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The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring [VHS]

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AWESOME is the one word I can think of to describe this instant classic.

But I am not here to extol the wonders of "The Fellowship of the Ring" as much as to clarify the confusion some reviewers might have out there. What I want to clarify is this: Yes, New Line Cinema is releasing 3 versions of FOTR.

The first is the theatrical cut (meaning: the exact same movie that you saw in theaters) on August 6. This is a 2-disc set that includes the specials "Welcome to Middle Earth" (by Houghton-Mifflin), "Passage to Middle Earth" (Sci-Fi channel behind-the-scenes special, and "The Quest for the Ring" (Fox special)....

Then you have the 4-disc Special Extended Edition (*which is what this DVD is*) which includes an additional 30 minutes of footage incorporated into the film. The add'l scenes include more Aragorn back story, more "character moments," and a slightly different introduction to hobbits as narrated by Bilbo Baggins. Discs 1 & 2 are the film and commentaries of more than 30 participants including Peter Jackson, Richard Taylor, Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Ian McKellen, Howard Shore and much more. Discs 3 and 4 contain over 6 hours of in-depth behind-the-scenes footage. Disc 3 is "From Book to Vision" which explores the screenplay, design, special effects, costumes, armory, locations, storyboards, etc. Disc 4 is "From Vision to Reality" with features such as "Bringing Characters to Life," "A Day in the Life of a Hobbit," "Principal Photography: Stories from the Set," as well as picture galleries and much more!

The 3rd version is the Collectors Gift Set (also released on November 12th) which includes the Special Extended Edition DVD, 2 collectible Argonath bookends and The National Geographic special DVD - "Beyond the Movie."

So the question is: how big of a fan are you? Casual fans may just want the theatrical version DVD. More avid fans (who could never get enough of The Lord of the Rings) will want the theatrical version DVD (to be released on 8/6) and the SEE. Avid fans and collectors will most likely want the theatrical version and the Collectors Gift Set. The wonderful thing is having choices. The beauty about these releases is that they DO NOT OVERLAP. Meaning: what you get in the theatrical version DVD does not show up again in the SEE DVD. They are completely stand-alone. All I can say is, thanks to New Line and Peter Jackson for such a wonderful (early) Christmas present!!!!

There are DVDs. There are special edition DVDs. There are special edition DVDs loaded with extras. Now, there is THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING SPECIAL EXTENDED DVD EDITION. I don't think there has been anything like this in home viewing ever. It has been suggested that this Special Edition set is the closest thing one can actually get to having been a part of the movie and I would have to agree.

It will take a person about two weeks of 4 hours of viewing each day to get through all the features in this set.

First of all is the film. The movie has been extended by over 30 minutes of extra footage not seen in the theatrical release. Though some of the scenes would have perhaps dragged the film down some in the theatres, they are a great addition here, tying up a few loose ends and making the novel come to life even more.

The movie itself takes up 2 discs. There are four different commentaries to go along with the film. I found the one with Peter Jackson to be my favorite.

The third disc is called "From Book to Vision". It includes six different documentaries ranging from one on Tolkien to one on Weta Workshop. There are also maps, galleries, and slides consisting of over 2,000 images. Besides that there are also a bunch of storyboards which give even greater insight into the development of the film.

The fourth disc has several more documentaries (around seven, if I'm not mistaken), several galleries, and behind-the-scenes photographs.

This special edition DVD set also includes a free ticket for THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS that is accepted at just about any chain movie theatre.

There is so much in this set, that I can't discuss it all. I mean, it took me two weeks to just view most of it. Wow. If you are a LORD OF THE RINGS fan, this is a must have, far better than the original DVD release and something to hold onto for life.

I just finished watching the extended version and it was like watching a whole new film! In every way, this version is superior. The thirty extra minutes are not wasted. The characters are fleshed out, the battles seem more desparate and the agony of the journey both to Rivendale and beyond is made plain. I urge anyone who hasn't already purchased the theater version to skip it and get the extended one instead. Anyone who already has the theater version.....well this one is definately worth forking out the extra dough to get.

First of all, GREATEST DVD EVER!!!! That being said, I wanted to share what I had found out. I had heard that there were two hidden "Easter Eggs" on this DVD--and it took me ages to find them! I just hope that this review will help save time for people. Easter Egg #1: The MTV Parody on The Council of Elrond. On Disc One, you go to Scene Selection. Right after the real Council of Elrond (Chapter 27), you press down on your DVD remote--you should see a Ring. Select it and be ready to laugh :-) Easter Egg #2: The Two Towers Trailer. Okay, I know its coming out on DVD in like a week, but I still like watching trailers. Anyway, on Disc Two, go to Scene Seletion. To the very right of the screen, there is the separated chapters (you know like 43-47). Anyway, go to Chapter 48 (The Fan Club). Instead of selecting it, press down, and you should see The Two Towers. Select that. I hope this helped some people:-) Enjoy!!!!!

