Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Warner Bros. – 178 mins – 2001 – Rated PG-13 – 1080p Widescreen 2.40: 1 – DTS-HD 6.1 Audio – DVD copy – Digital Copy

Translating J.R.R. Tolkien’s books into big screen motion pictures could have been a disaster, such as with Frank Herbert’s Dune. But somehow the stars in the universe lined up correctly and a guy named Peter Jackson, who previously directed a raunchy puppet film called Meet the Feebles, not only pulled it off, but made history. The Lord of the Rings trilogy was one of the most eagerly demanded films requested on Blu-ray, (next to Star Wars flicks) and earlier this year Warner Home Video finally released a box set of the three films. Now the three films have been released individually on Blu-ray, but they are still only the theatrical versions, which means that those waiting for the director’s cuts still have to wait.

THE MOVIE

The Fellowship of the Ring is the film that sets up everything for the trilogy by introducing the characters and the battle for Middle Earth. In a world different from our own, Rings of power have been created by the Elven-smiths, but the Dark Lord Sauron crafted a mighty Ring of his own to rule all the others. This mighty ring was stolen and thought to be lost forever until many, many years later it falls in the hands of a simple Hobbit named Bilbo Baggins. Knowing that the power of the ring can only contribute to all evils of the world, Bilbo gives the ring to his nephew Frodo and sends him on a mission to toss the ring into Mount Doom, which is the only force on Middle Earth that will destroy its power. Frodo takes on the tasks and is joined by a few of his fellow Hobbit townsfolk, as well as fellowship members Aragorn, Legalos, Gimli, Boromir, and the mystical Gandalf.

Director Peter Jackson did the impossible by making this film work. There are plenty of directors who lined up for the job, but the fact that a small director was given the shot is right out of a Rocky movie. The cast must also be complemented with great performances by Elija Wood as Bilbo, Sean Astin as Sam, Orlando Bloom as Legolas, scene stealer Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn, and Ian McKellen as Gandalf, the only actor in the world who could have played his part. Without the contributions of these actor’s giving it their all, this movie could have been a mess.

The Fellowship of the Ring is a treasure in filmmaking, just as the original 1977 Star Wars was that that generation. Yes, some changes were made from the books, but what movie translated into a film didn’t make changes? And none of these differences effect the magic of J.R.R. Tolkien’s tale. Few films can completely immerse you into a new world successfully, but as soon as the ending credits begin to roll, you’re anxiously waiting to see the next chapter in the story.

VIDEO

The Fellowship of the Ring comes to Blu-ray with a full 1080p image in a 2.40.1 aspect ratio, and for the most part the image quality is good, just not as fantastic as you would expect it to be with from a film of this caliber. There are some scenes that look amazing, and looks like Blu-ray eye candy, but then there are some scenes that appear to be a little too dark or just grainy or soft. The brighter sequences is where the image quality pays off, but remember most of the action in this film takes place in dark and interior locations. Yes, this is a step up from the DVD, but a film with legions of fans such as this must be perfect of the masses will raise hell. Again, this is not a bad transfer, but just not Blu-ray perfect.

AUDIO

Featuring a Dolby Digital DTS-HD 6.1 sound mix, the audio definitely makes up for the missing elements of the visuals. Dialogue is crisp, sound effects pop, and background ambience will fill your room. The music really shines, immersing you into the adventure right from the opening note. The best way to enjoy this film is with a home theater set-up, because a TV’s speakers (no matter how expensive your TV is) will never be able to handle this. Any fan of this film should be very satisfied with the audio transfer, especially when action scenes begin.

EXTRAS

All of the supplements are direct ports from the DVD, so if you already have the originals then you’ve already seen these a million times.

Welcome to Middle Earth: is a fifteen-minute segment on of the original books and the process of transferring them to motion pictures.

Quest for the Ring: is a twenty-minute TV promo that originally appeared on Fox.

The music video for the song ‘May it Be’ by Enya is included.

A Passage to Earth: a forty-minute special centering on the film, which was originally broadcast on the Sci-Fi Channel.

A ten-minute sneak peak for The Two Towers gets you hyped up for the middle story in the trilogy.

There’s also a series of trailers for the film presented in full HD.

A Digital Copy of the film to take Middle Earth with you everywhere.

BOTTOM LINE

If you originally bought the Blu-ray box set then there’s no reason to pick up this individual copy. But those of you who didn’t buy the set, then now is your time to add it to your collection. The image quality is acceptable, but not outstanding, but the sound makes up for everything else. Obviously this is just a dress rehearsal for the extended director’s cut that will eventually land on Blu-ray. So whether or not you want to wait for that version or get this one so you have both the theatrical and Director’s vision is up to you.

SCORES (out of 5):

The Movie: 4.0

Video: 4.0

Sound: 4.5

Extras: 3.5

Bottom Line: 4.0