Danielle Solzman
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy–brought to life from Oscar-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson–finally makes its arrival on 4K Ultra HD.
The three films include The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and Best Picture winner The Return of the Ring. Both theatrical and extended movies are spread across nine discs. The extended versions get two discs, of course. You also get a digital copy. Unfortunately, the downside to this collection is the lack of bonus content. New bonus content is coming though. If you’re willing to wait until next year, that is.
If you’re in New Zealand and Peter Jackson didn’t thank you yet, I’m sorry. In all seriousness, I was about a decade late to the films having not seen them in a theater but instead at a friend’s place in 2009. I regret not seeing it on the big screen but it is what it is. These are beautiful films and Peter Jackson oversaw the process of remastering the films in 4K.
While many fans are likely to bring this set home, please allow me to caution you really quick. When Warner Bros. announced the film’s first arrival on 4K UHD, they also made another announcement. In honor of the film’s 20th anniversary of The Fellowship of the Ring, the studio will release the Middle-earth Ultimate Collector’s Edition next summer. The set will feature the theatrical and extended versions of each film. Also included will be the previously released Blu-ray discs of The Hobbit Trilogy and the remastered Blu-rays of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. This is where the catch comes in: the set will also include new bonus content. Another release of this particular trilogy with remastered Blu-ray discs will follow next year, too. If you know you want to bring the set home with new content, I would advise you to wait. Otherwise, please go right ahead!
I’ll have in-depth film reviews running later this month as I simply ran out of time during the last week.
