The Lord of the Rings - The Motion Picture Trilogy (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition)

Amazon.com

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

Description

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.

Customer Reviews:

in short "astounding!".......2007-09-09

firstly i must say one thing,this dvd collection rocks!i have never seen such a grnd packaging!plus it has been extended,if you think thatby seeing the original versions you know a lot then think again!only thing is that it has only english as its viewing language

Repeat watchability.......2007-09-07

I think that is the highest praise you can give a movie is if you want to watch it over and over again. We must watch one of these at least 8 times a year. My husband likes to pull them out to watch when we fold laundry together. He calls it "Lord of the Laundry". And the extras are wonderful, if a little long. For the Tolkien enthusiast this is the only version to have!

Flawless, perfect, historic -- really, what is there to say?.......2007-08-30

NOTE: If you haven't seen the movies, there may be slight spoilers below in the description of the three movies. Nothing particular, though.

I am of the opinion that the Lord of the Rings film trilogy is one of the best films (all right, film collections) ever made, if not THE best. Everything you could ask for in a movie -- acting, special effects, great dialogue that's heart-lifting but somehow always stops short of being cheesy, emotional depth, storytelling, characters so real you KNOW them, faithfulness to one of the best books of all time -- it's all there, and not only is it great, it's flawless. Perfect. It does what many people thought was impossible -- does justice to the book that really "made" the fantasy genre, the book many people call the best of the 20th century.

Ah, did I forget to mention the music? Howard Shore proved that he's one of the best composers of the age with the soundtracks for Lord of the Rings. He's captured everything, from the simple and happiness-loving hobbits in "Concerning Hobbits" to the tension and edge-of-your-seat drama of "Shelob's Lair" and "The End of All Things" to the heartbreaking yet happy (is that even POSSIBLE?) "The Grey Havens". No matter how much I like or dislike a movie, I think from now on I will buy any soundtrack by Howard Shore.

The Extended version is THE version to have -- really, if you're at all a fan of the book or even the movies alone, you have to have the Extended Versions. The wonderful thing about the LOTR movies is that the theatrical editions stand by themselves perfectly understandably, and yet the Extended Versions don't seem boring or extraneous. To the contrary, they simply enrich the world, add to the tapestry, and satisfy obsessive fans who wanted to see EVERY scene.

The first movie, FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, introduces you to Middle-earth, its races and its characters. It shows you frodo Baggins, a young hobbit who has just inherited his uncle Bilbo's magic ring, only to find that this ring has the power to, in the wrong hands, overthrow all that is good in the world. With eight other companions, Frodo begins his journey toward Mount Doom, the volcano where the Ring must be destroyed.

The second movie is THE TWO TOWERS. After parting with the other members of the Fellowship, Frodo and Sam begin to make their way toward Mordor. At the same time, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli track the orcs that have kidnapped the hobbits Merry and Pippin. Merry and Pippin, though, manage to rescue themselves and fall straight into the path of Treebeard the Ent. It is up to Merry and Pippin to convince the Ents to rise up against the evil wizard Saruman in his stronghold of Isengard.

The third movie, RETURN OF THE KING, is the best, in my opinion -- and, apparently, in the opinion of the people who give out Academy Awards, since ROTK won eleven of them. It involves Pippin and Merry in Gondor and Rohan serving their respective lords, Aragorn's path of self-discovery that leads him to eventually take up his place as King of Gondor, and Frodo, Sam, and Gollum's arduous journey to Mordor, to destroy the Ring.

So many people have said this already that I know I'm just being redundant, but this trilogy really is one of the best films/film collections ever made. I certainly haven't seen better. It's not the sort of thing that will ever be dated, even when the special effects are old (can't see that happening for a few centuries). It's a classic, like the book was, and I honestly can't think of one way Peter Jackson or New Line could have made it better.

This is one movie collection that deserves far more than five stars.

Rating: Masterpiece

THE BEST.......2007-08-26

For those who are a Lord Of The Rings fan and for who hade read the book, the extended version is the best and the platinum series special, is really beautiful.

Problems with subtitles! Be careful!!!.......2007-08-01

In the product description its said the dvd is region 1 and has 3 languages: english, spanish and portuguese
When I received the product the only subtitle or language option is english.
Now I have a problem with this product.

The Lord Of The Rings - The Motion Picture Trilogy (Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

Collection must have
"Q: Where Would You Rather Be? A: Anywhere But Here..."
awesome movie
The ring
Purchased out of curiosity

The Lord Of The Rings - The Motion Picture Trilogy (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Viggo Mortensen , and Peter Jackson
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Action & Adventure | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Sci-Fi & Fantasy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B0001VL0K2
Release Date: 2004-05-25

Amazon.com

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 intimate, offering astonishing special effects and production design while emphasizing the emotional intensity of Frodo's adventure, and ends on a perfect note of heroic loyalty and rich anticipation.

After the breaking of the Fellowship, Frodo and Sam journey to Mordor with the creature Gollum as their guide in The Two Towers. 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.

With The Return of the King, the greatest fantasy epic in film history draws to a grand and glorious conclusion. The trilogy 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 Frodo and Sam continue their mission to Mordor to destroy the soul-corrupting One Ring. While the heir to the kingdom of Men, Aragorn, endures the massive battle at Minas Tirith with the allegiance of Legolas, Gimli, and Gandalf, Frodo and Sam 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 The Return of the King maintains the trilogy's emphasis on intimate fellowship and remains faithful to Tolkien's overall vision. 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 and David Horiuchi

Description

Customer Reviews:

Collection must have.......2007-08-28

Having the three movies plus all bonus material contained on the extra dvd's is definitelly a must have for LOTR lovers like me. You really get a full understanding about the movie, and everything regarding to Tolkien's books. I recommend everybody to get this, soon I'm getting the extended version dvd's with scenes never showed on the original movies.

"Q: Where Would You Rather Be? A: Anywhere But Here...".......2007-07-20

Follow in "The Lord of the Rings" creator's (J.R.R. Tolkien's) footsteps. Project a malevolent universe. Invent a world and animate it with creatures in conflict. Make the conflict a battle between good and evil, but don't identify clearly the moral value or purpose of either side. In fact, remove morality's essence altogether by eliminating the power of choice for your characters. Emphasize the corruptibility of men. Glamorize the supernatural. Dwell interminably on the preparations for and the wreaking of violence and destruction, on the fragility of hope and happiness. Name the scene of action: Middle-earth. Sound like an environment you'd care to envision? Would you "live" there? If so, fate alone will decide its survival and your own. You can visit this predetermined "paradise" by watching/enduring/suffering Peter Jackson's elaborately filmed adaptation of Tolkien's epic trilogy, which concludes with "The Return of the King."

I hold it is true that what is not worth contemplating in life is not worth contemplating in art. For its dismaying lack of meaningful moral definition, its pervasive pictorial ugliness, the quantity of its scenes of mind-numbing graphic violence, and its minimizing of the value of happiness, "The Lord of the Rings" films--including this one--ought to be shunned and damned.

awesome movie.......2007-06-12

really great movie. once you start you cant stop watching untill you finish them all.

The ring.......2007-06-02

I think this is one of the best movies made and the game is a whole lot of fun.

Purchased out of curiosity.......2007-05-18

Purchased b/c it was a great deal! And had never seen them. NOT as good as Harry Potter thought. I think they are a bit dragged out, but really good stories. Lots of fighting and blood....I could do w/o half of it.

The Lord Of The Rings - The Motion Picture Trilogy (Full Screen Edition)