MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Filmmaker Peter Jackson set out on one of the most ambitious motion-picture projects of recent memory when he attempted to bring J.R.R. Tolkien's epic Lord of the Rings novels to the screen. Jackson's films proved to be a rousing success both critically and financially, and this special box set collects the three award-winning pictures in one package. The Lord of The Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy features deluxe extended DVD editions of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which follow the battle between good and evil in the mythic land of Middle-earth and the quest to destroy the One Ring of all power before it is found by the forces of evil. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 12
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (Cinemascope)
• Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Stereo
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Subtitle: English, Spanish
• Features:
  • • cc Extended editions of all three films
    • In-depth documentaries
    • Behind-the-scenes footage during filming
    • The interviews with the cast and crew
    • Interactive maps
    • Photo galleries
    • Conceptual art galleries
    • Early test footage
    • Storyboards
    • Special effects demonstrations
    • And much more

AWARDS

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

•     Won Best Adapted Screenplay - 2003 (Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh)
•     Won Best Art Direction - 2003 (Grant Major, Alan Lee, Dan Hennah)
•     Won Best Costume Design - 2003 (Ngila Dickson, Richard Taylor)
•     Won Best Director - 2003 (Peter Jackson)
•     Won Best Editing - 2003 (Jamie Selkirk)
•     Won Best Makeup - 2003 (Richard Taylor, Peter King)
•     Won Best Picture - 2003 (Barrie M. Osborne, Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh)
•     Won Best Score - 2003 (Howard Shore)
•     Won Best Song - 2003 (Annie Lennox, Howard Shore, Fran Walsh)
•     Won Best Sound - 2003 (Hammond Peek, Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick, Michael Hedges)
•     Won Best Visual Effects - 2003 (Alex Funke, Jim Rygiel, Joe Letteri, Randall William Cook)
•     Won Best Sound Editing - 2002 (Michael Hopkins, Ethan Van der Ryn)
•     Won Best Visual Effects - 2002 (Alex Funke, Jim Rygiel, Joe Letteri, Randall William Cook)
•     Won Best Cinematography - 2001 (Andrew Lesnie)
•     Won Best Makeup - 2001 (Richard Taylor, Peter Owen)
•     Won Best Score - 2001 (Howard Shore)
•     Won Best Visual Effects - 2001 (Jim Rygiel, Mark Stetson, Randall William Cook, Richard Taylor)
•     Nominated Best Art Direction - 2002 (Grant Major, Alan Lee, Dan Hennah)
•     Nominated Best Editing - 2002 (Michael Horton)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 2002 (Barrie M. Osborne, Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh)
•     Nominated Best Sound - 2002 (Hammond Peek, Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick, Michael Hedges)
•     Nominated Best Adapted Screenplay - 2001 (Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh)
•     Nominated Best Art Direction - 2001 (Grant Major, Dan Hennah)
•     Nominated Best Costume Design - 2001 (Ngila Dickson, Richard Taylor)
•     Nominated Best Director - 2001 (Peter Jackson)
•     Nominated Best Editing - 2001 (John Gilbert)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 2001 (Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh)
•     Nominated Best Song - 2001 (Nicky Ryan, Enya, Roma Ryan)
•     Nominated Best Sound - 2001 (Hammond Peek, Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick, Gethin Creagh)
•     Nominated Best Supporting Actor - 2001 (Ian McKellen)

• American Film Institute

•     Won Best Picture - 2003
•     Won Top Ten Movie of the Year - 2002
•     Won Best Digital Effects - 2001 (Jim Rygiel)
•     Won Best Picture - 2001 (Barrie M. Osborne, Tim Sanders, Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh)
•     Won Best Production Design - 2001 (Grant Major)
•     Nominated Best Composer - 2001 (Howard Shore)

• American Society of Cinematographers

•     Nominated Best Cinematography - 2003 (Andrew Lesnie)
•     Nominated Best Cinematography - 2001 (Andrew Lesnie)

• British Academy of Film and Television Arts

•     Won Best Director - 2001 (Peter Jackson)
•     Won Best Makeup and Hair - 2001
•     Won Best Picture - 2001 (Barrie M. Osborne, Peter Jackson, Tim Sanders)
•     Won Best Special Visual Effects - 2001
•     Won Orange Award - 2001
•     Nominated Best Actor - 2001 (Ian McKellen)
•     Nominated Best Adapted Screenplay - 2001 (Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh)
•     Nominated Best Cinematography - 2001 (Andrew Lesnie)
•     Nominated Best Costume Design - 2001 (Ngila Dickson)
•     Nominated Best Editing - 2001 (John Gilbert)
•     Nominated Best Film Music - 2001 (Howard Shore)
•     Nominated Best Production Design - 2001 (Grant Major)
•     Nominated Best Sound - 2001

