The Lord of the Rings: Extended Edition

J.R.R. Tolkien's original fantasy trilogy—dense, literate, imaginative, epic, and mythic—found its perfect interpreter in director Peter Jackson, whose cinematic re-creation of the complete The Lord of the Rings (2001's The Fellowship of the Ring, 2002's The Two Towers, and 2003's The Return of the King) became a thrilling and enthralling big-screen experience for fans and newcomers alike. But for home video, Jackson created longer versions of each films, resulting in The Lord of the Rings: Extended Edition, which doesn't simply reinsert deleted scenes, but adds defining character moments, lovely grace notes, and additional background and insight into the extensive mythology. The familiar storyline follows reluctant hobbits Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Samwise (Sean Astin) on a courageous quest across Middle-Earth in order to destroy a powerful ring that represents the life force of the evil Sauron. Others on the journey include an elf named Legolas (Orlando Bloom), the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen), the dwarf Gimli (Jonathan Rhys-Davies), human warrior Boromir (Sean Bean), and one-time king and possible future savior Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen). As the story proceeds, the ranks dwindle; an assortment of subplots take hold, including the appearance of Gollum (Andy Serkis), a previous owner of the ring; and colossal battles pit good against evil in a struggle to save the world. The Fellowship of the Ring most benefits from the re-edit, including a gorgeous scene in which Elf Queen Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) bestows gifts upon the Fellowship; but the entire saga is ultimately enriched by the added content, which many consider to be the definitive versions of the films. Some have complained about Jackson tinkering with the color palette on The Fellowship of the Ring, which was digitally remastered for this edition and has a green cast in many scenes, but this Blu-ray edition boasts greater clarity and gathers all of the previously released extras—hours upon hours worth—including audio commentary tracks, documentaries and featurettes, maps, and stills galleries. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (S. Axmaker)