The Film
If you think about it, Peter Jackson never had a chance with this one. One mistake on the Lord of the Rings trilogy Blu-ray release and the knives were going to come out. It was unthinkable that he would release a Blu-ray version of this money-printing machine that had anything less than reference quality audio and video; not to mention the "extended" versions of all three films with their epic battle scenes. Call it "double-dipping" (and we're not talking about what you shouldn't do when at a fondue party) if you will, but New Line, Warner and Peter Jackson have succeeded in offering a sub-standard release for a hefty asking price that does not include the extended versions of the films. They even had the audacity to include three discs with digital copies of the film; as if anyone is going to spend hours watching this on their laptop or tiny portable screen. Considering the rather lofty storage capacity and seamless branching capabilities of Blu-ray, both the extended and theatrical versions of the films really should have been included. Not a good start Frodo.
There is so much to the story that it makes no sense for Jackson (who has been very busy in his post-Oscar winning days with King Kong, District 9, and the upcoming two-part version of The Hobbit) to have left fans hanging on this one. It reeks of greed; pure and simple. Fortunately, the trilogy is still highly entertaining and it was fun to watch it for the first time in many years. Hollywood stopped making truly epic films eons ago, but Jackson deserves some credit for the effort and for the sheer wonder that is Middle Earth. The acting performances; especially Sir Ian McKellen, were consistently strong throughout the trilogy (which is more than one can say for the Star Wars prequels), cementing the films' well-deserved Oscar glory; not to mention the superb art direction and visual effects.
The Picture
Those expecting a reference quality Blu-ray release are going to very disappointed, as the quality of the 1080p transfer is remarkably inconsistent. All three films look better than their DVD counterparts, but there is a noticeable lack of detail (especially in The Fellowship of the Ring) for a Blu-ray release. You expect to see the Orc's bleeding gums (do they get coverage now under the revised health care reform?), every vein on Gollum's body, every drop of Elven blood. It never really pops off the screen in that way. There is also something artificial looking about the flesh tones in all three films; although the problem seems to go away in The Return of the King. Frodo looks unusually pasty in the first two parts of the trilogy and no tinkering with my projector could fix it.
The Sound
If you have never heard a really enveloping surround mix, start with the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound encoded on these discs. The clarity is rather breathtaking to say the least. Middle Earth and all of its inhabitants make a lot of noise (so much for the element of surprise) and this is one of those movies that requires the volume to be turned up. Apartment dwellers are going to receive a lot of vicious stares in the lobby in the a.m. if their system has a subwoofer that can handle the taut and visceral bass present on the soundtrack. The surround channels are in constant use throughout and it should not be understated how much depth they add to the overall sound. The overall mix is quite remarkable and likely to test any system.
The Extras
Fans of the films will likely disagree with me on this one, but I think there is too much here for one to digest. How many hours can one honestly spend watching make-up artists and documentaries about Rivendell? If you need to know everything about Middle Earth and are dying to catch Enya perform "May it Be" for the fiftieth time, pull up a chair and order in because it is going to be a very long day. Unfortunately, for those who do like to really dig into their supplementary materials, few of the extras are presented in HD (just some trailers), which also seems like a missed opportunity. If you really want to bring the movies on the road, for playback on a computer or portable device, digital copies of each film are included on separate discs.
Note: we're knocking one star off the "Extras" score and 1/2 star off the overall rating to compensate for the lack of extended versions of the film.
Final Thoughts
Peter Jackson did a remarkable job with these three films; which begs the question, why release such an incomplete boxed set of the trilogy that is destined to anger so many devoted fans? The video quality is surprisingly sub par and nowhere near reference levels, although the audio surround mix is one of the best that you will ever hear. The omission of the extended versions of the films is the biggest strike against it and hard to fathom. One boxed set to rule them all? Sorry, Frodo. I don't think so.
Product Details
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