• Broadcast Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Composer - 2001 (Howard Shore)
•     Won Best Song - 2001 (Enya)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 2003
•     Nominated Best Score - 2003 (Howard Shore)
•     Nominated Best Composer - 2002 (Howard Shore)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 2002
•     Nominated Best Director - 2001 (Peter Jackson)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 2001

• Chicago Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Director - 2003 (Peter Jackson)
•     Won Best Original Score - 2003 (Howard Shore)
•     Won Best Picture - 2003
•     Won Best Cinematography - 2001 (Andrew Lesnie)
•     Won Best Original Score - 2001 (Howard Shore)
•     Nominated Best Cinematography - 2003 (Andrew Lesnie)
•     Nominated Best Screenplay - 2003 (Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh)
•     Nominated Best Supporting Actor - 2003 (Andy Serkis, Sean Astin)

• Directors Guild of America

•     Won Best Director - 2003 (Peter Jackson)
•     Nominated Best Director - 2002 (Peter Jackson)
•     Nominated Best Director - 2001 (Peter Jackson)

• Hollywood Foreign Press Association

•     Won Best Director - 2003 (Peter Jackson)
•     Won Best Picture - Drama - 2003
•     Won Best Score - 2003 (Howard Shore)
•     Won Best Song - 2003 (Annie Lennox, Howard Shore, Fran Walsh)
•     Nominated Best Director - 2002 (Peter Jackson)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 2002
•     Nominated Best Director - 2001 (Peter Jackson)
•     Nominated Best Original Score - 2001 (Howard Shore)
•     Nominated Best Original Song - 2001 (Enya)
•     Nominated Best Picture - Drama - 2001

• Los Angeles Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Director - 2003 (Peter Jackson)
•     Won Best Music Score - 2001 (Howard Shore)
•     Won Best Production Design (Runner-up) - 2001 (Grant Major)

• National Board of Review

•     Won Best Ensemble Acting - 2003
•     Won Best Production Design - 2001 (Grant Major)
•     Won Best Supporting Actress - 2001 (Cate Blanchett)
•     Won Special Achievement in Filmmaking - 2001 (Peter Jackson)

• National Society of Film Critics

•     Won Best Director (Runner-up) - 2003 (Peter Jackson)

• New York Film Critics Circle

•     Won Best Picture - 2003

• Producers Guild of America

•     Nominated Producer of the Year - 2003 (Barrie M. Osborne, Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh)

• San Francisco Film Critics Circle

•     Won Best Director - 2003 (Peter Jackson)

• Screen Actors Guild

•     Won Best Ensemble - 2003
•     Won Best Supporting Actor - 2001 (Ian McKellen)
•     Nominated Best Cast - 2001

• Toronto Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Director - 2003 (Peter Jackson)
•     Won Best Director [Runner-up] - 2001 (Peter Jackson)
•     Won Best Supporting Actor [Runner-up] - 2001 (Ian McKellen)

• Writers Guild of America

•     Nominated Best Adapted Screenplay - 2003 (Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh)
•     Nominated Best Adapted Screenplay - 2001 (Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Director:

  Peter Jackson

• Producer:

  Peter Jackson, Barrie M. Osborne, Tim Sanders, Fran Walsh

• Screenwriter:

  Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens

• Book Author:

  J.R.R. Tolkien

• Screenwriter:

  Stephen Sinclair

• Cinematographer:

  Andrew Lesnie

• Songwriter:

  Enya

• Composer (Music Score):

  Howard Shore

• Songwriter:

  Nicky Ryan, Roma Ryan, Annie Lennox

• Editor:

  John Gilbert, Michael Horton, Jabez Olssen, Jamie Selkirk

• Production Designer:

  Grant Major

• Art Director:

  Philip Ivey, Joe Peter Bleakley, Rob Otterside, Mark Robins

• Co-producer:

  Jamie Selkirk, Rick Porras

• Associate Producer:

  Ellen M. Somers

• Executive Producer:

  Robert Shaye, Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein, Mark Ordesky, Michael Lynne

• Set Designer:

  Dan Hennah, Alan Lee

• Costume Designer:

  Ngila Dickson, Richard Taylor

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  David Farmer, Hammond Peek, Ken Saville, Malcolm Cromie, Michael Semanick, Gethin Creagh, Michael Hedges, Christopher Boyes, Ethan Van der Ryn, Michael Hopkins

• Makeup:

  Peter Owen, Richard Taylor, Peter King

• First Assistant Director:

  Carolynne Cunningham

• Casting:

  Liz Mullane, Victoria Burrows, Ann Robinson, Amy MacLean, John Hubbard

• Stunts Coordinator:

  George Marshall Ruge

• Additional Cinematography:

  Alun Bollinger, Allen Guilford

• Second Unit Director:

  Geoff Murphy

• Additional Cinematography:

  Simon Raby

• Visual Effects Supervisor:

  Jim Rygiel

• Visual Effects:

  Alex Funke

• Supervising Sound Editor:

  Mike Hopkins, Ethan Van der Ryn

• Makeup Special Effects:

  Taylor/WETA Workshop Ltd.

• Visual Effects:

  Weta Digital

• Second Unit Director:

  John Mahaffie

• Additional Cinematography:

  John Cavill, Richard Bluck, Nigel Bluck

• Additional Editing:

  Jo Priest

• Conceptual Design:

  John Howe

• Visual Effects:

  Joe Letteri

• Hair Styles:

  Peter Owen

• Visual Effects:

  Randall William Cook

• Hair Styles:

  Peter King

• Makeup Special Effects:

  Richard Taylor

• Model Effects:

  Richard Taylor

• Creature Effects:

  Richard Taylor

• Digital Effects:

  Weta Digital

• Conceptual Design:

  Christian Rivers

REVIEWS:

• Co-writer and director Peter Jackson continues his Oscar-winning, box-office blockbuster adaptation of the classic fantasy novel from author J.R.R. Tolkien with a second installment that plunges the fictional setting of Middle-earth into a vicious war. Welcome additions to the action in the sophomore adventure include the CG-created Gollum, moving front and center as a major character who is simply amazing in his ability to entertain and move the viewer emotionally. The most pathetic creature in the trilogy, he's a schizophrenic nightmare but heartbreakingly human and poignantly, dazzlingly realized by a combination of actor Andy Serkis's physical skill and Jackson's special effects experts. Gollum puts the similar Jar Jar Binks character of the second Star Wars trilogy to shame. Also thrilling are a climactic battle between Ents (living "trees") and the evil wizard Saruman (Christopher Lee) that brings to mind any number of breathtaking sequences from The Wizard of Oz (1939), and the final clash between humans and invading enemy forces at Helm's Deep, a lengthy but thrilling clash of bows and shields that recalls the superb fight sequences from Braveheart (1995). Less persuasive are some storytelling elements that fall victim to the filmmakers' effort to condense the story into a three-hour running time: several gaps in the action occur and a few developments are left unexplained or vague, such as how the forces of Éomer (Karl Urban) grow from a few dozen to thousands, how the defenders of the realm of Gondor manage to defeat their attackers, why the Ringwraiths have suddenly switched mounts from horses to dragons (why did they use horses at all in the first film?) -- and why Tolkien felt the need to give every location, character, and object in his work at least three utterly confusing names (those who haven't read the books may be left wondering what the difference is between Éomer and Faramir or Gimli and Grima). However, the simple fact that a novel as dense and detailed as this one hasn't been turned into a labored bore is a miracle; that Jackson has fashioned such a triumphant success is a real artistic achievement. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) may be imperfect in its occasionally frustrated effort to squeeze every significant plot element into the mix, but it's a visual marvel and a definite raising of the artistic bar for its entire genre. No filmmaker will ever be able to create a sci-fi or fantasy epic again without comparison against it. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
• Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is certainly the grandest and most skillfully made cinematic spectacle in recent memory, surpassing even Star Wars -- perhaps the most venerated science fiction series in cinematic history -- in terms of creativity, adventure, and sheer enjoyment. Swift, economical (in spite of a nearly three-hour running time), and extremely engrossing, Jackson starts his tale with a brief and essential history of Middle-earth and its inhabitants to bring moviegoers unfamiliar with J.R.R. Tolkien's epic novel up to speed, while greatly impressing Tolkien's longtime fans with great flourish and a bit of inside humor. And so it goes from the lush and rolling meadows of the Shire to the bleak and infernal wasteland of Mordor, all vividly realized by Jackson's team of screenwriters and special-effects technicians who are all well on their way to receiving a bevy of awards for their amazing work. As for the cast, one would be hard-pressed to assemble a more perfectly suited ensemble. The three main characters -- as portrayed by Elijah Wood, Ian McKellan, and Viggo Mortensen -- are the real life force of the film's narrative, each giving astonishing performances with characters that could have very easily been made into caricatures had they been essayed by lesser actors. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring does have some very minor narrative problems, mostly involving some very brief explanations of certain plot elements, while a handful of the secondary characters -- particularly Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) and Legolas (Orlando Bloom) -- are not quite fully characterized. These issues, however, have more to do with the audacity of attempting to cover the entirety of a 400-page novel in three hours than with some deficiency of the script. As it stands, Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring is the ultimate fantasy film, thereby making the next chapter of the saga, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, one of the most anticipated films of 2002. ~ Ryan Shriver, Rovi
• Grander in scale, in many ways, than the first two installments of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King hosts even more amazing action scenes than the earth-shaking battle of Helm's Deep in The Two Towers. But what really sets it apart from most action and fantasy films is its ability to simultaneously focus on the emotional and the epic. Frodo and Sam's journey to destroy the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom, as epic as it may be, gains all of its weight from the friendship, love, and mutual respect shared by the two hobbits and evidenced in the bonds forged between the Fellowship members earlier in the trilogy. All of the events in the prior two films have been leading up to the conclusions in this one, and the many climaxes do not disappoint. Unfortunately, with the further divergence of the characters' paths in this installment, the filmmakers clearly struggled to keep a balance between them. The general pacing of the film is off in parts, too slow in the first hour, and too rushed later on. Many fans of the books may be frustrated by some of the decisions made in adapting the story; changes in plot and character motivations from book to screen are inevitable, but many cherished elements of the novel are missing or altered in ways that sometimes seem unneeded. Some characters, such as Legolas (Orlando Bloom), Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), Merry (Dominic Monaghan), and Éomer (Karl Urban), get pushed to the sidelines, only getting in a few lines here and there, and others, such as Éowyn (Miranda Otto), get hugely emotional scenes only to be essentially dropped from the story line for the rest of the picture. Aragorn (the king referred to in the title), though well-played by Viggo Mortensen, also misses out on characterization, with many of his most insightful moments missing from the film. Doubtlessly, some of these oversights will be smoothed over in the extended DVD edition of the film, which adds almost an hour more to the runtime. Despite its flaws, The Return of the King has retained the most important element of the book: its spirit. Furthermore, the characters who are in the forefront of the story, as with the others, are wonderfully portrayed by the film's ensemble cast. Andy Serkis brilliantly takes Gollum on a downward spiral of greed, deception, and madness, and the CGI character animators have brought even more life to his appearance this time around. Elijah Wood is equally impressive in his portrayal of Frodo's deterioration, and Sean Astin, as his loyal friend and servant Sam, is heartbreakingly noble, becoming, in a way, the heart of the film. Ian McKellen, as Gandalf, continues his admirable portrayal of the wise wizard, while Billy Boyd adds depth to the newly courageous Pippin. Miranda Otto, as Éowyn, and Bernard Hill, as Théoden, deliver some of the most profound and moving moments in the film, and Liv Tyler continues her emotional portrayal of the conflicted elf Arwen. As the demented steward Denethor, John Noble brings added intensity and drama to the proceedings, and David Wenham is wonderfully subtle as his long-suffering son Faramir. But accolades must go to all involved in the making of this trilogy; it is continually impressive, from its breathtaking cinematography to its jaw-dropping special effects to its brilliant and heartfelt score. Overall, Peter Jackson has orchestrated this trilogy masterfully, and was certainly deserving of the Best Director Oscar he received. The Return of the King made history in many ways, but one of the most telling is that it became the first fantasy film to take home the Oscar for Best Picture. Surely, a large determining factor for that accomplishment was the authenticity with which the filmmakers told this story. The passion, detail, dedication, skill, and hard work that went into these films is clearly evident, and is not likely to be equaled any time soon. ~ Dana Rowader, Rovi