The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Four-Disc Special Extended Edition)

I am a lifelong fan of the "The Lord of the Rings" and as such, I'm sure I wasn't alone in fearing that a film adaptation would ruin the magic of the story. I needn't have worried, as Peter Jackson's first installment "The Fellowship of the Ring" does a remarkable job of transferring Tolkien's work to the big screen. Yes, Tom Bombadil is absent, and Arwen is given a greater role to offer something for female fans, but the essence (along with almost all of the substance) is there. In the "Extended Edition" the viewer is treated to an additional half hour of footage. There is more exposition on Hobbits at the beginning of the film, the battle against the goblins and cave troll in Moria was extended, and a few other vignettes were added. However, what long time fans will be most pleased to see is Galadriel's gift giving scene. The whole scene is beautifully conceived and executed, and Sam, and particularly Gimli reveal new aspects of their personalities through it. Now for the specifics of this set: Discs 1 & 2 comprise the film and commentaries. For those of you who haven't seen the film yet, the director, Peter Jackson, chose his native land of New Zealand as the location of Middle Earth. I can't imagine that he could have made a better choice. While there is a great deal of CGI in this film, for the most part it is used to supplement, rather than replace, the landscape. For instance, a ruin might be inserted to imbue with history an otherwise gorgeous, but perhaps disconnected, landscape. As a result, the cinematography has a feeling of being grounded, of being "real", that one would never get from a George Lucas effects extravaganza. The film begins with a history of the Ring of Power drawn from not only "The Lord of The Rings" and "The Hobbit" but "The Silmarillion" and other of Tolkien's writings as well. While not true to the form of the novel, it does a superb job of imbuing the rest of the film with a real sense of history. In fact, throughout the film, it is Jackson's ability to ground the film in an alternate reality that makes it so successful. The viewer doesn't feel so much like they are watching fantasy, as they are watching the history of some remote time. I haven't listened to all of the commentary yet (at almost 16 hours, it will take a while) but the pieces I listened two were for the most part interesting and lively, which is surprising considering how dry such features can sometimes be. One thing that struck me is how much passion everyone associated with the project has for it. It really comes across that this was a labor of love, which goes a long way towards explaining why the film was so successful. Discs 3 & 4 are without a doubt the best collection of behind the scenes special features I have ever encountered. From the start, which is an absolutely brilliant history of Tolkien and his works, all the way through to the final post-production tweaks, the viewer is treated to an in depth, but never dull, look at the creation of Middle Earth. I rarely watch of the behind the scenes footage on other discs because it has a tendency to be dry and geared towards the real film nut. In this instance though, there is enough substance to satisfy even the most voracious film historian, while not being overwhelming to the layperson. Furthermore, all of the features are always firmly rooted in the context of "The Fellowship of the Ring"; the documentary never strays into theoretical jargon or technical challenges. Rather it focuses on how the film was made, and the obstacles that were overcome. In addition to the Tolkien biography that I already mentioned (and which is the best I have seen anywhere) I particularly enjoyed the features on the cast and the costumes. The cast feature does a remarkable job of showing how the primary actors really gelled into a real life fellowship of their own. And the costume feature is absolutely brilliant, as I shows the overwhelming volume of costumes, and particularly armor, that was required the make Middle Earth come alive. Finally, there is a National Geographic documentary on Tolkien and "The Lord of the Rings" included, although it is separate from the boxed set. It's actually a pretty good documentary in and of itself, but it is really overwhelmed by Discs 3 & 4. There is no possible way that they could have covered the length and breadth of Middle Earth to the same degree. That said, there are some interesting moments, particularly, Tolkien's fascination with the Finnish epic, "The Kalevala". "The Fellowship of the Ring" is the superb first installment of what is destined to be a classic trilogy of films. While not always exact in its correlation to the book, it nonetheless does an excellent job of capturing the key components of Tolkien's work: honor, duty, and above all, friendship. At the same time, the DVD's really raise the bar for what constitutes "special features". Aside from spectacular picture and sound, there are hours of fascinating features that should answer just about any question you could come up with about the film or its production.

What a great movie. For being 20 years old the resolution and special effects are impressive even for watching in 2026.

