"One Long-Ass Film to Rule Them All" (reviewed by OG)

Holy Time Consumption, Batman. As if the first installment of this new Holy Trilogy wasn’t long enough, they’ve tacked on an extra 30-40 minutes of new material for this mind-blowing special edition, pushing the running time to about 210 minutes, and forcing the folks at New Line to split the film onto two separate discs, each with an amazing transfer and crisp DTS sound. In any other case, this would simply be overkill, but the addition of the new footage throughout the film itself (and NOT tacked onto the end of the disc) gives FOTR the richness and complexity that it deserved on the big screen. Once can understand that, for the purpose of mainstream audiences, the film had to be cut, but for those who are fans of the book, or even of the sci-fi/fantasy genre, this complete version is as faithful to Tolkien’s original text as they originally wished it would be.

I’ll refrain from going all “Geek” at the prospect of this new release, and will instead describe a few other aspects of my reaction to Peter Jackson’s masterpiece. Sitting in the theater and witnessing the film for the first time last year (with a special “preview” audience), I felt, for the first time in a long time, like a kid making a new and exciting discovery through the medium of film. The way I felt when I first watched The Empire Strikes Back and Return if the Jedi. The way I felt electrified after seeing Labyrinth, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Goonies back (way back) in the day. That feeling of amazement, ironically enough, that surged through me after catching Jackson’s DEAD ALIVE with Ax at GSU’s CineFest. (a film that, in my estimation, rivals FOTR in terms of genius and magnitude) a few years ago. That “FEELING” of joy and discovery at the hands of a piece of celluloid is what gripped me within the first 20 minutes of so of that particular screening. The opening sequence alone, with the army of men taking on Sauron and his orcs blew me out of my seat, and once Gandalf made his first appearance…well, that was it. I was hooked…reeled in…and for the first time, once again, in a LONG time, I was part of the experience in a way a child is part of something like, say, The Neverending Story.

So now the gift is increased with the Special Edition DVD set, and the additions are stupendous, as well as essential to the overall feel of the film. We get to see, now, HOW the ring betrayed Isildur at the river. We get a whole new intro and title sequence, with Bilbo recounting the history and nature of hobbits, and we move along to great new footage at Bilbo’s birthday bash…But hell, man…I can’t go through every single damn scene that’s been added/extended (for THAT, go to http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=13726), so let me just state that the film is COMPLETE now. It feels like the first part of a great trilogy, one that will live on for ages after its release, just as Tolkien’s books have. The one added scene that personifies my point comes near the end of the film, where Galadriel (played amazingly by Cate Blanchett) gives the Fellowship their parting gifts (a scene whose absence many fans lamented with the launching of a myriad of 4-letter words). It’s a scene that sets the stage for future events, as well as gives us a peek into the character of Gimli (played by John Rhys-Davies), who falls head over heels in love with the Lady of the Wood (heh heh). And that’s just the film itself, folks (for a badass Easter egg, go to scene 48 in disc 2, then click down to the 2 towers symbol). There are 2 other disks to talk about.

Disc 3 is a compilation of over 2 hours worth of material documenting everything from Tolkien’s life and work to the realization of the film through Jackson’s eyes. There are featurettes describing the adaptation process, the locations selected in beautiful New Zealand, the designing of sets and location alterations, costume desing/concepts, galleries, Set Tests, Animatic to film comparisons, and an interactive Middle Earth atlas. Disc 4, which I’m STILL working through, is the true gem for anyone who’s even mildly interested in the filmmaking process. Every painstaking step in the process of creating this film is documented, from the choice of cast to private footage from Elijah Wood (one gets the feeling that he and the rest of the “hobbits” became best friends throughout the shoot, and it shows in some of the more laid back footage). Behind the scenes footage permeates the disc, and its always a bit strange to see Gandalf riding next to a huge mounted camera, or the hilarious vision of the Urukai monster Lurtz with a pink bow in his hair and a water cup in his hands, clowning around and voguing shortly before his decapitation scene.

Another key set of documentary footage to watch is the process WETA (Jackson’s digital FX group) went through to bring the film’s most stunning visual moments to life (the opening battle scene, for example, which is giving ILM a run for its money). The Cave Troll, the miniatures, and most impressive of all…the camera and digital tricks used to make the hobbits appear smaller than their “man” counterparts (you won’t believe some of the cool tricks they used). It’s a small aspect of the film’s visuals, but an integral one. The music, sound, and editing features are also expansive, and well worth the sit-through for any real fan of the flick. All in all, disc 4 is the one that’ll keep you in your seat, surfing through feature after feature, and taking in the awesome accomplishment that Jackson and Co. have achieved.

So call me a geek. Call me a fan. Go ahead. Do it. I truly loved this film, in the way a child loves things that make him feel the vigor of his youth. This one, however, brought me back to that state of mind at the age of 25, and I tip my hat to Jackson for taking me back. If I ever meet the man, I’ll hug him, and then ask him to get his ass started on Dead Alive 2.

Special Features:

DVD Content Disk 1 & 2