The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition) [2001] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

Amazon.co.uk Review

In every aspect, the extended edition of Peter Jackson's epic fantasy The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is superior to the theatrical version. No-one who cares at all about the film should ever need to watch the original again. Well, maybe the impatient and the squeamish will still prefer it, because this extended edition makes a long film 30 minutes longer and there's a wee bit more violence. But the changes--sometimes whole scenes, sometimes merely a few seconds--make for a richer film. There's more of the spirit of JRR 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. Some additions make more sense to the plot while others 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).

On the DVDs: The Fellowship of the Ring--Extended Version comes in two distinct packages: choose either the four-disc set itself, handsomely presented in a hardback book-style fold-out, or the huge and more expensive Collector's Box Set, which has the same four-disc set accompanied by two chunky "polystone" sculpted Argonath bookends, both of which are solid enough to support either your DVD or Tolkien book collection. The discs themselves have extremely useful chapter menus that indicate which scenes are new or extended. 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. Of the four commentaries those with the greatest general appeal are the one by Jackson with cowriters Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, and the one by 10 cast members; but the more technically orientated 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. This extended edition DVD set is the Fellowship to rule them all. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Nothings happens...for several hours........2008-03-01

I sat and watched this at the cinema, and when it finished I felt cheated out of several hours of my life. Nothing happened. At all. Sure enough, Tolkien's story is a doozy, but could they not have shortened the film or put all 3 films together in one? How people watch this over and over I'll never understand - I'd rather watch something where you either get an ending or something interesting happens.

But it's shot beautifully, which apparently makes up for it being tedious beyond belief.

Yawn.

A good adaptation of a great book.......2008-01-27

'The Fellowship of the Ring' was one of the most eagley awaited films in years and it doesnt disapoint. The makers of this movie obviously have a love for the book and film what was once considered unfilmable. This is one of the few CGI-stacked movies where the CGI is hugely impressive. That is because it is balanced out with equally good casting, acting and overall production. Being a fan of the book I had many reservations before seeing this movie, would they Hollywoodise the story too much? No, they dont although certain changes from book to film have occured. However, the changes that are made I can understand. This film didnt disapoint me on any level.

perfect dvd material.......2007-12-28

I watched the entire extended trilogy on boxing day,not for the first time mind you,and everytime I'm amazed at the amount of bonus material on these discs! The movies are way better than the theatre-versions;a lot more is explained in such a way so that people who haven't read the books(shame on you..)will understand them better.
The fellowship is the best of the three in my opinion although I know that some people would disagree with me,but I think the storytelling is the most important part of making a film,and fellowship excells in that!
The bonusmaterial is the best I've ever seen,there is just so much and everytime I watch it I devouer it.Even the commentary is so much fun to listen to!
Fans of LotR will absolutely not regret this purchase!

The Epic Begins.......2007-10-05

"The Fellowship of the Ring" is the first of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. And I would recommend that you watch them in order. In this movie we see the origin of the One Ring and how it comes into Frodo's possession. We see the formation and breaking of the fellowship.

This movie will introduce you to Middle Earth. There are breathtaking scenes in the movie when the camera pans around and captures the beautiful settings of Middle Earth. Peter Jackson did a great job in envisioning the realm and choosing the location for it. We first see Hobbiton, where the houses have flower patches and old fences, the roads look worn and made through decades of travel, and the Old Mill spins with the laziness of a quiet town. It made me believe I was there. And his wonderful creations that we get to explore with the fellowship; Rivendale, the Halls of Moria, Lothlorien and the passage down the Anduin. It lets us see the vast living world that is Middle Earth.

Tolkien's work is not faithfully followed. Certain characters are missing. As are some songs that are memorable from the book. But the movie does not let us down. And it is a good screen adaptation. I love that the elvish language that Tolkien created is spoken. And the casting is excellent.

This is much better than the original release. The movie has an extra 30 minutes added, which will help you flow easier to the second film. And the great bonuses included in this package include the making of the film, interviews with all the stars, drawings and interviews with Peter Jackson and the rest of the people responsible for producing this classic. As well as a good look at where the film was shot in New Zealand, behind the scenes stories and incidents that happened during the filming. This is the DVD to buy.

A Wonderfully Crafted Piece Of Work.......2007-09-28

Plot:

Passed to him by his uncle Bilbo, young Hobbit Frodo Baggins becomes the unlikely and unwilling bearer of The One Ring of power, an instrument of unparallelled evil. And so Frodo, along with his three Hobbit chums, the wizard Gandalf and a swordsman named Strider, set out on an epic quest.

My Review:

To be honest and slightly embarrassed, I had never read the 'Lord of The Rings' until mid-last year. I had heard of it, but not knowing much about. With no argument, history should quickly regard/treat Peter Jackson's The Fellowship Of The Ring as the first instalment of the best fantasy epic in motion picture history. This statement is genuine of investigation for many outstanding reasons.

Fellowship is undeniable and merely an opening salvo, and even after three hours in the dark you will likely exit the cinema famished with anticipation for the further two parts of the trilogy. The beginning to a three-part saga, is also forthright and firmly rooted in the fantasy action genre, which takes its part in not being confused with that of the cool and good science fiction.

Unlike the sweet charm of family fare of Harry Potter, usually dialogue consisting of gremlins, goo, goblins and some other less inspiring gibberish. The characters' dialogue in this opening spectacle prefers its aversion to that tacky talkie provide by the Harry Potter and tragic Eragon franchise. "To the bridge of Khazad-dûm!" are as well to stay within the Shire-like comforts of home (their loss).

With those admonitions in place, it bears repeating the ideal that fantasy does not come finer. There are electrifying moments -- notably the computer-assisted swooping camera through Isengard as it transforms into a factory for evil -- when Jackson's flight of fancy approaches the sublime as the romantic poets would understand it: inspiring awe.

Aside the increasing thorny issue of Tolkien' die-hards and their foreseeable gripes, 'Tom Bombadil", as an intellectual example; Jackson's screenplay (written with Fran Walsh and Phillipa Boyens) is far, both bolder and more astute than Steven Kloves' surprisingly timid interpretation of Harry Potter. Interestingly, resurrecting the romance of Arwen and Aragon from the footnotes of various appendices, to the escalation of Saruman to the all-action evil wizard, that actually has a corrective influence on J.R.R Tolkein's frequently slanted and female-sparse source material.

There aren't many problems, though; that most would complain about; being the three-hour running time. Fans knowing a good adaptation of the first novel would be anything but short. Though it may feel dragged, it doesn't fail to reprise in excellence and explosive action scenes supported by wonderfully crafted script and lusciously exploited characters. Some of the recent fantasy genre films may be too short to some discernible form. However, personally I enjoy the three-hour long and faithful adaptation. It is anything but short, making it a very good thing.

The largely seamless SFX is showcased in the best possible light -- total darkness -- but the narrative demands a different, downbeat and sad ending. Indeed, but for some fine emotional playing from Bean, Mortensen, Astin and Wood, but then, the real battles are yet to come...

Verdict:

Bearing the unlikeness of fellow fantasy and other war drama spectacles, Fellowship is flawlessly cast and constructed with passion; a labour of love that never feels heavily influenced. Setting current standards for blockbusters to shame. Emotional range and character depth ultimately take us beyond genre limitations, unlike the if not slightly lacking in depth, Mr. Potter. 10/10

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