I love the Lord of the Rings. The story, the movie, and any and all related. I first discovered the story of the one ring by watching about an hour of its animated feature. I love animation, and all the realism of the animated characters in the 'fellowship of the ring' cartoon really enamoured me at the time . Also, I had never seen a cartoon deal with such a dark issue in so human a way before. This was when I was 10, and seeing the movie again, after seeing greater works of animation, reveals many weaknesses. The greatest of which I discovered after reading books - the cartoon molested the story. But I still owe that film much gratitude for first introducing me to the exhaustive story of Sauron and the One Ring. A friend [Sean Mullin - thank you man] really piqued my interest in the 'fellowship' as it neared it's premiere, when he began to summarise the backstory of the ring. I was immediately very interested, and horrified [yet attracted] to the story of the Nazgul. I remember persevering through Tolkien's [long] introduction to the book just so I could see how these small hobbits would survive such terrible creatures as these Ringwraiths. The sheer palpable sense of evil was frightening and entrancing. I wanted to know the ending to the story I had seen in cartoon form so long ago. So I read the books. The book trilogy of the 'Lord of the Rings' is easily one of the most involving, emotional journeys I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. I remember the sadness I felt at having to say goodbye to characters I had grown to love and hope for [Sam and Frodo especially - but especally Samwise the Brave]. By then, another creature had caught my interest - Gollum. Out of all the creatures in the story, his corrupted nature shocked and gripped me the most. The pictures some artists have created to capture his persona are the most disturbing and the most memorable. All these aspects truly cemented my love for Tolkien's world. I read these books WHILE Peter Jackson's movie was in theaters. I would read several chapters, see the movie, finish the next book, see the movie again, and so on. The fact that Peter's movie fit so perfectly in my perception of Tolkien's world, DESPITE the changes he made, really sold me out to the film. So many visuals stick in your head long after you watch the film! Especially the flying moth set against the horrific destruction of the trees around isengard, and gwaihir's triumphant soaring over the mountains of new zealand. Special mention to Howard Shore's endearing score - have you ever read the trilogy while listening to this score? It's like a blanket of imagination that keeps your visual imagery of middle-earth warm and sharply focused. His score does for the mind exactly what the film does. That word leitmotif is a great word, and Howard Shore's leitmotif's in this film keep me in awe of it's majestic splendour. My favorites are the boys choir themes of nature, rivendell's elven choir, and the chanting dwarfsmen of moria. Repeated viewing after reading the books DID make me feel dissapointed that great parts of the story were missing from the film, but the Special Extended Edition of the 'fellowship of the ring' more than made up for that. I can't even imagine Gandalf, Bilbo, or Samwise Gamgee as anyone other than Ian Mckellen, Ian Holm, and Rudy [I mean, Sean Astin] anymore! Seeing the film over and over, and seeing how much love Peter Jackson and the entire production crew of the films put into making the films, has helped me decide to trust their instincts, and welcome the films as a great illustration of a magnificent story. What the Peter Jackson crew want is to honor tolkien's world, and give us as much a joy of discovering and experiencing the story of that world, as modern technology, special effects, and excellent acting can give. The greatest strength of the films is it's crew. It's so obvious they love the story as much as we do. It feels like they are making the film to please the fans of the story, and have us in mind with every single decision. The writers of the script are as aware and in love with the story as any of us; their love affair with the stories of Tolkien probably has many more years growth than many of us. It's been a pleasure to experience the lord of the rings through J.R.R. Tolkien's novels, and especially through the incredible film, wonderful extra features and many deeply interesting and intimate appendices of this magnificently presented DvD.

Love this trilogy and these Steelbooks are absolutely goegeous. I have been trying to track them down one by one, I had Return of the King first, now Fellowship of the Ring is acquired. All that's missing is The Two Towers which has been extremely elusive.

