37 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Don't cheat yourself, this is not the edition to own, October 12, 2003
This review is from: The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring / The Two Towers (Full Screen Editions) (2-Pack) (DVD)
First of all, these are not the kind of movies you buy in fullscreen. They were shot too beautifully to have the edges cut off. Peter Jackson the director made full use of the entire frame in many extreme closeups that do not translate well to a fullscreen cut. Also, the fullscreen edit of the two towers has some unfortunate mistakes that leave important visual references off the screen. Note that the 2-pack widescreens are the same price.
Secondly, these are the theatrical release editions. If you like these, then there is only more to like in the extended editions, and more of Tolkien's intended story. The extended editions are aptly named as they are not your typical indulgent "director's cut", in which scrapped scenes are heedlessly tossed back in here or there and resold to make a quick buck. The extended editions of lord of the rings include fine scenes that add to the depth of the story, as well as reworked extended scenes from the theatrical version, all of which were only left out because of contractual time restraints.
I see no reason why you'd choose these abbreviated, visually truncated versions to own and cherish when you can have the movies as they were intended for about ten bucks more.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The first two-thirds of a masterpiece, August 24, 2003
"Lord of the Rings" has ceased to be just a movie, and is now a global phenomenon on the scale of Star Wars. However, "Fellowship of the Ring" and "Two Towers" are not only two of the richest, most outstanding movies out there, but also two of the best adaptations of a book.
"Fellowship" opens in the idyllic Shire, where the eccentric Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm) and his nephew Frodo (Elijah Wood) live in something like peace. When Bilbo suddenly departs in the middle of a massive birthday party, he leaves Frodo all his possessions -- including a golden ring that makes its wearer invisible. But the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) has started to suspect that Frodo's ring may be the One Ring, a nearly indestructable receptacle of the Dark Lord Sauron's power. He sends Frodo to Rivendell, where it is decided that the Ring will be destroyed in Mount Doom, in the heart of Sauron's land of Mordor. So a band of Elves, Men, Dwarves and hobbits vow to accomany Frodo -- but the journey is more dangerous than any of them could imagine, with orcs attacking them, and a rogue wizard Saruman (Christopher Lee) who wants the Ring at any cost.
"Two Towers" picks up where "Fellowship" left off, with Frodo and Sam (Sean Astin) struggling through Mordor, followed by the sinister Gollum (Andy Serkis), a slave to the Ring. Frodo, touched by pity for Gollum, strikes a strange deal with him. Elsewhere, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) are chasing the band of Uruk-hai that have kidnapped Merry and Pippin (Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd). But after Merry and Pippin are rescued by a strange treelike being, Gandalf unexpectedly returns from death as the more powerful White Wizard. He tells Aragorn that he must go to the kingdom of Rohan, one of the last free lands on Middle-Earth, and save it from Saruman. And in Mordor, Sam and Frodo are captured -- and Frodo begins to give in to the Ring.
Few books have gained the devoted following that "Lord of the Rings" has, and few movies have the fans that the adaptations do. While "Return of the King" won't be released until next December, the first two parts are beautifully made and there's no reason to think the third won't be the best of all. They have "classic" written all over them in permanent ink.
Elijah Wood is perfectly cast as Frodo Baggins. With his performance, we see Frodo transform from a carefree innocent to a tormented soul whose sanity is slipping. Sean Astin is equally good as Samwise Gamgee, Frodo's best friend (and gardener). Astin never plays Sam for laughs; he's earnest and sweet from his first scene on. Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd (both very underrated) are also wonderful, especially in "Two Towers" when their characters become deeper and more serious. Ian McKellen gives a spot-on performance as the wizard mentor Gandalf, whose grandfatherly manner hides powerful depths; Sean Bean and Viggo Mortensen are excellent as a tormented warrior and a reluctant king; Christopher Lee is delightful as Saruman; Orlando Bloom and John Rhys-Davies (who also doubles as the tree shepherd Treebeard) are fantastic as an Elf and a Dwarf who gradually become friends. Bernard Hill, Hugo Weaving, Liv Tyler, Karl Urban, Cate Blanchett and Miranda Otto also give amazing performances.
One of the biggest Oscar cheats was the lack of acknowledgement of Andy Serkis's Gollum. Gollum is breathtakingly realistic, down to every wrinkle, stringy hair, and pointy tooth. And Serkis's performance really brings this wretched, withered thing to life -- even makes us feel sorry for him sometimes. WETA's CGI-work can be found all through both movies -- the destruction of Isengard by the Ents, the avalanche, the river sweeping away the hideous Ringwraiths.
Jackson's method of filmmaking is perfectly suited (which is funny since splatter-gore was his first style). His camera swoops and dives like a live thing during battles like Helm's Deep, then does close-ups of actors' faces. The landscapes (in New Zealand) are incredibly lovely, and Jackson takes plenty of opportunities to use sweeping shots of mountains, trees, fields, rivers and forests. Jackson and Fran Walsh also managed to do something that seemed impossible -- write a story that is more or less faithful to the books, but that is also accessable to people who haven't read the books. (In other words, don't worry if you don't know what a hobbit is)
"Lord of the Rings" is not just a good adaptation, it's also just an incredibly well-done movie. Wonderful acting, amazing special effects, and battle scenes that put war movies to shame. An easy five stars.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
JUSTICE AT LAST, August 26, 2003
By A Customer
For years we've waited for technology to catch up with Tolkein's revolutionary imagination. Several cartoon efforts came close but just missed. Now Peter Jackson's classic films reach the summit and tell these stories as they should be told.
Faithful to Tolkein's immortal Trilogy, the first two video volumes are complete and concise. I would very much have liked to see Jackson tackle Tom Bombadill in The Fellowship of the Ring but there is only so much that can be done in three hours.
So much has been said about these films that to go into a lengthy review, retelling the story, and rehearsing the cast and crew would be a waste of your time. Let is suffice to say that these are very likely the best fantasy films ever produced and do the written classics justice at last.
Don't stop with the films. While they are great, there is, after all, only so much that can be done in three hours--even three ambitious hours such as we have here. Read the books, including The Hobbit which I feel is actually the best book in the series. Here's hoping that Peter Jackson's success with the Trilogy will induce him to go back and make The Hobbit as well.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
