The Lord of the Rings Goodies
The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition |
In every aspect, the extended-edition DVD of Peter Jackson's epic fantasy The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring blows away the theatrical-version DVD. No one who cares at all about the film should ever need to watch the original version again. Well, maybe the impatient and the squeamish will still prefer the theatrical version, because the extended edition makes a long film 30 minutes longer and there's a bit more violence (though both versions are rated PG-13). But the changes--sometimes whole scenes, sometimes merely a few seconds--make for a richer film. There's more of the spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien, embodied in more songs and a longer opening focusing on Hobbiton. There's more character development, and more background into what is to come in the two subsequent films, such as Galadriel's gifts to the Fellowship and Aragorn's burden of lineage. And some additions make more sense to the plot, or are merely worth seeing, such as the wood elves leaving Middle-earth or the view of Caras Galadhon (but sorry, there's still no Tom Bombadil). Extremely useful are the chapter menus that indicate which scenes are new or extended. Of the four commentary tracks, the ones with the greatest general appeal are the one by Jackson and cowriters Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, and the one by 10 cast members, but the more technically oriented commentaries by the creative and production staff are also worth hearing. The bonus features (encompassing two complete DVDs) are far superior to the largely promotional materials included on the theatrical release, delving into such matters as script development, casting, and visual effects. The only drawback is that the film is now spread over two discs, with a somewhat abrupt break following the council at Rivendell, due to the storage capacity required for the longer running time, the added DTS ES 6.1 audio, and the commentary tracks. But that's a minor inconvenience. Whether in this four-disc set or in the collector's gift set (which adds Argonath bookends and a DVD of National Geographic Beyond the Movie: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring), the extended-edition DVD is the Fellowship DVD to rule them all. |
The Two Towers Extended Edition |
The extended edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was perhaps the most comprehensive DVD release to date, and its follow-up proves a similarly colossal achievement, with significant extra footage and a multitude of worthwhile bonus features. The extended version of The Two Towers adds 43 minutes to the theatrical version's 179-minute running time, and there are valuable additions to the film. Two new scenes might appease those who feel that the characterization of Faramir was the film's most egregious departure from the book, and fans will appreciate an appearance of the Huorns at Helm's Deep plus a nod to the absence of Tom Bombadil. Seeing a little more interplay between the gorgeous Eowyn and Aragorn is welcome, as is a grim introduction to Eomer and Theoden's son. And among the many other additions, there's an extended epilogue that might not have worked in the theater, but is more effective here in setting up The Return of the King. While the 30 minutes added to The Fellowship of the Ring felt just right in enriching the film, the extra footage in The Two Towers at times seems a bit extraneous--we see moments that in the theatrical version we had been told about, and some fleshed-out conversations and incidents are rather minor. But director Peter Jackson's vision of J.R.R. Tolkien's world is so marvelous that it's hard to complain about any extra time we can spend there. While it may seem that there would be nothing left to say after the bevy of features on the extended Fellowship, the four commentary tracks and two discs of supplements on The Two Towers remain informative, fascinating, and funny, far surpassing the recycled materials on the two-disc theatrical version. Highlights of the 6.5 hours' worth of documentaries offer insight on the stunts, the design work, the locations, and the creation of Gollum, and--most intriguing for rabid fans--the film's writers (including Jackson) discuss why they created events that weren't in the book. Providing variety are animatics, rough footage, countless sketches, and a sound-mixing demonstration. Again, the most interesting commentary tracks are by Jackson and writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens and by 16 members of the cast (eight of whom didn't appear in the first film, and even including John Noble, whose Denethor character only appears in this extended cut). The first two installments of Peter Jackson's trilogy have established themselves as the best fantasy films of all time, and among the best film trilogies of all time, and their extended-edition DVD sets have set a new standard for expanding on the already-epic films and providing comprehensive bonus features. |
The Return of the King Extended Edition |
NOT YET RELEASED: The studio is currently not producing this title on DVD |
The Fellowship Two Towers Widescreen |
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. 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. Ending on a perfect note of heroic loyalty and rich anticipation, this wondrous fantasy continues in The Two Towers. After the breaking of the Fellowship, Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) journey to Mordor to destroy the One Ring of Power with the creature Gollum as their guide. 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. These two films are perhaps the greatest fantasy films ever made, but they're merely a prelude to the cataclysmic events of The Return of the King. |
Trilogy Widescreen |
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. |
J.R.R. Tolkien Animated Films Set The Hobbit The Lord of the Rings The Return of the King |
