DVD Search - The Lord Of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring [Widescreen Special Extended Edition] DVD

New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson fulfills his lifelong dream of transforming author J.R.R. Tolkien's best-selling fantasy epic into a three-part motion picture that begins with this holiday 2001 release. Elijah Wood stars as Frodo Baggins, a Hobbit resident of the medieval "Middle-earth" who discovers that a ring bequeathed to him by beloved relative and benefactor Bilbo (Ian Holm) is in fact the "One Ring," a device that will allow its master to manipulate dark powers and enslave the world. Frodo is charged by the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) to return the ring to Mount Doom, the evil site where it was forged millennia ago and the only place where it can be destroyed. Accompanying Frodo is a fellowship of eight others: his Hobbit friends Sam (Sean Astin), Merry (Dominic Monaghan), and Pippin (Billy Boyd); plus Gandalf; the human warriors Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) and Boromir (Sean Bean); Elf archer Legolas (Orlando Bloom); and Dwarf soldier Gimli (John Rhys-Davies). The band's odyssey to the dreaded land of Mordor, where Mount Doom lies, takes them through the Elfish domain of Rivendell and the forest of Lothlorien, where they receive aid and comfort from the Elf princess Arwen (Liv Tyler), her father, Elrond (Hugo Weaving), and Queen Galadriel (Cate Blanchett). In pursuit of the travelers and their ring are Saruman (Christopher Lee) -- a traitorous wizard and kin, of sorts, to Gandalf -- and the Dark Riders, under the control of the evil, mysterious Sauron (Sala Baker). The Fellowship must also do battle with a troll, flying spies, Orcs, and other deadly obstacles both natural and otherwise as they draw closer to Mordor. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) was filmed in Jackson's native New Zealand, closely followed by its pair of sequels, The Two Towers (2002) and The Return of the King (2003). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Elijah Wood - Frodo Baggins
Ian McKellen - Gandalf
Ian Holm - Bilbo Baggins
Viggo Mortensen - Aragorn
Sean Bean - Boromir

Released three months after a two-disc set, this extended edition of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is without question the DVD of 2002. It's not easy to know where to begin. The picture on this disc, framed at 2.35:1 and anamorphic is brilliant, just as the original release was. Colors are vivid, blacks are solid, and detail is perfect. There are no signs of grain, scratches, shimming...it is a joy to view. The film, at three and a half hours, is split over two of the four discs. Yes, switching the discs midway through the film is necessary, but with the additional compression space, it's no wonder it looks so good. The sound, in both Dolby Digital EX and DTS ES tracks is equally amazing. Dialogue and sound effects are clear as a bell, while the surrounds are aggressive at just the right moments. But where this disc stands out more than any other are the supplements. On the first two discs are four commentary tracks. These include "The Director and Writers," with Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens; "The Design Team," including production designer Grant Major, costume designer Ngila Dickson, creative supervisor Richard Taylor, conceptual designers Alan Lee and John Howe, supervising art director Dan Hennah, art department manager Chris Hennah, and workshop manager Tania Rodger; "The Production/Post-Production Team," which has producer Barrie Osborne, executive producer Mark Ordesky, director of photography Andrew Lesnie, editor John Gilbert, co-producer Rick Porras, composer Howard Shore, visual effects supervisor Jim Rygiel, supervising sound editors Ethan Van der Ryn and Mike Hopkins, animation designer Randy Cook, VFX art director Christian Rivers, VFX cinematographer Brian Vant Hul, and miniatures director of photography Alex Funke; and if that was not enough, there is "The Cast," with Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Sean Astin, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, and Sean Bean.

And that is just the first two discs! The third and fourth discs are an amazing revelation into the entire filmmaking process. These discs are called the Appendices. Disc three, "From Book to Vision," covers the process of adapting the book to film form; three and a half hours of documentaries trace the original published work of J.R.R. Tolkien through the vast pre-production journey of the film. Included are lengthy detailed pieces on the costumes, pre-visualizations, storyboards, and more artwork than you are likely to see anywhere else. The fourth disc, "From Vision to Reality," looks at everything regarding the actual filmmaking activity. Everything from casting, visual effects, sound, editing, and so much more are covered here in two and half hours of more documentaries. Both supplement discs are heavy with interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, and the inclusion of some 2,000 paintings and photographs, some with additional commentary, brings the total supplements to around 30 hours. A real plus is the lack of too much repetition, which could have greatly cut the enjoyment of perusing the wealth of information. -Lord of the Rings fans, and those new to this marvelous work, will be swept away by the caliber of what is offered here. When you get right down to it, there simply aren't enough superlatives for this DVD release. New Line and the filmmakers involved have gone out of their way to make this a DVD release that shines above all others. ~ Trent Fordham, All Movie Guide