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

starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Alan Howard, Noel Appleby, Sean Astin
directed by: Joel Gallen, Michael Pellerin, Peter Jackson

: The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition)
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Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Binding: DVD
Brand: WOOD/MCKELLEN/MORTENSEN/ASTIN/LE
EAN: 9780780638471
Format: Anamorphic, Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
ISBN: 0780638476
Label: New Line Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: New Line Home Entertainment
Number Of Items: 4
Publisher: New Line Home Entertainment
Region Code: 1
Release Date: November 12, 2002
Running Time: 208 minutes
Sales Rank: 1552
Studio: New Line Home Entertainment
Theatrical Release Date: December 19, 2001



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Editorial Review:

Description:
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.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
DVD ROM Features
Documentaries
Interactive Menus
Interviews
Introduction
Multiple video angles
Other
Photo gallery
Production Sketches
Storyboards




Amazon.com essential video:
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

Amazon.com:
Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films gave 'double-dipping'--releasing a DVD then releasing an improved version shortly afterward--a good name by offering both a better film and stupendous extras in the Extended Editions. This 'triple-dip' 2006 Limited Edition falls far short of that standard but is still of interest to devoted and casual fans.

What do you get?
Both the theatrical and extended versions of The Fellowship of the Ring are on one double-sided disc. The versions use seamless branching, meaning that the scenes that are common to both versions are stored on the disc only once. If you choose to watch the extended version, the disc 'branches' out to the added or extended scenes. What does this mean to the viewer? Not much. The viewing experience is the same because the branching is imperceptible. But because both versions of the film don't have to be stored on the disc in their entirety (which would be six and half hours total), both versions together fit on two sides of one disc. The downside is that whichever version you watch, you have to flip over the disc halfway through; the film breaks at the same spot it did on the Extended Edition, right after the council at Rivendell. Also lost are the meager features included on the theatrical edition, plus the four commentary tracks, two discs of bonus features, and DTS 6.1 ES sound from the four-disc Extended Edition.

What's new?
The second disc has an 85-minute documentary directed by Costa Botes, who was personally selected by Peter Jackson. Rather than the formal documentary structure of other editions, it consists of off-the-cuff interviews with Peter Jackson, Alan Lee, and others, and random bits of behind-the-scenes action and special-effects work. Those who have worked their way through the many hours of bonus content on the other editions might recognize some of this footage, such as the Hobbit actors mocking whichever of them is not around, then greeting him warmly when he shows up. Other things--Liv Tyler riding a fake horse, a snowfall during shooting, interviewing the rank-and-file cast members, touring Peter Jackson's trailer--seem new. And some bits seem geared to those who've watched the other material--for example, some of the visual tricks explained there are only glimpsed without explanation here. It's entertaining, but because there's no structure (there are chapters, but no menu or chapter listing), it's not as convenient to watch, and go back to, as a documentary broken up into bite-size pieces. Oddly, the documentary is in widescreen, but not anamorphically enhanced for widescreen TVs. Note: New Line Home Entertainment couldn't release this material on its own a là the King Kong Production Diaries due to contractual restrictions.

Bottom line: Do you need this edition?
This Limited Edition combination of theatrical and extended versions plus new documentary seems likely to appeal to two camps. One is the devoted fan, who already owns both editions but has to have everything LOTR. The other is the casual fan who liked the movie in theaters, heard good things about the Extended Edition, and doesn't need a ton of bonus material. This edition is attractively priced for that buyer, and the packaging is quite handsome. In between is the devoted fan who already owns both editions but doesn't feel the need to watch more bonus material. When watching the whole movie, that fan will always choose the Extended Edition, but keeps the theatrical edition for (1) watching with guests, (2) the music video, or (3) the convenience of skimming through favorite scenes without having to change discs. That fan can safely skip this edition, as can home-theater fans who love DTS. --David Horiuchi



Customer Reviews
Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - The quintessential fantasy.
Peter Jackson's adaptation of The Fellowship of the Ring is a good representation of Tolkien's original ... Read More


Rating: 4 out of 5 stars - Birthday Surprise!
Order said it would arrive within 6 days after shipment, but it arrived earlier, on my birthday!
... Read More


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - A magnificent achievement!.
Here Peter Jackson directed a movie based a world-wide bestseller by J.R.R Tolkien which was thought to ... Read More


Rating: 3 out of 5 stars - Had it's moments...
Why 3 stars? Pretty much everyone else seems to adore this film. And why not. It's visually beautiful, the ... Read More


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - The movie is true to the story and the sets are amazing ...
This trilogy is fantastic. Jackson captured the awe, the wonder, and the homesickness for the Shire in this ... Read More

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Copyright ©2003, Mark Carey.