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The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy (Widescreen Edition) (2003)

Viggo Mortensen , Peter Jackson  |  PG-13 |  DVD
2.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4,676 customer reviews)


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Product Details

  • Actors: Viggo Mortensen, Peter Jackson
  • Format: Anamorphic, Box set, Widescreen, Surround Sound, Dolby, Digital Sound, Color, NTSC
  • Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1 EX)
  • Subtitles: English, Spanish
  • Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
  • Number of discs: 3
  • Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
  • Studio: New Line Home Video
  • DVD Release Date: May 25, 2004
  • Run Time: 557 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 2.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4,676 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B0001VL0K2
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #37,316 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
  • Learn more about "The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy (Widescreen Edition)" on IMDb

Special Features

  • (c)MMIII New Line Productions, Inc. (c)MMIV New Line Home Entertainment, Inc.  (tm)Tolkien Enterprises under license to New Line Productions, Inc.  All Rights Reserved
  • The theatrical versions of all three films boxed in a slipcase
  • See individual DVDs for complete details

Editorial Reviews

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

Product 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.

Customer Reviews

Don't give into the corporate greed. T. Alden  |  201 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1,970 of 2,060 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars The Ultimate DVD set for all time! October 26, 2004
Format:DVD
I already reviewed the regular "Motion Picture Trilogy" containing the non-extended editions of the legendary Lord of The Rings masterpieces on one set. However, this newest edition is a grand improvement on the previous edition. This item is a much, MUCH better investment than the old theatrical counterparts and is perhaps the greatest DVD purchase one will likely ever make.

A lot "Director's Cut" scenes are usually just added footage that doesn't do a whole lot to add onto the theatrical edition of movies with examples like Star Wars, Manhunter, or even most of the "Aliens" movies as well. The extra material is just that, extras, that wouldn't kill me to never see again.

It's a totally different story altogether with the "Lord Of The Rings" movies altogether. While the regular theatrical editions were mind-blowing, the extended cuts of the same films do wonders in fleshing out the story and expanding the characters a lot more. Several characters that were not much more than background people are shown much more screen time, stories are greatly expanded, other scenes are much more meaningful, and the movies overall have a totally different feel altogether thanks to all of the extra footage that was not included on the theatrical editions. Now as I watch them, the old editions of them are rendered almost completely obsolete due to the chopped up nature of them. I sometimes wonder if Peter Jackson grimaced when he had to leave a lot of extra shots out of the movies to fit them onto the theatres when they were released.

"Fellowship" has 30 minutes of extra footage included to a length of 3 and a half hours.
... Read more ›
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19,788 of 20,976 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars We won't get fooled again... August 17, 2009
Format:Blu-ray
Some confusion among other reviewers that somehow we're obligated to post a five star recommendation for the movie. This is an incorrect understanding of the review process. If I were reviewing the movie itself it would get a five. This review is for the product, as listed--in other words, I DO NOT RECOMMEND BUYING THIS PRODUCT/DVD. This product is being created FOR NO OTHER REASON than to dupe people into buying this movie twice...again. Those of us who were huge fans bought the original DVDs of the theatrical releases. THEN the studio FINALLY released the extended editions, even though they could have released both at the same time. Now that Blu Ray has won the High Def battle, the studios are salivating at screwing us all again the same way!

Please do not let them get away with pretending that Blu Ray can't hold both versions on one disc--it certainly can! A simple menu option would let you watch the Extended Edition when you have time, or Theatrical Edition when you don't.

Their other argument, that "Peter Jackson is busy working on The Hobbit and will work on Extended Editions later" is 100% total BS. He's ALREADY DONE THE WORK--just copy what he did for the regular DVDs onto a new Blu Ray master!

BOTTOM-LINE: The studios will make whatever argument they think will fly to convince us they can't put both versions on one disc, because they want to double their income on this movie. Which has ALREADY MADE THEM A BILLION DOLLARS. Don't play along--let friends know not to buy ANY LOTR Blu Ray that doesn't have BOTH versions on one disc.

Please do not let them get away with holding the extended edition hostage until everyone buys the theatrical versions.
... Read more ›
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4,024 of 4,352 people found the following review helpful
By Mark
Format:Blu-ray
If you have the LOTR DVDs(either extended or the shorter theatrical version) you will be disappointed with this release!! Wait for the extended blu ray version. Don't waste your money unless you have excess money to waste.
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636 of 683 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Deserves more than 5 stars October 27, 2004
Format:DVD
For all of you who think owning the theatrical editions of The Lord of the Rings trilogy is good enough, think again. These editions are not like any other director's cuts or special editions of films that we've seen in the past. Usually, when a film has a special edition, we don't get a whole lot more added in, and it's stuff that doesn't really add anything significant to the story.

