It’s no secret that the staff here at GamesEyeView, are adamant fans of Lord of the Rings. If there was one complaint to be had about the films it would be that they are simply far too short. Three hours of adventure in Middle Earth, just simply are not enough to tickle our fancy! That’s precisely why we were so thrilled when the Extended Edition DVDs came out, and even more so now that the Blu-Ray versions are released. So, how do the Blu-Rays stack up to today’s standards? Let’s find out, in our sites first ever Blu-Ray review
Before we get into the real meat and potatoes of this review, let us preface this by saying, we’re not going to be doing an in depth review of the films themselves. By now, especially if you are reading this review, you’ve probably heard about these films. They are epic masterpieces, and a marvel in cinema. Everything including the acting, writing, cinematography, etc… are truly exceptional and should be seen by all. Having said that, these are long movies! If you are not ready to invest the time to sit down and watch at least one of these, do not start to. Seeing as this is purely a character and story driven adventure story, do not expect to see a lot of action, all the time. There’s a lot of development going on at all times of this story, and to some, it will drag on for a long while.
Gripping!
Having said that, let’s discuss what we came here to discuss: the Extended Blu-Rays themselves. Even though we had said prior we wouldn’t spend much time discussing the films themselves, for many of our readers this may be their first foray into the Extended Editions at all, so let’s discuss the changes. Firstly, many new scenes have been added to the extended editions. The trilogy now clocks in an hour and thirteen minutes longer than its previous theatrical counterparts! For all you enthusiasts out there, some really great scenes have been included. The Mouth of Sauron at the Black Gate, the fate of Saruman, the entire gift giving sequence at Lothlorien, as well as a showdown between Gandalf, and the Mouth of Sauron. Old Man Willow even makes an appearance in the Extended cuts, still no Tom Bombadil though (you can decide if this is a good or bad thing on your own).
For the most part, the extended cuts are our preferred foray into Jackson’s envision of Middle Earth. Fellowship of the Ring and Two Towers do every well with the newly included scenes. Most of the inclusions are simply extensions of scenes already in the film. Providing the viewer with more information, story, or development, they all fit very nicely and give you that little bit of “ooo that’s new and exciting!” Ironically enough however, Return of the King, which has the majority of the substantial story elements included is not quite as great as its theatrical cut.
Easily the longest of the three, the inclusions of these scenes are great when watched on their own, but drag the film down quite a bit. Return of the King truly had great editing work done on it, and gave it a very engrossing level of pacing. It felt perfect. Never bogged down, never too slow, it kept the viewer vested in everything that was happening as they approached closer and closer to impending doom. The scenes that were cut however, feel like hiccups, and burdens to the pace. Some events being too big, and just not altogether fitting in with the film, such as the fate of Saruman, while others would simply be confusing to anyone who hasn’t read the books, such as the Mouth of Sauron. It’s still a great film to watch on its own, just not as exciting as the theatrical cut.
So how do the Blu-Rays look? This is another example where we have to say two out of three look fantastic, while one less than so. Both Two Towers, and Return of the Kings picture quality is nearly perfect. Colors are vibrant and reach out the viewer. Fellowship on the other hand, acts a little strange. There is a peculiar overly greenish tint throughout the entirety of the film. It appears to be more severe on some TV/Player combinations that others, however it is definitely there. For the most part, it is difficult to notice. It really sticks out however on whites. Sometimes clouds will appear green, or fades to white will also have this effect. It doesn’t take away much, and for the majority of the film it is a better looking transfer than the theatrical versions of the Blu-Ray, but it is there.
On our setup this scene wasn't even half as green, but it was noticeable
The sound transfer on all three discs is superb. Battles draw the viewer in as arrows whiz by your ears, Mumakil roar all around you, and Gollum’s creepy voice echoes through the room. It is the very definition of a perfect transfer. Never sounding grainy, or volume changing from scene to scene, all three discs are simply a joy to listen to; from the beautiful score, to the intense sound effects.
If this is your first foray into the Extended Editions, there are a lot of extras to be had. The multiple commentaries offered per movie; including the director, producer, actors, sound artists, etc… aren’t even a fraction of the amount of extras included with these packages. In addition to the commentaries, and the added scenes in the movie, hours upon hours worth of making of features, covering all aspects of the film are included. Anything you wanted to know about filming, acting, makeup, costumes, special effects, post production, model making are all included, for each movie in the set. There is a reason this box set is fifteen discs, six of which are special features alone! For those who already have had the extended edition treatment, unfortunately you won’t find any new features here. The inclusions of three more discs are simply the digital copies of each film.
Lots of content
All in all this is a fantastic box set for anyone to add to their collection. The movies are simply superb, the features are informative, and the films look terrific (for the most part). Even the cases and box arts for the films are some of the nicest looking we’ve ever seen. A lot of care and love went into this box set, and it shows up very well. It is important to note, that each film is split up into two discs. Some will argue that on Blu-Ray this is unnecessary since the capacity is so much larger. We don’t mind though, as it left more room for added picture and sound quality goodness! This is a terrific buy, and should be a part of everyone’s collection.
Films: 9/10
Picture Quality: 7/10 (For Fellowship) 9/10 (Two Towers, Return of the King)
Sound Quality: 9/10
Extra Features: 10/10
Overall Score: 9/10
