Critic's Grade: A+

Picture and Sound
-- As with the previous two-disc set, this new release of "The Fellowship of the Ring" features astounding quality in terms of its picture and sound. With the inclusion of some new scenes as well as a brand-new DTS-ES audio track, this is one reference-quality disc that truly delivers the goods.

The 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen image is a near-perfect example of the perfect marriage of colors and textures to capture the vivid look of the film without compromising other aspects of the image. Colors are bold and run deep, remaining solid and untouched by grain or noise; fleshtones are accurate, and blacks are rich and solid throughout. The fact that the image may be a bit too dark for some tastes provides that the film be viewed in a completely darkened room, in order to capture all the detail and intricacies of the special effects and miniature sets. Contrast and shadow delineation are superb, and edges are sharp without any signs of enhancements or halos.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track is no more or less the same version that appeared on the previous disc, but boy, does it ever kick some ass! The dialogue sounds natural and since there is an abundance of it, the creators have wonderfully given us such scenes as the beginning Hobbit party sequence, during which voices can be heard from the front and rear channels with excellent clarity. The more action-charged sequences carry with them a substantial amount of deep bass and surround usage: most notable of these sequences are that in which Arwen is chased on horseback by the Ringwraiths, after which she calls a large wall of water to take them away. The scene is full of room-shaking bass, so be mindful of your neighbors and windows. Also a masterpiece is the entire sequence taking place in the Mines of Moria, which makes such wonderful use of the entire soundfield, especially when the Orcs and the cave troll find our fellowship and begin battle. And, to top it all off, Howard Jackson's beautiful score has been recorded with such attention to its emotional prowess that you almost want to cry in certain scenes.

The DTS-ES 6.1 track exhibits many of these same features, but does tend to sound a bit more refined and cleaner in the lower frequencies. Nevertheless, both tracks are excellent and should do justice to any serious audiophile's system.

Supplements
**Discs One and Two**
- feature commentary with The Director and Writers
- feature commentary with The Design Team
- feature commentary with The Production/Post-Production Team
- feature commentary with The Cast

**Disc Three**
- six original documentaries (J.R.R. Tolkein: Creator of Middle Earth, From Book to Script, Storyboards and Pre-Viz: Making Words Into Images, Costume Design, Weta Workshop, Designing Middle Earth)
- early storyboard sequences
- pre-visualization animatics
- animatic-to-film comparisons
- Middle-earth Atlas
- New Zealand as Middle-earth
- design galleries

**Disc Four**
- eleven original documentaries (The Fellowship of the Cast, A Day in the Life of a Hobbit, Cameras in Middle-earth, Big-atures, Weta Digital, Scale, Digital Grading, Editorial: Assembling an Epic, The Soundscapes of Middle-earth, Music for Middle-earth, The Road Goes Ever On)
- photo galleries
- editorial demonstration for "The Council of Elrond" scene

-- Specially created for this new DVD release, "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" special extended DVD edition retains the grandeur of the theatrical release while at the same time making noticeable insertions that help to enhance character relationships and plot developments. Some aspects will go unnoticed, but those involving the introduction to Hobbit life, the relationship between Aragorn and Arwen, Aragorn's past, and many more are but a few of the many new scenes that have been completely finished and scored to create this new cut of the film. For me, the new version doesn't outdo the theatrical version, but rather gives us a chance to experience more of Jackson's extraordinary vision and intricate storytelling; in short, it's a testament to his devotion and love for the project.

And as if that weren't enough to make you smile, this four-disc set contains a complete arsenal of special features that the previous two-disc set lacked, and let me tell you, it's worth the money you pay. This is one special edition that certainly lives up to the name, the best to come along since "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" in its offering of a look at the making of one of the most successful movies in history. After nearly two and a half days of nothing but "Fellowship of the Ring" paraphernalia, I'm pooped.

The first two discs are devoted to the movie, spread out in order to accommodate three different audio tracks as well as a whopping four audio commentaries from various collaborators on the film. The first of these, "The Director and Writers" track, is with director/co-writer/producer Peter Jackson, co-writer/producer Fran Walsh, and co-writer Philippa Boyens. Perhaps the most involving commentary of the year, the three discuss the movie is all of its stages, going into detail about the production from their decisions about the opening prologue, which New Line wanted trimmed down to two minutes, to the many ways in which the book has been augmented and rearranged, though always with the look of Middle Earth in mind. Jackson is especially engaging when he discusses the differences between book and film, as well as between theatrical version and new special edition, which he informs us is not a director's cut, as he feels the term is a mistruth here.

The second commentary, titled "The Design Team," involves a great many people: production designer Grant Major, costume designer Ngila Dickson, Weta Workshop creative supervisor Richard Taylor, conceptual designers Alan Lee and John Howe, supervising art director and set decorator Dan Hennah, art department manager Chris Hennah, and Weta Workshop manager Tania Rodger. Taylor opens the track with another discussion of the prologue sequence, and as the movie begins to take form, the others also make their own comments and references to key aspects of the production. Everything you could ever want to know about the look of the film is divulged here, be it the costumes and make-up effects, or the overall appearance and how it was tailored to remain in the spirit of Tolkein's vision even when the material itself strayed somewhat.