I've been a Tolkien devotee for nearly 25 years and have needlessly raised my hopes over several attempts at bringing his masterwork to the screen, but Peter Jackson has done justice to what many agree may be the best literary work of the 20th century. This initial dvd offering features two discs -- one for the film itself (as released in theaters) and another for special features. ( A four-dvd edition will be released in November 2002.) The film is a remarkable and faithful adaptation of the first volume of Tolkien's trilogy. Jackson masterfully carries this literary masterpiece into the 21st century with breathtaking sets, gorgeous costumes, sumptuous music, gloriously eye-popping special effects, and a touching attention to detail that evokes history-laden cultures. One does miss Tom Bombadil, and wonder why screenwriters decided to make Frodo ignorant of Bilbo's imminent departure from the Shire for example, but mostly one can understand the cinematic justification for changes that were made and just bathe in this beautiful film -- whether or not you are a devotee of JRR. If you are hesitant to see this film for fear of being disappointed -- race out and get it now. You will NOT be disappointed. From the introductory voiceover to a beautifully realized Hobbiton, the opening is mesmerizing and the film just keeps getting better, in some ways revealing Tolkien's rich and complex world even more clearly than the books. The characters are well-realized and the cast is exquisite. You can tell that the people who worked on this adaptation cared about the books even more than they cared about the bottom dollar, and I hope the awards start rolling in for Jackson, his right-hand man Richard Taylor and their talented cast and crew. The special features include: three documentary features -- "Welcome to Middle Earth" (a publisher's in-store feature, 17 minutes), "Quest for the Ring" (originally aired on Fox TV, 22 minutes), and "A Passage to Middle Earth" (originally seen on the Sci Fi Channel, 40 minutes); fifteen featurettes about the cultures and locations depicted in the film; two teasers, a trailer and six tv spots; a preview of the extended dvd edition due out November 12, 2002; a preview of Entertainment Arts' video game, "The Two Towers"; an 11-minute behind-the-scenes preview of the film, "The Two Towers"; and an Enya video. There is also a coupon and rebate booklet for such varied items as sword replicas, jewelry, posters, etc. "Welcome to Middle Earth" features a charming introduction to Robert Unwyn who, as a boy, originally reviewed The Hobbit for his publisher father and, fortunately for us all, gave the manuscript a thumbs-up with the comment "should appeal to all children between the ages of 5 and 9". Years later, as a publisher himself, he received the manuscript for The Lord of the Rings (originally presented as a single volume) and wrote to his father for advice, telling him that he thought the book was wonderful but would probably lose a thousand pounds; his father replied "IF you believe this to be a work of genius, THEN you may lose the thousand pounds" -- and off they went! This 17-minute feature also shows Tolkien's Oxford hall and home, describes two Houghton-Mifflin companion volumes and is really a wonderful treat for fans. The three features include interviews with Peter Jackson, WETA Workshop's Richard Taylor, artists Alan Lee and John Howe, and actors Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Billy Boyd, Cate Blanchett, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, Liv Tyler and Sean Astin. The preview promises that "The Two Towers" will be amazing and one gets the impression that this team, as the fellowship members go their separate ways and new characters are introduced (including Gollum!), truly understand the story they are bringing to life, and will dazzle us all again soon. There is something to be said for waiting until November and getting the four-dvd special edition, which will include 30 extra minutes of film (particularly in Hobbiton and concerning Gimli's enchantment with Galadriel). But for those of you who cannot wait -- this two-dvd set is highly recommended.

