Lord Of The Rings, The: The Fellowship Of The Ring (Widescreen) (US)

Well it's arrived the best film of 2001 (in my opinion), come on this very nice 2-disk special edition on the Theatrical cut of the film.

Based on the fantastic first of the Lord of the Rings book (Fellowship of the Ring) by T.R.R Tolkien, the story follows Frodo Baggins on his quest to destroy the Ring Of Power, but it isn't a easy as it sounds because hunting Frodo is the servants of the Dark Lord Sauron (he who forged the ring of power).

Picture: -

Presented in 2:35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, which is outstanding.
With all the colours looking great, shadows looking like they should be, and no grain or grime on the print.

Sound: -

WOW!!!
What a Dolby EX soundtrack, this soundtrack is now my favourite Dolby sound mix on a DVD yet, it's even better than the DD EX 5.1 that is on the Phantom Menace.
Loads of bass, vigorous use of the rears makes for a very enjoyable sound mix.

Extras: -

The second disk is packed with extras, containing many Featurettes and interviews,
Also a 10 minute behind the scenes look at The Two Towers the next instalment of the Lord Of The Rings.


Overall: -

With this being one of my favourite films it was obvious that I was going to buy both version of the film, and I'm anticipating the 4-disk collectors edition, which boasts a DTS soundtrack (and If it surpasses the DD 5.1 EX on this disk i'm In for a treat).
This is a great film, and a great disk a must for LOTR fans and fantasy lovers alike.

(Before i start, this is a copy taken from my review for Area450.com, so the disc information and that still remains!)

Story Synopsis; with the help of a courageous fellowship of friends and allies, Frodo embarks on a perilous mission to destroy the legendary One Ring. Hunting Frodo are servants of the Dark Lord, Sauron, the Ring's evil creator. If Sauron reclaims the Ring, Middle-earth is doomed. Winner of four Academy Awards, this epic tale of good versus evil, friendship and sacrifice will transport you to a world beyond imagination.

Disc Information; Disc 1; Feature: 2;35;1 Anamorphic Widescreen, Dolby Digital EX 5.1 Surround Sound, Dolby Surround, English Subtitles.
Disc 2; Special Features: In Depth Programmes;
Revealing the Secrets Behind the Production of the Epic Adventure;
Welcome to Middle-earth
Quest for the Ring
A Passage to Middle-earth

Featurettes;
Created for Lord of the Rings.net, Exploring the Locales and Cultures of Middle-earth;
Finding Hobbiton
Hobbiton Comes Alive
Believing the World of Bree
Ringwraiths: The Fallen Kings
Rivendell: The Elven Refuge
Languages of Middle-earth
Two Wizards
Music of Middle-earth
Elijah Wood
Viggo Mortensen
Orlando Broom
Cate Blanchett
Liv Tyler
Ian McKellen
Weathertop; The Windy Hill

Exclusive 10-minute Behind The Scenes Preview of The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers

Original Theatrical Trailers and TV Spots

Enya "May It Be" Music Video

Preview of Electronic Arts Video Game
The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers

An Inside Look at the Special Extended DVD Edition of The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring.

