MIDDLE-EARTH
31-DISC ULTIMATE
COLLECTOR'S EDITION
4K UHD + BLU-RAY + DIGITAL
THE HOBBIT: THE MOTION PICTURE TRILOGY
AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY (2012)
THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (2013)
THE BATTLE OF FIVE ARMIES (2014)
Label: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Region Code: Region-Free/A
Rating: PG-13, PG-13, R
Duration: 169/182, 161/186, 144/164 Minutes
Audio: English Dolby Atmos, Dolby True HD 7.1, DTS-HD MA 5.1 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: Dolby Vision HDR 2160 UHD Widescreen (2.40:1), 1080p HD Widescreen (2.40:1)
Director: Peter Jackson
Cast: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott, Graham McTavish, William Kircher
Coming a decade after the The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) we had the prequel The Hobbit trilogy. The look and feel was a bit different from LOTR and while I was a huge fan of the previous trilogy I didn't and still don't love the Hobbit films quite as much as I did the former. However, I sort of chalk that up to a mix of LOTR burn-out after many re-watches of the extended editions and a bit of unrealistic expectation. Re-watching these UHD I have slightly warmed to the Hobbit trilogy considerably. Martin Freeman is pretty fantastic as Bilbo Baggins and he had some big shoes to fill so to speak. He's a charmer as the reluctant pint-sized hero, but his entourage of middle-earth crusaders is what I think put me off, this new fellowship does not have the vibrancy and depth of the former. I love having Ian McKellan back as Gandalf, and I loved all the scenes of the gold-mongering dragon Smaug, but these flicks do not hit the Tolkien fantasy-adventure sweet spot for me the way that the LOTR did, but again, watching, it this a second time on UHD I was definitely more into it.
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE MOTION PICTURE TRILOGY
THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (2001)
THE TWO TOWERS (2002)
THE RETURN OF THE KING (2003)
Label: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Region Code: Region-Free/A
Rating: PG-13
Duration: 178/228, 179/235, 201/263 Minutes
Audio: English Dolby Atmos, Dolby True HD 7.1, DTS-HD MA 5.1 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: Dolby Vision HDR 2160HD Widescreen (2.40:1), 1080p HD Widescreen (2.40:1)
Director: Peter Jackson
Cast: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett
I have never read J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings but I grew up on the wonderful animated adaptations of films and have always treasured them. When it was announced that Peter Jackson (Dead Alive) would be directing the film adaptation of the series I was onboard from the get-go, having already been a fan of his early splat-stick comedies as well as the coming-of-age thriller Heavenly Creatures, and the spook-fest The Frighteners. I took my son to all three films in the franchise and even saw the extended cut re-releases at the cinema, I was completely enraptured by the trilogy and I treasure the series. The scope and breadth of the live-action franchise was breathtaking and my memories of seeing them on the big screen with my son Nic are still among my favorite at-the-movie experiences to this day, they are truly epic and glorious films.
Audio/Video: This 31-disc set presents the epic trilogies in both the theatrical and extended version, offering the same UHD and Blu-ray discs that accompanied the previous UHD and Blu-ray sets in 2020, those being the Peter Jackson 4K restorations. They've been restored and recolortimed with Dolby Vision on the UHD discs, with Jackson's intent being to make the LOTR series look more uniform and in-line with the aesthetic of The Hobbit. Having reviewed the previous UHD discs I was at first not too pleased with it to be honest, having watched the previous Blu-ray editions many times over I think I was set in my mind how the films were supposed to looking, especially LOTR. Initially I found the new DolbyVision color-grading slightly off-putting. While it offered crisp and sharp looking details with pristine clarity there was a softness that crept into certain scenes, and there was some DNR that irked me, Revising these more recently I am more appreciative of the positives with a broader color spectrum and color-balance, the much deeper blacks and a more nuanced contrast later. That's not to say I don't still find faults, there's some edge enhancement and the color-grading which attempts to make LOTR look a lot more like The Hobbit trilogy still bothers me.
Not disappointing whatsoever is the Dolby Atmos audio upgrade,, an ear-gasm inducing immersive sound design with plenty of low-end on it, definitely a phenomenal auditory experience. Thankfully the Blu-ray discs not only feature the new restoration in 1080p non-Dolby Vision HD, but also the Dolby Atmos track, so good on WBHE for that.
Now onto the extras,, oh-boy. That thisis labeled with the expectation-setting Ultimate Collector's Edition is a sad joke on we fans as it is missing 98% of the extras available on previous DVD and Blu-ray editions and doesn't even offers the 3-D versions of The Hobbit either. Ultimate Collector's Edition conjures ideas of a deluxe all-encompassing extras-laden release that would render all previous editions null and void immediately. Nope, not even close... whats missing? A lot! The Appendices are nowhere to be found, nor are the extensice Costa Botes documentaries. What we do get by way of legacy extras are the multitude of audio commentaries, a not comprehensive set of trailers, and the New Zealand: Home of Middle-Earth featurettes, plus a handful of Easter Eggs.