Really good movie I recommend

I don't know how else to contact Amazon to correct a huge problem in regard to the LOTR films, but they BADLY need to separate the reviews on the various editions of these films (e.g., the widescreen, the full-screen, and the Special Extended Edition version). The Special Extended Editions are BY FAR the superior choices for anyone wishing to watch these great films and they're well-worth the money, but a LOT of folks don't know about them. With the additional footage, the movies make infinitely more sense, especially to anyone who has never previously read the Trilogy. All three LOTRs films are available in this format, plus, each film is on two discs, due to the added footage. In addition to that, each one is presented in a nice cardboard case, has an informational booklet included, and offers two ADDITIONAL discs which are "special features" sort of information. This is essentially a "collectors' edition" but, as I have mentioned, the movie itself (for more casual viewers as well as for fans) greatly benefits from the additional film footage. So, since once you've reviewed ANY version of LOTRs, one cannot review any other version (Amazon software sees this as a second review of the same product by the same person!), I am placing this information here to the prospective benefit of other Amazon customers (and victims!) *.* Now, on to the story: This is the first entry in the film-trilogy of The Lord of Rings. I'm rating each one separately to yield a more honest opinion of the entire series. I'm rating this one 4-stars, 'The Two Towers' 5-stars, and, 'The Return of the King' 4-stars. This film-series is a fantasy, fairy-tale sort of movie-trilogy, to inform the uninitiated. This first of the three films tells of Frodo Baggins, a Hobbit of the Shire, and his quest, (along with a 'fellowship' of comrades), to save Middle Earth by destroying the ancient Ring of Power, which is in his possession. He can only do this by traveling to the Land of Mordor (a VERY nasty place) and by tossing the ring into the fires of Mount Doom, whence the ring was originally forged by an evil wizard (who is still evil and still around, and who is seeking to locate his lost magical Ring of Power big-time). In this entry, Frodo makes it as far as the realm of the elves (Elrond's place) and gets a good start on his quest, even though he is plagued along his journey with the 9 ring-wraiths, very noxious and magically powerful entities on horseback. Now, the CINEMATOGRAPHY in all three of these films will knock you out -- superbly contrived, second to none. The COLOR SATURATION will bowl you over as well. The script and STORYLINE is not at all hokey and comes off as quite coherent, which would have been a very difficult task as readers of the book(s) are well-aware. I much appreciated the fact that the story remains close to the book(s), with few cuts and/or ommissions. Of course, this has made for a lengthy film, but one which will not bore you at all. I am critical of one major area, and that is regarding the Hobbits themselves. Most of the other fantasy creatures are right on but I just couldn't accept the make-up folks version of Hobbits. I thought that the Elves could have been notably better too. My final critique of the film is that the same primary theme composition is used for all three films -- man, I got REALLY tired of that filmscore, even though other facets of it are brilliant. It's the up-front french horn one that I'm speaking of. In the end, this is a very fine film, not necessarily for smaller kids, but A-O-K for teens. A last comment, don't waste time or money watching the FULL-SCREEN edition -- I've watched it that way (all three films) and you lose 2-stars when you do! This one MUST be viewed in widescreen only!

Not much needs to be said. If you are a LOTR fan, this is just a must-own. The disc collection is packed with so many additional features that you need half a day just to get through it all, and that is just fine with me! Finally found this set after searching for a decent used copy, and now my collection is complete!

Alles top! Ich liebe Herr der Ringe und die Qualität für eine gebrauchte DVD ist auch einwandfrei.... Wirklich zu empfehlen!

Le meilleur film des 3 Opus Très satisfait On passe un excellent moment Le Blu Ray est magnifique Avoir absolument dans sa vidéothèque Un chef d'œuvre.

Magnífica edición sin castellano. Muy recomendable si eres coleccionista de steelbook . Precio inmejorable, envió rápido y sin problemas. 10