The Hobbit: The J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy classic set in Middle-earth was adapted into this excellent 1978 animated feature first broadcast on television. Codirectors Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr., working from a script by Romeo Muller, are faithful to Tolkien's story and for that alone they get big points. The vocal cast can't be improved upon: Orson Bean is perfect as Bilbo Baggins, the timorous hobbit who grows brave on his adventure with the wizard Gandalf (John Huston). Otto Preminger is the voice of Elvenking, Richard Boone is Smaug, Hans Conried is Thorin, and Brother Theodore is very effective as the weird Gollum. Terrific for kids and adults alike. The Lord of the Rings: Although it was ultimately overshadowed by Peter Jackson's live-action Lord of the Rings trilogy, Ralph Bakshi's animated adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy classic is not without charms of its own. A target of derision from intolerant fans, this ambitious 1978 production is nevertheless a respectably loyal attempt to animate the first half of Tolkien's trilogy, beginning with the hobbit Frodo's inheritance of the One Ring of power from Bilbo Baggins, and ending with the wizard Gandalf's triumph over the evil army of Orcs. While the dialogue is literate and superbly voiced by a prestigious cast (including John Hurt as Aragorn), Leonard Roseman's accomplished score effectively matches the ominous atmosphere that Bakshi's animation creates and sustains. Bakshi's lamentable decision to combine traditional cel animation with "rotoscoped" (i.e., meticulously traced) live-action footage is jarringly distracting and aesthetically disastrous, but when judged by its narrative content, this Lord of the Rings deserves more credit than it typically receives. The Return of the King: The creative team behind 1978's impressive animation feature based on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit returns with this 1980 entry drawn from Tolkien's famous Lord of the Rings trilogy. It's good work all around, and not at all the kind of feature-length cartoon that reduces good books to treacle. Orson Bean returns as the voice of Bilbo Baggins as well as that of the trilogy's hero, Frodo. John Huston is commanding again as the voice of the wizard Gandalf, and also in the vocal cast are William Conrad, Paul Frees, and Roddy McDowall. |
The Fellowship of the Ring |
Score composer Howard Shore has informed this first installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy with his distinctly modern sensibilities. Revolving loosely around a brief, heroic brass theme, this epic is infused with a powerful rhythmic thrust and a musical range that encompasses centuries (from the Renaissance pastoralism of "Concerning Hobbits" to the fiery, Prokofiev-influenced drama of "A Knife in the Dark"). Key to the score's sense of mystery and magical place are the rich choral passages that are interspersed throughout, some so ominously gothic they make The Phantom Menace's "Duel of the Fates" sound almost sunny by comparison. Enya's contributions ("The Council of Elrond" and the song "May It Be") add a sense of organic tranquility, but it's Shore's Wagnerian-scaled orchestral score that should long be cherished by admirers of film music and hobbits alike. |
The Two Towers |
Howard Shore's music for the massively successful first film chapter of Tolkien's Ring saga won him the Oscar® for Best Original Score, something of a surprise given the music's ambitious scale and determinedly dark overtones, factors that handily blurred the line between typical film fantasy music and accomplished concert work. Its sequel takes the same, often Wagnerian-scaled dramatic tack, following the film's story line into even more brooding and ominous dark corners. The previous film's Hobbit-inspired pastoralism is supplanted here by rich ethnic textures that expand the musical scope of Middle-earth and the World of Men; the Hardanger, a Norwegian fiddle, represents the Rohan and the North African rhaita colors the Mordor theme, while log drums, dilruba, wood xylophone, and cimbalon add intriguing textures elsewhere. The score's looming orchestral clouds are brightened by Shore's masterful choral writing, which infuses ancient liturgical influences with various solo turns by Isabel Bayrakdarian, indie-pop star Sheila Chandra, Ben Del Maestro, and Elizabeth Fraser. "Gollum's Song," the composer's concluding collaboration with lyricist Fran Walsh, is delivered with Björkish, postmodern angst by Emiliana Torrini, and helps punctuate the story's modern sense of allegory. |
The Return of the King |
This final chapter of Peter Jackson's sprawling adaptation of Tolkien's "Ring" trilogy closes out one of the most accomplished cycles in cinema--and film music--history. As he's done for the saga's first two installments, composer Howard Shore has honed a mature, brooding orchestral masterpiece that's long on subtle shadings of mood and nuance, while eschewing the hollow bombast that's characterized all too many mainstream action and adventure films for three decades. If anything, he's pared this chapter of his music for Middle Earth even closer to the bone, the trilogy's familiar themes repeated with a sparing hand that only heightens their dramatic power. Like Herrmann before him, Shore has a preternatural understanding of orchestral timbres and their almost mystical connections with human emotions, and he's used it here to close out this remarkable trilogy with Wagnerian dramatic sweep, yet one with a distinctly modern, understated melodic sense that is Shore's alone. James Galway and Renee Fleming make key instrumental and vocal contributions, respectively, while Annie Lennox's soulful "Into the West" makes the expected, if unobtrusive, bow to the theatrical pop song conventions. |
Coronation |
The long empty throne of Gondor is fated to be claimed by the last descendant of the ancient Kings. It is a future Aragorn never wanted, yet by his valor and nobility of heart, Aragorn is bound to fulfill this destiny and lead the people of Gondor. The Coronation takes place outside The Hall of Kings within Minas Tirith. Includes Aragorn (King of Gondor), Arwen, Eomer (King of Riddemark), an exclusive Lady Eowyn and Faramir (Prince of Ithilien). Characters are decorated in scene-specific clothing and accessories. |
There and Back |