English Subtitles

Animated Menus
Feature Run Time: Approx, 171 Minutes

DVD Picture; As befits such a high profile release, The Fellowship Of The Ring has been blessed with an utterly superlative anamorphic widescreen transfer - packed with crystal clear, pin sharp images that give the astonishing scenery and locales of Middle-earth the justice they deserve.
Right from the opening scenes, the image here is eye watering, the colour saturation and contrast is fantastic, check out the luscious foliage in the forest as Frodo meets Gandalff - the detail evident in the leaves and the swaying grass is good enough, but as the chapters pass, the picture just gets stronger and stronger, the fabulous detail in the various homes of the Hobbits, the costumes, heck, even the close up detail of facial lines and hair literally jumps from the screen.
The fireworks display at Bilbo Baggins birthday celebrations also give the sumptuous special effects the chance to shine, the hugely impressive Dragon firework, (try buying one of those at you friendly neighbourhood newsagent!!), with it's stark orange and red glow set against the night sky, simply provides glorious viewing - couple this with the excellent photography and you can gather what I'm getting at here.
However, all of this pales into insignificance as the fellowship move from the Shire and onto their epic quest, The Caverns of Isengard, journey into Moria, The Bridge of Khazad-Dum and The Great River - with it's magnificent stone statues manning the gateway to Parth Galen. All of the above look quite astonishing, the murky depths of the underground mines with its vast expanse of columns stretching as far as the eye can see, and the beautiful, vast expanse of The Great River showing the painstaking attention to detail that director Peter Jackson has lavished on the movie's exhaustive range of locations and costume design.
I could go on forever, but what remains is that The Fellowship of the Ring serves up a mouth-watering, reference quality transfer that oozes class. Flick on your bit rate meter, (should you have one in your players features), and marvel at the fact that despite the movies huge running time of almost 3 hours, the discs producers have managed to give us a Superbit style transfer which very rarely drops below 6 mbps. With no edge enhancement, no alaising, no dot crawl, no jaggies, no noise, and no picture blocking, this has to be one of the best transfers I've seen in quite some time. Whether you have a small widescreen display, a plasma or projector, The Fellowship of the Ring stands as another superb, reference quality disc to add to your collection. Fantastic.

DVD Soundtrack; to complement the superb imagery, the movie also comes complete with a suitably epic Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround EX soundtrack. From the moment the movie starts, the fidelity of the sound is beyond question, with a luscious, smooth and bitingly crisp sound that brings the cinematic grandeur right into your viewing room. Voices are warm and well projected, (all the better to hear the wonderfully stylised dialects of the Hobbits and Elves in the movie); incidental sounds such as the clashing of swords and the atmosphere of the lavish Middle-earth countryside are both realistic and superbly recorded.
Gandalffs firework display at Bilbo Baggins birthday party give your system something to chew on very early into the movie, with the deep thud of the distant fireworks contrasting the fizzy crackles of expanding light. As soon as the Dragon firework is let off, the soundstage comes alive, with sweeping front to back imaging as Guy Fawkes favourite explosive spans the entire soundstage in impressive fashion.
As the fellowship move into the dark mines, the echoes of distant footsteps are all around with an impressive depth all around. If you have an extended surround capable amplifier, the rear centre channel opens up the rear soundstage for a completely all-encompassing holosonic landscape of sound that drops you right into the heart of the action.
The Orc fight is outstanding, with deep, below 20hz sub bass that will challenge even the biggest of subwoofers. Arrows and weapons of fantasy swirl around the entire 5.1 speaker array, particularly the Orc's chain which whiplashes around the listener with astonishing realism and impact.
Or even the fight in the forest, where the flying arrows whip past your ears and swords clash against metal, or the distant rumble of the waterfall as the Fellowship approach the giant statues of The Great River. Everything sound sensational, even the matrix Dolby Surround track included on the disc has superb imaging and depth, (though why they include these anymore puzzles me, the player will always downmix from the discrete audio track anyway…).
However one of the most integral parts of the entire soundtrack is Howard Shores unbelievable, Oscar winning score. Too many musical scores sound too similar these days, however Shore has provided The Fellowship of the Ring with a tailor made musical accompaniment that is lavish and beautiful in the subtle scenes, and forceful and powerful when the action stirs. The recording of the score and its implementation into the discrete sound mix is superb, with forceful and very deep extension right down to the lowest octave of bass, and stunning transient quality as cymbals crash and drums thud with an intensity that grips you right from the first note.
Each and every scene benefits from its own musical character, whether it's the graceful folk of The Shire, the dreamy ambience of Lothlorien, or the brooding, dark nature of the murky caverns, the score transports the viewer into the movie like no other fantasy film.
Turn up the volume, turn down the lights and immerse yourself in the sonic delights of The Fellowship Of The Ring, a stunningly crafted piece of movie audio that is right up there with the very best reference discs.

