Starring:
Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins
Ian McKellen as Gandalf
Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn aka Strider
Sean Astin as Samwise ‘Sam’ Gamgee
Liv Tyler as Arwen Undómiel
Cate Blanchett as Galadriel
John Rhys-Davies as Gimli
Billy Boyd as Peregrin ‘Pippin’ Took
Dominic Monaghan as Meriadoc ‘Merry’ Brandybuck
Orlando Bloom as Legolas Greenleaf
Hugo Weaving as Elrond
Sean Bean as Boromir
Ian Holm as Bilbo Baggins
Andy Serkis as Sméagol/Gollum
Christopher Lee as Saruman
Special Features:
“The Fellowship of the Ring Behind-the-Scenes” documentary (85 minutes)
The Theatrical and Special Extended Editions of the film
Animated menus
Other Info:
Widescreen (2.35:1)
Dolby Digital EX 5.1 Surround Sound
Running Time (Theatrical Version): 178 Minutes
Running Time (Extended Version): 202 Minutes
Synopsis:
The following is from the official DVD description:
“For a limited time, experience a new look at Middle-earth with ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Limited Edition DVDs in three separate collectors editions. A must-have for every The Lord of the Rings enthusiast, each of the Academy Award®-winning films will be presented in a two-disc set with a behind-the-scenes documentary exclusive to each limited edition. Disc one presents both the Special Extended Edition and the Theatrical Edition of the film through seamless branching, while disc two features an intimate, never-before-seen documentary created by Costa Botes, the all-access filmmaker commissioned by Peter Jackson. With more than five hours of captivating, never-before-released footage, ‘The Fellowship of the Ring Limited Edition,’ ‘The Two Towers Limited Edition’ and ‘The Return of the King Limited Edition.'”
This film is rated PG-13 for epic battle sequences and some scary images.
Mini-Review:
If you’d like to see my thoughts on the movie, then check out my other DVD reviews. Let’s get right to the real issue is this Limited Edition worth buying even if you already own the other “Lord of the Rings” DVDs? The answer is that it depends on how big of a fan you are. If you’re a casual fan, then the Special Extended edition is probably sufficient for you. If you’re a die hard LOTR fan, then you’ll probably find the new documentaries worth buying.
Surprisingly enough, the documentaries actually feature a lot of new footage. As much as there was on all the other DVDs, I didn’t think this was possible. However, Costa Botes manages to give the viewer a real fly-on-the wall perspective on the making of the trilogy. You see interviews with extras wranglers, prop creators, and more. And while the other DVDs made the making of the movie look like a big love fest, this one shows the pressure put on the cast and crew by the grueling schedule. You see the first assistant director gripe about people coming by to see makeup tests, a crew member in tears about walkie talkies, and other trials and tribulations. You also get to see a lot more clowning around by Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, and Elijah Wood. Also shown is prop making, scanning maquettes, building miniatures, and other effects related stuff. You really feel like you’re down in the trenches with this documentary.
So there you have it. It’s a good documentary with a lot of great stuff, but you’ll have to ultimately decide if it’s worth spending $30 for an hour and a half documentary.