"The Production/Post-Production Team" commentary is introduced by producer Barrie Osborne, who is accompanied by executive producer Mark Ordesky, cinematographer Andrew Lesnie, editor John Gilbert, co-producer Rick Porras, composer Howard Shore, visual effects supervisor Jim Rygiel, supervising sound editor and co-designer Erhan Van der Ryn, supervising sound editor Mike Hopkins, Weta animation supervisor and designer Randy Cook, Weta VFX art director Christian Rivers, Weta VFX cinematographer Brian Van'r Hul, and miniatures unit cinematographer Alex Funke. It's impossible for everyone to get their full two cents into this track, considering how crowded it is, but you learn a lot from the track in terms of how the special effects were integrated into live-action shots, how miniatures were augmented to look like full-scale sets, and much, much more.

And then we have "The Cast" commentary, a wonderful reuniting of pretty much all the key players. Elijah Wood (Frodo), Ian McKellen (Gandalf), Liv Tyler (Arwen), Sean Astin (Sam), John Rhys-Davies (Gimli), Billy Boyd (Pippin), Dominic Monaghan (Merry), Orlando Bloom (Legolas), Christopher Lee (Saruman), and Sean Bean (Boromir), all have such a good time recalling their experiences on the set that you become instantly immersed in their conversations. Each of them puts in their six pence about the story and the basis of the film, and how they approached their characters, which is just as engaging as the talk of production and performing amidst Jackson's foray.

So what to make of all the participants and the commentaries? Well, let's just say you'd better set aside a good day or two to fully experience these discussions, and not to worry about knowing who is talking about what: the names of those talking appear at the top of the screen during the conversation. And, be sure to listen carefully, as some members make some enticing references to the following films... are they teasing us or what?

Moving on to the next two discs, which hold the "Appendices" of the film. This has to be one of the most extensive and complex DVD editions ever created, and in every way, it's just as ambitious and enormous as the film itself. There is so much material that's it's hard to pinpoint where to begin in describing each aspect of this production, so if you will, please excuse me if my descriptions are somewhat brief. After all, why spoil the many surprises?

Disc Three is basically devoted to exploring the comparisons between the book and the movie, and begins with six documentaries that give us a look at separate sections of the film and the history of the epic books. We get a little backstory on the life of J.R.R. Tolkein, who created such a vast amount of information and mythology surrounding the land known to him as "Middle-earth;" after watching this, you have to admire Jackson's efforts with "Fellowship," because as he puts it, it would be impossible to create a fully faithful film version of this complex world. We then move on the discover more about the creation of the script and the pitching of the film to New Line, who at first wanted to make the three films one film, which caused Jackson and his writers to compensate and script two different movies before they finally agreed on three major motion pictures.

The rest of the docs cover everything from costume design and storyboarding to the look of the movie and how it needed to be absolutely flawless in terms of remaining true to Tolkein's vision. If anything, this is the most admirable trait of the film, and these in-depth peeks into the creation of places like The Mines of Moria and Rivendell provide a nice look at the sheer scope of the movie and the terrific amount of talent that went into its creation. If the documentaries on this disc don't convince you of the hard work of the filmmakers, then maybe the extensive galleries of conceptual art, sketches, storyboards, character concepts, and much more, will act as a testament to the painstaking tasks these artisans were dealt. There are also some pre-visualization sequences included, some playable through the split-screen method where the final sequence plays beneath it (always a nice touch), and a Middle-earth Atlas and map of New Zealand detailing the location shooting through some nifty behind-the-scenes vignettes.

Disc Four dives into making the movie a reality, from the eleven docs to the continued photo galleries. We're given an exemplary look at the production of the film, beginning with three docs pertaining to the principle photography and the interaction of the on-set cast and crew, who clearly have enjoyed themselves in making the movie. Then we move on to look more at the post-production efforts, most notably the special effects, the miniatures that were created for the movie, the distortion of scale to make two actors appear to be of different sizes in the same shot, and the integration of live-action with these elements. Of these docs, the one on the miniatures is the most intriguing, mainly because the designers were so intent on using the drawings of Alan Lee to inspire their own vision. Details are intricate in all these mini-sets, and the fact that you don't really think of it as a miniature in the final shot is spellbinding.

The editorial process is also broken down here, as are the award-winning sound design and effects, and the reaction to the film from audiences and the filmmakers alike. It's nice to see that the hype surrounding "Fellowship," as well as the accolades and praise it has received, have not swayed his visions for the upcoming "Two Towers" and "Return of the King" installments. This disc also features a demo of the editing process that's somewhat clunky, and more photo galleries of production stills and miniature captures.

For those of you who cannot live without owning everything related to "The Lord of the Rings," then the asking price for this four-disc gem won't phase you in the slightest. I felt that, with four commentaries, seventeen documentaries, photo galleries of over 2,000 pictures and art concepts, and more, this is one DVD special edition that gives you your money's worth. If the initial two-disc release was the appetizer, then this is one hell of a main course, guaranteed to be remembered as one of the greatest DVDs of the year, and all time. I wonder what they'll be doing with the next two movies...

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