This is far from a love it or loathe it movie. People sometimes say that this sort of movie doesn't interest them, however, to experience LOTR is like the wonderment of the first time you saw Star Wars, the majesty of Lawrence of Arabia or Spielberg's Dinosaurs brought to life in Jurassic Park. The amount of effort put into the movie alone is enough to make your jaw drop, however Jackson has pulled off the incredible feat of merging blockbusting special effects and technical wizardry with a superb vision of J.R.R Tolkien's book. The entire cast put in stunning performances, and the editing; photography and sheer scale of the movie are beyond question.
Since I've had the disc I've watched it over 3 times already in a week, there's so much to admire and so many incidental details you may have missed first time round that it's hard to imagine your collection without it - and the extras on disc 2 are superb too, with a large portion all presented in anamorphic widescreen and Dolby 5.1 sound. With the exception of the cheap advertising of the books and the video game, the extras are good enough to justify the second disc, particularly the sneak peek at the extended 4 disc edition hosted by Peter Jackson himself, and not forgetting the preview of The Two Towers, which is presented again, in widescreen with 5.1 sound.

Put simply, this is THE disc to own this summer, nothing is perfect, but this is fantastic entertainment for everyone, and is likely to fly from the shelves until the 4-disc edition appears.
Go without petrol, beer, cigarettes, for a week and spend £18 of your well-earned money on this excellent piece of cinema - then wave goodbye to 3 hours of your life as you are transported to middle-earth!!

Absolutely awesome.

J.R.R. Tolkien`s legendary trilogy "The Lord of the Rings," perhaps the ultimate in modern mythology and a favorite for nearly five decades, has always been, at heart, the definitive Boys` Book. In bringing the author`s fanciful vision of Middle-Earth adventures to the screen, New Zealand director Peter Jackson has meticulously seen to it that just about every detail has been delivered with the proper respect and just the right look.

In this movie, the first chapter of "The Lord of the Rings" sets the stage for the hobbit Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood, perfectly cast) and his quest, which is to destroy the One Ring, a mysterious magic ring that has dark, deadly powers. Although I`m sure you don`t need me to tell you the plot!

The costumes, the energy, and the special effects are brilliant, but the bottom line is that this must be respected for the overwhelming achievement that it is. The bar has been raised, and the world of film entertainment will hereinafter be better for it.

If you have any doubts about which version you may want, wait until November for the Special Editions to be released. In the mean time rent this and enjoy.

Content

The Fellowship of the Ring is the first part of director Peter Jackson's ambitious project to bring J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings to the big screen, with the second and third instalments, The Two Towers and The Return of the King, set to follow this year and next.

As The Fellowship of the Ring begins, the Dark Lord Sauron has gathered to him all the Rings of Power, which he intends to use to rule Middle-earth. In order that his plans may succeed, Sauron needs the One Ring, the ring that rules all others. The One Ring has fallen into the hands of a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins, who in turn passes the Ring to his young cousin, Frodo Baggins. In order that the Ring may be destroyed, thus ending Sauron's plans for domination, Frodo must undertake a perilous journey from his home in the Shire to the Cracks of Doom, located deep in the heart of Sauron's domain, Mordor.

Young Frodo is accompanied on his quest by the hobbits Sam, Merry and Pippin, the wizard Gandalf, and later the dwarf Gimli, the elf Legolas and the humans Boromir and Aragorn. Collectively the nine are known as The Fellowship of the Ring, and together they travel to the land of Mordor to put an end to Sauron's evil once and for all. The journey is fraught with danger, whether from Ringwraiths, armies of Orcs, or even from the once benevolent Saruman the White, a wizard corrupted by the promise of power.

There can be little doubt that director Peter Jackson has delivered a magnificent adaptation of The Fellowship of the Ring, one that has pleased both fans and newcomers alike, but with that said it still lacks that certain 'something' for me. While there can be no doubt that bringing the books to the silver screen is a great achievement, the story never really involved me in such a way as say, the Godfather films or the Star Wars trilogy. Never having read the books, I can't comment on whether the source material is to blame for some of the film's shortcomings, but I suspect this to be the case if some of the other reviews I've read are to be believed.

