas which added to the experience of watching the film. So, the time came when I could afford to purchase an extended version of the movie I purchased The Lord of the Rings: 3 Pack - Extended Editions (2004, DVD).

Now I may be incorrect but the set I purchased seemed to have even more scenes that the extended versions I had rented. My wife and I "wowed" all through this version I purchased. It seemed to have even more content than any I had seen before. I don't know if this set I purchased really has more scenes that adds to the story or not. I have not followed each release of this trilogy so I am no expert in that area. All I can say is we love this edition and the price I paid for it on ebay was very reasonable.

I can only say that we love this edition and I heartily recomend it to anyone who loves this story. You will not be disappointed.