The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy

Peter Jackson accomplished the impossible with his epic adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved trilogy, creating a faithful, magical, thrilling, and (most importantly) compelling filmed version of the great cult fantasy epic, told over the course of three feature films: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), and The Return of the King (2003), which followed the classic battle between good and evil set in the kingdom of Middle-Earth—inhabited by humans, elves, dwarfs, monsters, and lovable hobbits—and starred Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Sean Astin, Viggo Mortensen, and Orlando Bloom. The complete trilogy has been released on DVD in two editions: the original theatrical cuts of all three films and the “extended” versions, running anywhere from 30-50 minutes longer per film and released with multiple commentary tracks and equally epic “making-of” supplements. Unfortunately, LOTR's debut on Blu-ray offers a mixed bag. Although fans generally agree that the extended versions make these great-to-begin-with films even better, all three are presented here in the original theatrical versions only (the extended cuts with more in-depth extras will bow on Blu-ray on an unspecified later date). With the exception of parts of The Fellowship of the Ring—which sometimes features a noticeably soft transfer—the trilogy is a visual feast, much enhanced by the clarity and detail of high-definition. As for the extras, however, aside from a handful of trailers in HD, the supplements are taken from the original DVD releases (see our reviews of The Fellowship of the Ring [VL-7/02], The Two Towers [VL-7/03], and The Return of the King [VL-5/04]). Also included are digital copies of each of the films. Although many consumers will no doubt hold out for the extended editions on Blu-ray, libraries will want to offer the theatrical versions as well. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)