On the whole performances are good, with Ian McKellan (Gandalf) and Christopher Lee (Saruman) emerging as clear contenders for the top honours. Ian Holm is also worthy of special mention for his portrayal of Bilbo Baggins, and the rest of the cast all play their parts well. Although there is much as there is to admire, I have to admit to feeling the same kind of 'emptiness' at the end of this DVD presentation as I felt in the cinema. Perhaps it has something to do with the terribly unsatisfying climax (or should that be anti-climax?), but again I would imagine this to be a result of the film's unwavering regard for the book. Perhaps in years to come, after the release of the second and third instalments of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, I will look upon this film in an entirely different light. There's every possibility that this film will go on to provide the foundation for one of the most faithful, entertaining and successful adaptations ever. I shall reserve final judgement until I have seen the whole of Peter Jackson's vision. For now, The Fellowship of the Ring is still a good film in its own right, but those of you who are not die-hard Tolkien fans may find the going a little tough.

Video

New Line present The Fellowship of the Ring in its theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1, complete with the now customary anamorphic enhancement associated with any major new release. There's really not much I can say about this transfer, aside from the fact that it is virtually flawless. Colour reproduction is spot on, particularly the lush greens of the Shire, while flesh tones are wonderfully accurate. Contrast is also first rate, while the blacks are as dark as the heart of Sauron himself. Each and every location is rendered in such exquisite detail that you really do start to think of Middle-earth as a real place, with real inhabitants. Hobbiton, for example, is an utterly believable community of Hobbits going about their daily business.

If I had to make one criticism of the visual aspects of The Fellowship of the Ring, it would be that a couple of the computer generated creatures in the film are not entirely convincing, but these minor gripes seem terribly petty when you consider just how fantastic the battle scenes look. Weta (the company responsible for software that controls said battles) have created a system that enables thousands of combatants to engage one another in huge skirmishes, and the result is extremely impressive. One failing (and this one may hold more credence than my grumbles about the shortfalls of CGI) is that the film sometimes appears a little too dark for my liking. Still, this is just about the only thing that I can find to complain about, so you'll have to cut me some slack. I didn't notice any artefacts, or any instances of edge enhancement, but I review my discs on a 32" widescreen television that only tends to reveal particularly abhorrent cases like The Phantom Menace. Overall then this is a reference quality transfer that is sure to find its way into many a demo set-up.

Audio

To accompany the breathtaking visuals, the disc features an awesome Dolby Digital 5.1 EX soundtrack, as well as a Dolby Surround soundtrack for the less well equipped. The mix is expertly balanced, with outstanding use of subtle vocal and surround effects. The opening battle with the forces of Sauron on the slopes of Mount Doom is a perfect example of this. As Sauron hurls combatants aside, you'll hear the screams as they pass you by, while the LFE track rumbles with enough ferocity to shake the windows out of your house. But even amidst this maelstrom of sound, dialogue still remains clear. It is not only during moments of action where this mix excels, but also during quieter moments. Some of the subtle atmospheric effects, such as the singing of birds in the Shire, or the eerie noises in the mines of Moria, are crucial to drawing you into the fantastical word of Middle-earth. Howard Shore's score fits the film like a glove, perfectly capturing the mood of each scene. From the sleepy village of Hobbiton to the race to the bridge of Khazad-Dum, this is an impeccably balanced mix and one that - like the video before it - will become the audio demo disc of choice in stores everywhere.

Features

Unlike many two-disc editions, The Fellowship of the Ring doesn't purport to be a 'Special Edition'. I'm grateful for this, as it certainly doesn't deserve this title. While the disc does contain some interesting supplements, many of these overlap one another in terms of content, and this detracts from the overall value. The omission of my favourite kind of extra, the commentary track, is lamentable, although given the length of the feature presentation this is perhaps understandable (although I believe it could have been included if the Dolby Surround track had been sacrificed).

Don't get me wrong, what we get is still pretty good, it's just not as amazing as some reviews may have led you to believe. The first of the three documentaries that make up the bulk of the extras is entitled 'Welcome to Middle-earth', and is introduced by a lady who looks like a rabbit caught in the headlights of an oncoming truck (that is to say she's not a natural in front of the camera). The featurette contains a short interview with Rayner Unwin, the man chiefly responsible for The Lord of the Rings being split into three parts, who unfortunately passed away after taping the interview. The featurette then heads towards more familiar territory, featuring interviews with Peter Jackson and members of the cast and crew, who give a number of insights into the production.