The There and Back Gift Pack is based on a pivotal scene in the final film of "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King." This set features 4" versions of your favorite hobbits in all new costuming: Merry, Pippin, Frodo, Sam and an exclusive Bilbo. Also includes a replica of Bilbo Baggins'' journal with authentic writing from the journal used in the film. Ages 5 and up. |
Helm's Deep |
This gift pack includes Aragorn, Haldir, Gimli, King Theoden and Legolas. |
Black Gates of Mordor |
Across a blackened valley of slag and ash stands the mighty Black Gate of Mordor. Through this towering iron gate the forces of the warriors in service to Sauron reside. While Frodo is at the top of Mount Doom trying to fulfill his quest to destroy the One Ring, Aragorn faces the "Mouth of Sauron" at the Black Gate of Mordor in an attempt to buy Frodo more time. Includes Aragorn, Gandalf the White, Gimli, Legolas and an exclusive Mouth of Sauron figure on Horse. |
Sauron |
The great evil who is seeking to rule Middle Earth has been masterfully crafted into a 10" action figure. Adorned in intricately detailed armor, Sauron features 16 points of articulation. He holds his evil mace and wears a shrouded back cape. Sauron wears "the one ring to rule them all," which is lost when his fingers are realistically severed. His eyes light up red as he electronically speaks four different phrases from the movie. Safety Information WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD - Small parts. Not for children under 3. |
Gandalf the Grey |
Now the world can collect figures from all three groundbreaking films with the new Toy Biz Lord of the Rings Collector Series. With laser-scanning technology, each sculpt is developed as a 6" scaled replica of their movie star inspirations. Kids and collectors will continue to be impressed with the value and authenticity of this line, undeniably captured through character-specific deco, accessories and battle features. Gandalf the Grey features light up staff. |
Legolas |
Now the world can collect figures from all three groundbreaking films with the new Toy Biz Lord of the Rings Collector Series. With laser-scanning technology, each sculpt is developed as a 6" scaled replica of their movie star inspirations. Kids and collectors will continue to be impressed with the value and authenticity of this line, undeniably captured through character-specific deco, accessories and battle features. Legolas features dagger slashing and arrow launching actions. |
Pippin |
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Gimli |
Bigger is better as Toy Biz gives fans more of their favorite characters with these scaled fully poseable figures. These highly detailed action figures are a must-have collectible and come packaged with character specific accessories that truly bring the characters to life. Actors were laser scanned for exact likeness! Gimli is a 8.5" figure. |
Strider |
Now the world can collect figures from all three groundbreaking films with the new Toy Biz Lord of the Rings Collector Series. With laser-scanning technology, each sculpt is developed as a 6" scaled replica of their movie star inspirations. Kids and collectors will continue to be impressed with the value and authenticity of this line, undeniably captured through character-specific deco, accessories and battle features. Strider features Sword slashing action. |
Gollum |
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Frodo |
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Bilbo |
Now the world can collect figures from all three groundbreaking films with the new Toy Biz Lord of the Rings Collector Series. With laser-scanning technology, each sculpt is developed as a 6" scaled replica of their movie star inspirations. Kids and collectors will continue to be impressed with the value and authenticity of this line, undeniably captured through character-specific deco, accessories and battle features. Bilbo comes with traveling gear. Safety Information WARNING: Choking Hazard - Small parts. Not for children under 3 years. |
Eomer |
Now the world can collect figures from all three groundbreaking films with the new Toy Biz Lord of the Rings Collector Series. With laser-scanning technology, each sculpt is developed as a 6" scaled replica of their movie star inspirations. Kids and collectors will continue to be impressed with the value and authenticity of this line, undeniably captured through character-specific deco, accessories and battle features. Eomer features sword attack action. Safety Information WARNING: Choking Hazard - Small parts. Not for children under 3 years. |
Aragorn |
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King Theoden |
Now the world can collect figures from all three groundbreaking films with the new Toy Biz Lord of the Rings Collector Series. With laser-scanning technology, each sculpt is developed as a 6" scaled replica of their movie star inspirations. Kids and collectors will continue to be impressed with the value and authenticity of this line, undeniably captured through character-specific deco, accessories and battle features. King Theoden in Armor features sword slashing action. |
Twilight Ringwraith |
Now the world can collect figures from all three groundbreaking films with the new Toy Biz Lord of the Rings Collector Series. With laser-scanning technology, each sculpt is developed as a 6" scaled replica of their movie star inspirations. Kids and collectors will continue to be impressed with the value and authenticity of this line, undeniably captured through character-specific deco, accessories and battle features. Twilight Ringwraith features sword jabbing action. Safety Information WARNING: Choking Hazard - Small parts. Not for children under 3 years. |
Witchking |
Now the world can collect figures from all three groundbreaking films with the new Toy Biz Lord of the Rings Collector Series. With laser-scanning technology, each sculpt is developed as a 6" scaled replica of their movie star inspirations. Kids and collectors will continue to be impressed with the value and authenticity of this line, undeniably captured through character-specific deco, accessories and battle features. Witchking features sword lunging action Safety Information WARNING: Choking Hazard - Small parts. Not for children under 3 years. |
Sharku with Warg Beast |
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