If you saw and loved the theater version, you won't want to miss this extended edition. I won't go into detail about the theater version; instead I'll assume you've seen it and write about the new scenes.

I was very excited to learn that these new scenes weren't going to be a "special section" of the DVD. Instead the extra scenes were added into the movie, edited and polished to blend perfectly. There were some scenes which were altogether new; at other times a familiar scene would include added dimension.

Every added minute (I believe there were about 30 altogether) was thrilling and illuminating! For example, I enjoyed learning more about Hobbits and life in The Shire! This extended opening to the movie gave a broader foundation to those of us who knew nothing about Hobbits before seeing this movie.

Though there was some great battle footage added, a great deal of the added footage included conversations amongst the characters. These conversations gave the characters--cherished and beloved as they already were--a greater depth and warmth. It caused the obvious brotherly link of the Fellowship to make greater sense. One example is an added conversation between Boromir and Aragorn while they are well into their journey to Mordor. I'd already felt sorry for Boromir and his well-intentioned weakness for the ring, yet my husband couldn't understand why I felt endeared to him. But after hearing the conversation between the two men, my husband was more able to understand my pity for Boromir.

Another example is the last fight scene in the movie. In the theater version, Peregrine and Merry seemed to have run off and hid throughout the battle, until they saw Boromir shot. But in the extended version, we see the courage and heart of these two Hobbits as they fight these huge, intimidating creatures with everything in them and using every resource available--even stone-throwing! I was so proud of them that I clapped my hands as I watched!

As I write, I'm the process of watching the second of the two "making of" DVDs. The first contains the process from book to movie concept. It includes a short but interesting biography of the writer, J.R.R. Tolkein (though it doesn't mention his Christian roots). The DVD also contains much of the process of making the book into a movie--the creation of the sets (using real locations, miniatures, and computer graphics, etc)., the creation of the creatures, and the costumes. The first DVD itself is long and gets a little dry after a while, but it's well-divided so that you can watch it a piece at a time or skip the less interesting parts.

I haven't finished watching the second DVD, but it's already a lot of fun! So far it's mainly made up of character interviews where the actors talk about what it was like to work with one another. I've also enjoyed seeing the make-up process.

All that to say this: I highly recommend this set! If you're a fan of the first installment of this movie series, you won't be disappointed!

At first I thought that an extended version of The Fellowship of the Ring was just another money making ploy on the part of the film's producers, directors and marketers. I am very glad to admit that I couldn't have been more wrong.

This is one extended version that delivers completely. Other supposed extended versions of other films tout extra footage while delivering a short segment in the "Special Features" section that is nothing more than outtakes. The Fellowship of the Ring extended version offers a complete cut of the film with the extra footage included in the course of the film. Spectacular!

This is what the film should have been all along, filling in some important story gaps that were so glaring in the theater release. Story flow matches the book more and really adds to the personalities of the key characters. Too bad Hollywood has to lower its standards to accommodate the weakest links in the movie going chain. Oh well, such is the contest for optimum attendance at theaters and dollars at the box office.

The 4-DVD set is also packed with must-see extras that will complete your trip to middle earth as never before. If you have already purchased the regular release of this film you won't be losing out by correcting your mistake and buying this one as well. Besides you can always give the shorter version to one of your second cousins, twice removed.

A must have for all Lord of the Rings aficionados.

Douglas McAllister

This is not so much an extended version of the theatrical release as it is the complete, uncut version (although the director denies this) - not complete in terms of what Tolkien wrote but complete in terms of the scope of the film production. Next to the theatrical version it contains many extended scenes and some altogether new scenes all of which work very well indeed and add a great deal to the movie in terms of content and pace. The overall pace is a little slower and more measured with greater emphasis on the journeys and the relationships of the Fellowship - more satisfying and truer to the book. A number of scenes omitted from the theatrical release which set up events in the later books are included - these are generally so crucial to the plot that it is difficult to understand why they were left out in the first place. Characters such as Haldir and Celeborn, who had little more than cameo roles in the theatrical release, are much more fleshed out and Galadriel is allowed to show her kinder, softer aspect in addition to the dark, dangerous elf queen seen in the cinema version.

The extras -

A superb and mind boggling array of by far the best thought out and most generous special features that I've ever seen on DVD. Documentaries on all stages of production from Tolkien's childhood through to the opening night in Wellington, maps of the shire, several commentaries, stills, and more - all accessed via a beautifully designed set of suitably Tolkienesque menus.