* Als "die Gefährten" im Kino anlief, habe ich mir bereits einige Wochen zuvor den ersten Teil der Buchvorlage zu Gemüte geführt. Einige Monate später besorgte ich mir auch die VHS ( hatte damals noch keinen DVD-Player oder PC ) * Ich war schon damals von der Film-Adaption des Fantasy-Bestsellers begeistert ... der erste Teil hatte es mir besonders angetan! "Die Gefährten" ist für mich der beste Teil der gesamten Trilogie. Ich mag Abenteuerreisen ( viele exotische Orte, viele interessante Reisebekanntschaften ) eben lieber als ausgiebige Schlachten ... und wenn die Gefährten auch noch aus einem Haufen Persönlichkeiten bestehen, wie sie unterschiedlicher nicht sein können - umso besser! ^_^ * Sicherlich hat der Film einige Kürzungen im Vergleich zum Buch, aber das ist noch nie anders gewesen und wollte man alle Einzelheiten des Buches aufnehmen, müsste man eine lange Serie draus machen statt einen Movie. Der Regisseur und seine Film-Crew haben ein famoses Werk abgeliefert, wie es besser nicht gemacht werden könnte ... mit sehr viel Liebe zum Detail ( schaut`s euch dazu die Anhänge an, dann versteht ihr, was für eine enorme logistische, zeitliche und kreative Anstrengung dahinter steht *uff* )! Und die Entscheidung des Regisseurs, der Elbenmaid Arwen eine grössere Rolle zuteil kommen zu lassen ( u.a. ersetzt sie den Elb Glorfindel bei der Furt ) kann ich nur begrüssen, denn die Buchvorlage hatte mir einfach zu wenig starke Frauencharaktere zu bieten ( die Bücher sind meiner Meinung nach eher ein Fantasy-Abenteuer für Jungs ). Auch der - mehr als im Original - hervorgehobene romantische Aspekt in der Story gefällt mir sehr ... ich bin nunmal ein Romantiker und dieser Aspekt verleiht der Geschichte um Aragorn und Arwen einen tragischen Touch ... was den besagten Helden einfach noch menschlicher erscheinen lässt. Wer sich deswegen ärgert, dem kann ich nur sagen: Es gibt noch genügend "männliches" Heldentum, der von Männern verübt wird ... da dürfte das bisschen Romantik und die gerade mal zwei (!) taffen Frauenfiguren vs. mehrere Tausend (!) tapfere Recken in der gesamten Film-Trilogie doch kaum störend ausfallen? ) * Nun zu dieser SPECIAL-EXTENDED-Version: Der einzige Wehrmutstropfen ist der, daß diese Version nicht früher ( parallel zu den anderen DVD-Versionen ) erschienen ist! Aufgrund dessen mussten sich manche "armen" Fans die Trilogie doppelt ( oder dreifach? ) besorgen! *seufz* Aber für mich hat sich diese Anschaffung absolut gelohnt. Die zusätzlichen, in den Film integrierten Szenen, geben mehr Informationen über unsere Gefährten preis und verleihen dem Film damit mehr Tiefe! Besonders köstlich amüsiert habe ich mich bei der Szene mit den Anfeindungen zwischen Zwerg Gimli und Elb Haldir aus Lórien ( ich wüsste nur zu gern, welche "Nettigkeiten" Gimli da dem Elb in seiner eigenen Sprache an den Kopf geworfen hat ... das wurde leider - oder Gott-sei-Dank? - nicht übersetzt ) Zwar wollte Haldir ihm im Buch eigentlich nur die Augen verbinden lassen, aber das hier gefiel mir auch! ^^ Etwas schade find ich nur, daß der Film auf zwei DVDs verteilt wurde ... für mich stört das den Handlungsverlauf genauso, als wenn da Werbung dazwischen wäre. Und dann gibt es in den Anhängen natürlich eine Fülle an zusätzlichen Informationen ( ebenfalls auf zwei DVDs verteilt ). Diese reichen von der Tolkien-Biographie, über die verschiedenen angewandten Methoden der Visuellen Effekte ( nicht nur Computer! ) bis hin zu Ton und Musik. Besonders interessant fand ich die vielen angewandten Maßnahmen zur Darstellung der verschiedenen Grössenverhältnisse zwischen den einzelnen Figuren und die clevere Verwendung der Set-Miniaturen ( "Hut ab" vor den Küstlern! ) Bei den Anhängen störten mich eigentlich bloß zwei Dinge: a) Bei den Galerien ( = Standbilder ) konnte ich mich nur bei einigen Themen "durchklicken". Bei manchen musste ich zurück auf das vorangegangene Menü und die gesuchten Bilder der Galerie dann einzeln anklicken ( ansonsten bleibt nur eine Dia-Show, die die Einzelbilder aber bloß für 5 Sekunden zeigt ) b) die Regiekommentare und die Pre-Viz-Animationen sind nicht deutsch untertitelt ( also nur auf englisch ) Sonst hab ich nix mehr zu meckern! Nach dem stundenlangen (!) Anschauen dieser Infos gibt es eigentlich nichts, was zur Produktion des Films noch gesagt werden muß ( vlt. wären noch die Film-Trailer ganz nett gewesen ). * Trotz einiger kleiner Beanstandungen ist diese Special-Extended-Edition absolut gelungen und definitiv einen Kauf wert! Ich vergebe ihr somit die volle Punktzahl! ^^

