By the time of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King's theatrical release, audience members who had already experienced extended DVD editions of the previous two films in the trilogy were gossiping on just what would be included on the third chapter's eventual extended version. While the original theatrical cut of the film, which made a clean sweep at the 2003 Academy Awards ceremony, was pretty close to being perfect, this extended edition from director Peter Jackson improves on that perfection. The now over four-hour-long film is split between two discs and is presented in a gorgeous 2.35:1 widescreen aspect ratio. While the small-screen presentation makes some of the film's many digital matte paintings look even more like digital matte paintings, the transfer features brilliant colors and rich blacks. Make sure nothing is placed on top of your speakers, as the rumble of the disc's supersonic booming audio mix, presented in Stereo Surround Sound, Dolby Digital EX 5.1 Surround Sound, and DTS ES 6.1 Surround Sound, will likely make anything up there come crashing to the floor. The film also features four different and surprisingly lively audio commentaries, which are split up between Jackson and his co-screenwriters and various members of the cast and crew. Actor Andy Serkis even lets the characters Gollum and Sm~agol get a few nasty words in occasionally. The real highlights of the first two discs are, without a doubt, the additions made to the film itself. The first disc alone contains 22 scenes that feature additional or entirely new footage, while the second disc offers 17 more. Long-awaited moments like seeing the fates of characters like Christopher Lee's Saruman or Brad Dourif's Grima Wormtongue are likely be embraced by fans. Overall, the new cut is better paced, more dramatic, more suspenseful, and far less rushed than the theatrical version. As with the other extended editions, it feels as if the theatrical release was the Cliffs Notes version of the film, while the extended DVD feels like the actual full, fleshed-out Lord of the Rings experience. The first disc of extras, titled "The Appendices Part Five -- The War of the Ring," contains six documentaries that begin with an in-depth look at Lord of the Rings creator J.R.R. Tolkien and carry on to Peter Jackson discussing how the book was converted into a screenplay and how that screenplay was finally designed and filmed. Also included on the disc are a series of abandoned storyboard concepts including a sword fight between Aragorn and Sauron, two interactive Middle-earth maps, and several art and photo galleries that include over 2,000 images. As if that wasn't enough, the fourth disc, titled "The Appendices Part Six -- The Passing of an Age" includes over three hours of footage on the film's many award-winning effects, the musical score by Howard Shore, the film's multiple Oscar wins, and reflections from the cast and crew on their years bringing Tolkien's books to the screen. A massive gallery of candid production photos closes out the disc. While fans who have already sat through the six hours of previous supplemental materials from the other films will find some repetition of footage and information here, it is a rather small amount. Still, New Line Home Entertainment and the film's creative staff have once again raised the bar for DVD presentations, and this is certainly a film and a DVD, for newcomers or Lord of the Rings fans, that is an absolute must to own.

Released three months after a two-disc set, this extended edition of Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is without question the DVD of 2002. It's not easy to know where to begin. The picture on this disc, framed at 2.35:1 and anamorphic is brilliant, just as the original release was. Colors are vivid, blacks are solid, and detail is perfect. There are no signs of grain, scratches, shimming...it is a joy to view. The film, at three and a half hours, is split over two of the four discs. Yes, switching the discs midway through the film is necessary, but with the additional compression space, it's no wonder it looks so good. The sound, in both Dolby Digital EX and DTS ES tracks is equally amazing. Dialogue and sound effects are clear as a bell, while the surrounds are aggressive at just the right moments. But where this disc stands out more than any other are the supplements. On the first two discs are four commentary tracks. These include "The Director and Writers," with Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens; "The Design Team," including production designer Grant Major, costume designer Ngila Dickson, creative supervisor Richard Taylor, conceptual designers Alan Lee and John Howe, supervising art director Dan Hennah, art department manager Chris Hennah, and workshop manager Tania Rodger; "The Production/Post-Production Team," which has producer Barrie Osborne, executive producer Mark Ordesky, director of photography Andrew Lesnie, editor John Gilbert, co-producer Rick Porras, composer Howard Shore, visual effects supervisor Jim Rygiel, supervising sound editors Ethan van der Ryn and Mike Hopkins, animation designer Randy Cook, VFX art director Christian Rivers, VFX cinematographer Brian Vant Hul, and miniatures director of photography Alex Funke; and if that was not enough, there is "The Cast," with Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Sean Astin, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, and Sean Bean. And that is just the first two discs! The third and fourth discs are an amazing revelation into the entire filmmaking process. These discs are called the Appendices. Disc three, "From Book to Vision," covers the process of adapting the book to film form; three and a half hours of documentaries trace the original published work of J.R.R. Tolkien through the vast pre-production journey of the film. Included are lengthy detailed pieces on the costumes, pre-visualizations, storyboards, and more artwork than you are likely to see anywhere else. The fourth disc, "From Vision to Reality," looks at everything regarding the actual filmmaking activity. Everything from casting, visual effects, sound, editing, and so much more are covered here in two and half hours of more documentaries. Both supplement discs are heavy with interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, and the inclusion of some 2,000 paintings and photographs, some with additional commentary, brings the total supplements to around 30 hours. A real plus is the lack of too much repetition, which could have greatly cut the enjoyment of perusing the wealth of information. Lord of the Rings fans, and those new to this marvelous work, will be swept away by the caliber of what is offered here. When you get right down to it, there simply aren't enough superlatives for this DVD release. New Line and the filmmakers involved have gone out of their way to make this a DVD release that shines above all others.