Conclusion -

I would not have believed it possible but all of the additional footage in this extended version of The Fellowship Of The Ring adds up to a vast improvement on the theatrical release. Add to this the truly superb special features and improved theme packaging and you have a DVD set that should be indispensable to any fan of the book, film, tolkien or just good movies in general. Buy it - you'll never watch the theatrical release again.

I'll make this short by assuming you have seen the theatrical release and are a fan.
Pros:
Bottom line is the extended edition (consisting of disk 1 & 2) is well worth the purchase alone. After seeing it, you get a lot more out of the movie (character development, storyline, etc.) These extended scenes were obviously cut out due to the movie running too long. They have done a good job adding them back in with the exception of only a couple of transitional glitches.

The VERY in-depth appendices (disk 3, & 4) provide you with everything from writing the screenplay to design and special effects by Weta.

Cons:
The packaging is done well, with a book style looking DVD case, holding all four discs. However, getting the discs out of the case is another story. If you have rented a fair amount of DVD's then you know what I'm talking about. You feel as though you're going to break the discs when trying to get them out; I guess not all cases are created equal.

Verdict:
Go for it.

Peter Jackson has again shown his genius. As if the theatrical version of the Fellowship of the Rings wasn't brilliant enough, Mr. Jackson has outdone himself with the extended version of one of the best films of all time. The additional 30 minutes of the film were seamlessly inserted into the original and they add greatly to the overall effect of the film.

The additional scenes in Hobbiton and the sequence where the gifts of Galadriel are revealed were particularly beautifully done. Of course, I am a fan of Cate Blanchett, so I would like to see as much of Galadriel as possible in the three films.

I purchased both the theatrical version, as well as, the extended version and I was not disappointed by either. I look forward to similar dual releases for the Two Towers, which I saw last weekend. Although darker and more violent, it is even better than the Fellowship..., if that is possible.

Thank you Peter Jackson, thank you New Line and thank you to the magnificent cast and crew who have brought Professor Tolkien's masterpiece to film. I have been waiting for this for 30 years.

In what has to be the greatest DVD box set ever produced for a single film, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring: Extended Edition takes a great film and lovingly improves it to a phenomenal level of perfection.

Upon first viewing the theatrical version on it's opening day of release, I was immediately in love with the first film of this trilogy. The expertise and care in adapting the wonderful Tolkien book into film was amazing, producing one of the best adaptations of all time. It made me fall in love with movies all over again, like Star Wars did for me at a young age. After a few months of digesting it and seeing it repeatedly, I decided that it had to take top spot as my favorite film. Each time after viewing it, I couldn't bare to watch anything else for days since it would pale in comparison to Fellowship.

Well, I now found a film that squashes that theatrical version: The Extended Edition. The addition of 30 extra minutes is seamlessly woven back into the fabric of this masterpiece with a new orchestrated score. And the results are amazing. There are no big action scenes added, nothing that changes the plot, just simple character development that makes the world of Middle Earth come even more alive. The film's so authentic and detailed it seems like this place must exist somewhere on Earth.

Smaller characters such as Merry, Pippin, Legolas and Gimli are further fleshed out, and the inclusion of Frodo and Sam witnessing of a group of wood elves on their way to leave Middle Earth forever gives the film a stronger sense of melancholy. It proves early in this story that Middle Earth will not be the same ever again. Such small inclusions really pack an additional wallop in the audience's emotional involvement. So much so I can't imagine ever watching the theatrical version again.

What makes this so special is that often when an excellent film is expanded for the home video market, the added material is usually better left out. Longer versions of movies such as Star Wars, Apocalypse Now Redux and Star Trek: The Motion Picture (excluding the recent director's cut) only hurt the film. But this Fellowship edition provides the shinning example of how an extended version can be far and away superior to the original.

I rarely include discussion on special features in my reviews, but here I cannot avoid it. This DVD's special features surpasses anything ever done in the short history of DVD. There are hours and hours of additional viewing, exploring every step of the movie's creation. Everything from the history of J.R.R. Tolkien to post production is extensively covered here. The production of this trilogy is the most documented filmmaking experience in history, and the DVD takes full advantage of it. With almost 30 hours of extras, you'll feel like you were on set with director Peter Jackson for the four years that went into making The Fellowship of the Rings.

For anyone that enjoyed the theatrical version of Fellowship and those looking for an extensive study on what goes into making a major motion picture, this DVD is an absolute must-buy. You will not be disappointed. This gets my all-time highest recommendation.