Eh Oui , quand on a gouté à ce film , à tant d'élégance dans la narration , quand il y a autant de respect par rapport à l'oeuvre originale, et quand les acteurs sont si bien choisis... Nous réalisons à quel point nous sommes comblés !!! ... Réjouissance donc !!! , car ce Volet 1 de la trilogie est un pur régal !!! Aussi , Dès ce premier volet , nous perçevons à quel point , nous avons là à faire à une FRESQUE d'une ampleur tout à fait exceptionnelle !!! ... , et non pas seulement , à un simple long métrage ambitieux ,simpliste, ou prétentieux , ... Comme Peter Jackson a eu bien raison de choisir La Nouvelle Zélande comme lieu de tournage et la beauté des paysages de campagne , et la reconstitution de la COMTE , la très belle souplesse de la mise en scène , qui laisse la place au moments , et aux dialogues , ... Tout nous enchante !!! Et OUI , voici une fresque colorée , multicolore, subtile et qui respire , ... SUBLIME !!! Voici donc , le premier volet en "version longue" de l'une des plus ample et splendide AVENTURE qui soit !!! TOLKIEN a vu GRAND !!! TRES GRAND !!! , vaste et Humain !!! Tolkien a écrit une oeuvre inouie ... ,une oeuvre flamboyante et profondément Humanisme , Et où l'AMITIE tient une place maitresse et primordiale !!! Oui , La communauté de l'anneau est un Hymne à l'Amitié !!! ... QUE C'EST BEAU !!! MERCI à Peter Jackson , pour cette "version longue" , qui nous permet d'aller plus loin, et d'apprécier bien des aspects coupés au montage dans la version cinéma . BRAVO à Peter Jackson !!!! pour cette " Communauté de l'anneau " pleine de bruit et de batailles " , mais aussi !! de poésie !! de magnifiques dialogues , et pour les décors majestueux ( LA COMTE ,les paysages nombreux et superbes de la Nouvelle Zelande, Les mines de la Moria, Rivendell etc...) ... les infinis subtilitées des nuances et couleurs , ... Oui PETER JACKSON, signe là , sans conteste , une oeuvre sans précédent !!! ... une oeuvre équilibrée et TOTALEMENT MAGIQUE ! Et dont nous parlerons encore pendant très très longtemps , comme d'une OEUVRE "REFERENCE" ! du 7 eme ART . Oui ,dans les décénnies à venir !!! Celà ne fait aucun doute , nous en reparlerons encore !!! ... TRES LOIN de certaines superproductions récentes et ultra superficielles .... Nous avons là , des acteurs mis dans des situations extraordinnaires : Viggo Mortenssen , Elijah Wood , Sean Astin , Sean Bean , Orlando Bloom , Lyv Tyler , Ian Mc Kellen , Hugo Weaving .... et bien d'autres !!! ... Tous nous enthousiasment , nous transportent à milles lieux , et nous font rêver ! ... Voici donc le premier volet FORMIDABLE , d'un singulier et étonnant VOYAGE ... !!! Oui , Absolument pétillante , fine , ciselée, pleine d' humour et d' émotions innoubliables , totalement mémorable et merveilleuse : Telle est "La Communauté de l'Anneau" , premier film de cette exceptionnelle Trilogie . .... Et puis il y a aussi milles combats ... et grandes batailles ... de la Magie , Milles Espérances ... Milles Métaphores : Ah !! ... Boromir .. Aragorn .. Legolas .. Frodo, Sam ,Gandalf , Gimli..... Tous ces personnages pleins de courages et de respect les uns pour les autres , beaucoup d'amitié ,un esprit de camaraderie et de nobles intentions !!! ... ET peter Jackson nous offre un 1er volet sublime de beauté ... et tout en superbe éloquence et finesse . OUI,GIGANTESQUE ET SUBLIME .... Quand à la Musique de HOWARD SHORE : c'est un vrai bonheur pour nos oreilles ,... symphonique et généreuse , elle rythme les grands moments de façon admirable . Elle a été composée à partir des images tournée par Peter Jackson ... , elle accompagne donc nos compagnons dans leur Quête Grandiose et Désespérée !!! oui , la partition est aussi de la partie , et quelle partition !!! Cette édition DVD est pour le moins , une édition GRAND LUXE !!!! Et ce ne sont pas moins de 4 DVD , pour un "ROYAL" coffret !!!! 2 DVD dédiés exclusivement aux bonus , qui sont très instructif !!! et très nombreux et variés , .... et nous apprenons énormément de choses sur le tournage et l'ensemble de cet immense projet . UN GRAND BRAVO pour cette EDITION : UN COLLECTOR à ne manquer sous aucun prétexte bien sûr .... Bonne scéance de Cinéma à tous ....