All is not lost though, there's is a bonus disc of previously unreleased on-disc extras; it contain the three Alamo Drafthouse Presents The Lord of the Rings Cast Reunions for The Fellowship of the Ring (40 min) HD, The Two Towers (33 min) HD, and The Return of the King (30 min) HD - each one hosted by Tolkien uber-nerd Stephen Colbert of The Late Show. These were done via video conferencing platform and features the participation of Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Viggo Mortensen, Liv Tyler, Peter Jackson, Ian McKellen, and Andy Serkis. Perhaps the most intriguing new extra is the incision of The Festival de Cannes 2001 Presentation Reel (27 min) HD, which was the world's first peek of the trilogy before it was released, which includes footage and music cues not seen in either the theatrical or extended cuts, which is pretty cool.
The 31-disc set arrives in a gorgeous modular box set with attractive images from the trilogies adorning all four sides with gold-foil inlays around it. Its modular in the you can transform it into three different display options with hinge and magnet accordian style construction. Opening the set you will find pockets that house the six films, each presented in it's own black keepcase with its own slipcover featuring exclusive artwork. Inside the keepcases you will find both the theatrical and extended versions on Blu-ray and UHD discs.
Also tucked away inside is a cardboard box, inside of which you will find the bonus special features disc and assorted ephemera. Theres a 64-page softcover book 'The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings: A Collection of Costume Sketches, Photography, and Production Notes', plus a cool set of seven illustrated travel cards with illustrations of iconic locations from the films which are about the size of tarot cards and printed on thick cardboard slats. We also get redemption codes for both the theatrical and extended versions of the films in 4K digital UHD. The bonus disc comes housed in a CD-style digipack.
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY – THEATRICAL VERSION
- New Zealand: Home of Middle-Earth (7 min) HD
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY – EXTENDED VERSION
- The Filmmakers’ Commentary
- New Zealand: Home of Middle-Earth (7 min) HD
THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG – THEATRICAL VERSION
- New Zealand: Home of Middle-Earth, Part 2 (7 min) HD
THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG – EXTENDED VERSION
- The Filmmakers’ Commentary
- New Zealand: Home of Middle-Earth, Part 2 (7 min) HD
THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES – THEATRICAL VERSION
- New Zealand: Home of Middle-Earth, Part 3 (6 min)
THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES – EXTENDED VERSION
- The Filmmakers’ Commentary
- New Zealand: Home of Middle-Earth, Part 3 (6 min) HD
- Trailer #1 (2 min) HD
- Trailer #2 (3 min) HD
- Legacy Trailer (3 min) HD
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING – THEATRICAL VERSION
- Trailer #1 (HD – 1:48)
- Trailer #2 (2 min) HD
- Final Trailer (3 min) HD
- The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Supertrailer (7 min) HD
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING – EXTENDED VERSION, PT.1
- The Director and Writers Commentary
- The Design Team Commentary
- The Production/Post-Production Team Commentary
- The Cast Commentary
- Easter Egg: MTV Council of Elrond (4 min)
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING – EXTENDED VERSION, PT.2
- The Director and Writers Commentary
- The Design Team Commentary
- The Production/Post-Production Team Commentary
- The Cast Commentary
- Easter Egg: Theatrical Preview of The Two Towers (4 min)
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS – THEATRICAL VERSION
- Teaser Trailer (2 mun) HD
- Theatrical Trailer (3 min) HD
- The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Supertrailer (7 min) HD
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS – EXTENDED VERSION, PT.1
- The Director and Writers Commentary
- The Design Team Commentary
- The Production/Post-Production Team Commentary
- The Cast Commentary
- Easter Egg: MTV Best Virtual Performance (3 min)
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS – EXTENDED VERSION, PT.2
- The Director and Writers Commentary
- The Design Team Commentary
- The Production/Post-Production Team Commentary
- The Cast Commentary
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING – THEATRICAL VERSION
- Trailer #1 (HD – 3:00)
- Trailer #2 (HD – 1:03)
- The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Supertrailer (7 min) HD
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING – EXTENDED VERSION, PT.1
- The Director and Writers Commentary
- The Design Team Commentary
- The Production/Post-Production Team Commentary
- The Cast Commentary
- Easter Egg: Interview with Dominic Monaghan & Elijah Wood (9 min)
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING – EXTENDED VERSION, PT.2
- The Director and Writers Commentary
- The Design Team Commentary
- The Production/Post-Production Team Commentary
- The Cast Commentary
- Easter Egg: MTV Ben Stiller & Vince Vaughn “Sequel” Interview with Peter Jackson (6 min)
SPECIAL FEATURES BONUS DISC
- Alamo Drafthouse Presents The Lord of the Rings Cast Reunion: The Fellowship of the Ring (40 min) HD
- Alamo Drafthouse Presents The Lord of the Rings Cast Reunion: The Two Towers (33 min) HD
- Alamo Drafthouse Presents The Lord of the Rings Cast Reunion: The Return of the King (30 min) HD
- Festival de Cannes Presentation Reel (27 min) HD
This is a handsome edition that should have been advertised as the Ultimate Collector's Packaging Edition, that would have been more appropriate. If you own the previous The Hobbit: Motion Picture Trilogy and The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy 4K UHD sets and are not an extras junky I'd be hard pressed to say this is worth the expensive upgrade. Now if you're a packaging freak the cool modular and transformative packaging is pretty bad-ass and might merit the purchase. I aplluad WBHE for the superior A/V presentation, not so much for skimping on the legacy extras.