The second documentary entitled 'Quest for the Ring' features yet more interviews with cast and crew, lots of character information and some behind the scenes hijinks with the cast, as well as a preview of one of the film's "most exciting scenes", which will be old news to anyone who's actually watched the movie. Much of the material in this featurette can be found in the other two, making it fairly redundant in my opinion. It's still worth watching at least once though. The final documentary is called 'A Passage to Middle-earth', and it runs for over forty minutes. This documentary is probably all the disc needed, as it contains many of the best bits from the other two, along with more back slapping appreciation from the actors for being given the chance to work on such a monumental production. More footage of the cast larking about in their off time is also included, but ultimately this is still a fairly promotional piece of work.

Next up we have fifteen short web featurettes taken from lordoftherings.net. These are - Finding Hobbiton, Hobbiton Comes Alive, Believing the World of Bree, Ringwraiths: The Fallen Kings, Rivendell: The Elven Refuge, Languages of Middle-earth, Two Wizards, Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, Cate Blanchett, Liv Tyler, Ian McKellen and Weathertop: The Windy Hill. These featurettes are very short, but still interesting enough to watch. Just don't expect any major revelations.

Moving on, Peter Jackson introduces an exclusive ten-minute behind the scenes look at The Two Towers. If anything the second instalment looks even more action packed than The Fellowship of the Ring, featuring as it does huge battles between the forces of good and evil. Also included is a three-minute preview of the Special Extended Edition DVD due this November. It has to be said that this edition looks to be something really special, with four discs packed with specially created content. In all fairness to New Line, they announced their intentions long before the release of either edition, so people have no excuse for complaining about being ripped-off. The Special Extended release looks to feature far more in the way of original content than the two-disc set, and it is the version I have been holding out for all along (until I was 'convinced' to buy this edition as a stopgap).

A short look at the forthcoming video game from Electronic Arts follows, while the music video for Enya's 'May It Be' will either delight or disgust, depending on your particular tastes. The supplemental section of the package is completed by the inclusion of six TV Spots, three theatrical/teaser trailers and some DVD Rom features. Well, there you go, not too bad is it? Then again, I didn't find any of the features particularly memorable, and I warrant that most of the interesting material will find its way onto the four-disc edition.

Overall

Despite my reservations, The Fellowship of the Ring is still a landmark film featuring stunning audio and visual presentation, nicely complemented with a fair selection of supplemental material. While not among my very favourite films, I really admire the effort that has gone into bringing such a complex work of fiction to the screen, and for this alone I believe it deserves great recognition. As usual, New Line have delivered a stunning package that concentrates more on supplying the best audio/visual presentation of the film possible, rather than padding out a sub par release with unnecessary extras. I'm now looking forward to taking a look at the four-disc release of the film previewed on this disc with great anticipation, especially for the inclusion of DTS and commentary tracks. But for now, this release still comes very highly recommended to all.

The following review is of the 4 disc set.

First released as a two disc set with promo materials,this 4 disc set with 30 minutes added to the movie and much more and better extras,this release is excellent.

The 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is a great re-production of Andrew Lesnie`s Oscar winning cinematography.
Colors are rich and images are crystal clear with virtually no distractions.

This release includes Dolby 5.1 EX & DTS-ES 6.1 audio options.Both are great for showing off you home theater system,but the DTS is the better one to listen to.

The movie is spread over two discs and features no less than 4 commentary.The cast commentary features 10 of the actors and is pretty enjoyable.The 4 hobbits were recorded together and it makes for some pretty good banter.

The 3rd disc deals with adpating the book to screen and contains over 3 hours of extras.

The 4th disc is more enjoyable as it deals with the actual filming and the interviews are great to watch.The supplements on this disc run about 3 1/2 hours.

The packaging for this release is pretty great.

One DVD to rule them all.

Im not gonna write a huge essay cos basically everythings already been said and I dont want to bore you.
One of the greatest films ever!!!
Best DVD Picture Ever!!!!
Best DVD Sound Ever!!!!
OUTSTANDING EXTRAS!!!!!!!!!
If the 4 disc one is better than this it would have to be extraordinary. Im definetly getting the 4 disc version but am debating keeping this 2 disc set as it has amazed me and it has the movie on 1 disc.