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Techtite's DVD Reviews! |
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Also reviewed elsewhere: The Hobbit (animated), now on DVD and VHS! ------------- Sidebar :: ------------- "The film is great...buy the books, anyway!". Want to know the story before everyone else, just like that blabbermouth fantasy book lover next to you in the theater? Here's some order links, for all three of the books: The Fellowship of the Ring (novel) The Return of the King (novel) ...or, buy the whole trilogy in a collector box! : The Lord of the Rings (Boxed Set, Softcover) The Lord of the Rings (Boxed Set, Hardcover)
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Lord of the Rings:Fellowship of the Ring,Extended Edition
A Techtite Review
The Film: Let's be honest; most people --and deservedly so-- are quite jaded when it comes to "special editions" of a film, which they view as a mere marketing ploy to sell the same movie twice. With this in mind, it truly is outstanding how much Lord of the Rings: The Followship of the Ring's "extended edition" offers. With two discs worth of movie (!), and two discs devoted entirely to extras (!!), they have indeed, effectively, doubled the value of the film. Considering the film was already Oscar-worthy to begin with, that was no small feat. Prior to compliments galore, however, let's be fair here; as you'd expect, this extended version of the film will be mostly enjoyed by avid fans, not the agnostic viewer. This isn't to belittle this extended DVD set, though the truth is, those of you who didn't like the film the first time you saw it --both of you!-- will not likely change your mind after seeing its extended version. Consider it not unlike getting an extra helping of filet mignon; while that would be a true thrill to many, it's unlikely to change a vegetarian's mind, either. It's all a matter of taste. However, don't expect me to explain, in this review, why this film was "filet mignon" to so many of its fans. I've said enough general praise in my review elsewhere (the theatrical edition), so lets move on to what is "extended." Over half an hour of deleted scenes have been re-edited into the original film, with everything smooth as silk in the re-integration. Even the musical score has been extended, to make the re-integrated scenes appear as if they were always there! In a now-two-DVD film divided into 48 separate chapters, this amounts to 20 scenes extended, 5 totally new scenes, and even an extension of the credits to honor the "Official Fan Club!" These two discs have been superbly divided, with disc one ending with the founding of the so-called Fellowship, and Disc two being the start of their journey. Of course, you want to know what extensions we're talking about, right? Well, with over 20 additions to over half of the original film, that's hard to summarize, though I'll whet your palate here, a little. The fun begins with a totally new scene after the prologue: a homage to The Hobbit, where a now-older Bilbo Baggins is seen writing those unforgettable first lines of that first novel. There is a new scene extending the Hobbit trio's visit to the Green Dragon Inn, with Frodo's two friends goofing off, dancing on tables, and singing some decidedly humorous though surprisingly tow-tapping drinking tunes. We also see "The Passing of The Elves," which is a bit incongruous to the agnostic viewer (hence, perhaps, its original deleted scene status), though with its own musical score and the eery FX glow of the elves added to the scene, it is truly a wonderful sight for the fans who finally get to see it. Other extensions --and at least one more deleted scene-- give a lot of the back story that was decidely cut from the original film. Among these is a lot more of the back story between Arwen the elf (Liv Tyler) and her human love, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen). Considering how that is a love story I felt was too subtle in the original theatrical version, you can imagine how cool these scenes are now. This includes a scene where Aragorn visits Gilraen's grave, where he is reminded of his true heritage and rightful place on the throne (alluding to the story yet to unfold, particularly in the final film/book of the trilogy, The Return of the King). I could clearly go on and on about this 4-disc set, though do I really have to? Those of us even slightly interested in this DVD set probably had their copy reserved since summer. Those of you who felt once was enough, aren't likely to spend more to see an added half hour. All I can say about the latter group is; you owe it to yourself, at the bare minimum, to rent this DVD. That's all I will say without saying 100 times more what is truly quite plain, even to the non-fan: this is an extremely generous offering for the film's fans. If only other films' cast and crew were as generous as this one's. The DVD: There is, as is often the case near the holidays, a regular edition and a "gift set." The gift set we'll get to later; for now, let's talk about the extras on both sets. Just to reiterate: discs one and two are the film, with discs 3 and four completely extras! Furthermore, all extras are vastly different from the theatrical edition's two-disc set, in case you were wondering. Best of all, these four discs are housed in a booklet of sorts which when slid into its cover looks not unlike a stylish hardcover novel when placed on your DVD shelf. The fun begins on discs one and two, with no less than three commentary tracks to choose from: 1)The director and writers, 2) the production and design teams, and best of all, 3) the cast! The cast commentary is the most superb, in that no less than 10 cast members --the whole "fellowship," and more-- offering their anecdotes to the whole film. I think this is, truly, the penultimate proof of how cool this movie is. If only other, snootier celebs would do something similar, for any number of films where a cast commentary is non-existent. I mean, if a film's own cast doesn't want to sit and talk about their own movie, what does that tell you? Conversely, when 10 of this film's cast members agree to sit through an extended version of their already 3-hour film, that says a lot. In the end, this is one of the best commentary tracks of the year. Discs 3 and 4 are basically arranged as one big documentary, heralding each and every portion of the movie's design. Disc 3 is the step from book to "vision"; disc 4 is the final steps, from "vision" to final product. These featurettes can be seen "all at once" or individually; it's up to you. The difficulty of adapting such a thorough book into film is covered, as is designing the sets come-to-life, as well as the characters come-to-life. Weaponry, armor, creatures, set miniatures (and how they make them look larger), and a tour of the wardrobe department; it's all covered. Best of all would have to be where an atlas of Middle Earth chronicles the journey seen in the film, while a real-life map of New Zealand, traces the quest for the perfect location shots. It's the added touches I admire in these additions. "A day in the life of a Hobbit" chronicles in 13 minutes how long it took for the hobbits in the picture to get into character. I don't envy them; those artificial feet must've made it quite an adventure if they had to go to the restroom unexpectedly! "The Fellowship of the Cast" is a decidedly extensive, over-30-minute look at the cast's own anecdotes while on the set, along with some of the cast's own personal photos; a cute idea. Clearly, there is little left out of this double disc of extras. If they left something out, it must've belonged to a different movie!
In the end, the rating for the film stands, with or without "extensions." However, few movies --good, bad, or "epic"-- ever get the special treatment as especially as this film has. This is a film trilogy with a very strong fanbase, and it's clear that Peter Jackson et al realize this. That's perhaps the best reason why it was the great film it was in the first place. Any extended version can only be even more of an already good thing.
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