But with these editions, just the opposite is true. The extended editions of the first two Lord of the Rings films proved to enhance the plot and characters so much more than anyone ever anticipated. Characters and their journeys become so much clearer and more interesting. The story makes so much more sense. And the whole thing has been re-edited with new music for new scenes and extended musical scores for extended scenes! It's absolutely seamless! Everything that's added in really makes me wonder how I could've enjoyed the films in their original theatrical release. These extended editions make THAT MUCH of a difference. And I have no doubt that The Return of the King extended edition will prove just the same, based on previews I've seen and what's been proven with the extended editions of the first two films.

The Fellowship of the Ring has 30 minutes added in. The Two Towers has 42 minutes added in. The Return of the King has 50 minues added in. Can it get any better? Well, of course! With each movie, you get two discs of bonus features! And these are not features that are boring to watch. You really get a first hand look at the journey that many, many talented people took when making this trilogy. Everything from adaption of the books, to special effects, to the music, to the editing process, to stories that happened on set, etc.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars Sucked!
This collection was PAL. Not advertised and will not play on anything I have. Its for European players. A waste of money. Do not deal with these people!
Published 2 days ago by LeeR60
4.0 out of 5 stars Lord Of The Rings Trilogy Review
If you are into movies about fantasy then these movies would be a great addition to your collection. I would recommend these movies to my friends. Read more
Published 7 days ago by Stephanie Beasley
1.0 out of 5 stars Not the Extended Version
It should have been the director's edition - but instead it is extra unimportant features. The write-up was very misleading.
Published 9 days ago by Suzanne Wallace
5.0 out of 5 stars Oh yeah
Lord of the Rings is the best movie event ever. I even watched the "making of" DVDs, and that's something I never, ever do.
Published 9 days ago by Rebekah Haydin
5.0 out of 5 stars A movie we watch over and over again
My family loves these movies and the extended version is the only way to go. There are more scenes in the movies that were cut out to make it theater ready but really add to the... Read more
Published 11 days ago by SHavens
5.0 out of 5 stars Get it
Great movies. A great series. Arrived super fast in great condition. Epic movies. You can watch them over and over. They never get old
Published 11 days ago by Barren
5.0 out of 5 stars Favorite Trilogy of All Time
Love it exactly as was offered as an added bonus never fails to help my wife go to sleep better than Ambien
Published 12 days ago by Daniel G Slaughter
5.0 out of 5 stars LOVE THIS TRILOGY!
We went to the theater and saw The Hobbit. I had never seen nor been interested in the Lord of the Rings when it came out YEARS ago, but after seeing The Hobbit, I wanted to watch... Read more
Published 12 days ago by Kimberly Quiggle
5.0 out of 5 stars Lord of the Rings trilogy bluray
One of the all time greatest franchise movies ever made! Comedy/tears/spooky/all you could ask for! And it still continues!!! Peter Jackson knows how to make blockbusters!!!!!!!! Read more
Published 14 days ago by William D. Hayden
5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic Tale
More than a decade after their release, this trilogy is just as fresh and thrilling as the day it was released. A story for the ages!
Published 16 days ago by Nancy E Suttvireeson
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Topic From this Discussion
LOTR Blu-Ray buyer beware possible corporate cover up in progress!
It says THEATRICAL EDITIONS right in the product title!
How much of a dunce does someone have to be to not notice that?
These thousands of one-star "reviews" are not warnings for unsuspecting buyers, and you know it. They are just the whining of spoiled babies.
Reviews are for the... Read more
Apr 5, 2010 by Elo |  See all 176 posts
Peter Jackson - Theatrical Editions are DEFINITIVE versions of the LOTR...
I'm a big fan of the theatrical versions but after seeing the extended versions it's hard to go back and watch the originals. It feels like something's missing. I want to buy a definitive blu-ray version of LOTR that has both versions. The argument seems to be that the consumers should be... Read more
Jan 29, 2010 by GLG |  See all 80 posts
how about a review on the BLU RAY quality?
Wait - you want "reviews" to be about the products themselves?

You're blowing my mind, dude.

You should suggest this paradigm shift to the powers-that-be at Amazon.
Mar 8, 2011 by Matthew T. Weflen |  See all 4 posts
Extended Editions to be released with "The Hobbit" in 2011
It just seems like a very odd move. It was understandable when they released the DVD Theatrical Edition first and then the Extended; that's a normal, if rather sleazy, way of getting people to buy it twice (I did myself). However, as others have pointed out, nearly all hardcore LOTR fans vastly... Read more
Apr 20, 2009 by Joeomar |  See all 76 posts
Amazon raised price of LOTR Theatrical Edition Blu-ray set to $84.99
it was a black friday doorbuster at target and target.com for $7.99
Kind of shocked Amazon jacked the price back up. Figured with Target selling it so cheap it might be a precursor to an announcement of the Extended Editions possibly being released in the near future. I guess maybe not
Nov 28, 2010 by CibboMatteo |  See all 12 posts
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