The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy (Extended Edition) [Blu-ray] [2011] [2001]

After the breaking of the Fellowship, Frodo and Sam journey to Mordor with the creature Gollum as their guide in The Two Towers. Meanwhile, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) join in the defense of the people of Rohan, who are the first target in the eradication of the race of Men by the renegade wizard Saruman (Christopher Lee) and the dark lord Sauron. Fantastic creatures, astounding visual effects, and a climactic battle at the fortress of Helm's Deep make The Two Towers a worthy successor to The Fellowship of the Ring, grander in scale but retaining the story's emotional intimacy.

With The Return of the King, the greatest fantasy epic in film history draws to a grand and glorious conclusion. The trilogy could never fully satisfy those who remain exclusively loyal to Tolkien's expansive literature, but as a showcase for physical and technical craftsmanship it is unsurpassed in pure scale and ambition, setting milestone after cinematic milestone as Frodo and Sam continue their mission to Mordor to destroy the soul-corrupting One Ring. While the heir to the kingdom of Men, Aragorn, endures the massive battle at Minas Tirith with the allegiance of Legolas, Gimli, and Gandalf, Frodo and Sam must survive the schizoid deceptions of Gollum, who remains utterly convincing as a hybrid of performance (by Andy Serkis) and subtly nuanced computer animation. Jackson and cowriters Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens have much ground to cover; that they do so with intense pacing and epic sweep is impressive enough, but by investing greater depth and consequence in the actions of fellow hobbits Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd), they ensure that The Return of the King maintains the trilogy's emphasis on intimate fellowship and remains faithful to Tolkien's overall vision. By ending the LOTR trilogy with noble integrity and faith in the power of imaginative storytelling, The Return of the King, like its predecessors, will stand as an adventure for the ages. --Jeff Shannon and David Horiuchi

Please note this is a region B Blu-ray and will require a region B or region free Blu-ray player in order to play. The special features on the DVD will also require a region 2 or region free player in order to play.

One of the most magical, intensely spectacular epic adventures in film history comes alive with these extended editions of The Lord of the Rings trilogy on Blu-ray boasting unsurpassed high definition picture and sound. Sound + Vision magazine ranked the 2010 release in their top five Blu-rays of the Year noting that it was one of only two releases to earn five stars for sound and calling it “breathtaking.” Now see and hear the extended trilogy at home the way it was meant to be seen, on Blu-ray Hi-Def.

Based on the length of each extended edition feature film and in order to present each film in the highest possible picture quality, each film is presented on two Blu-ray discs.

The set boasts more than 26 hours of additional content, highlighted by the rare behind-the-scenes documentaries created by Costa Botes, the filmmaker given unprecedented access to the set of each production by Peter Jackson. Costa Botes was able to capture raw and riveting behind-the-scenes film footage. His unique approach to storytelling--allowing the footage to speak for itself--results in an intimate and candid backstage pass to the challenges, preparations and camaraderie that went into shooting the timeless trilogy.

The feature-length documentaries, with more than four and a half hours of footage, focus on a number of complexities and circumstances that tested the filmmakers, cast and crew during the shoot, as well as a look at some of the comical antics and personal moments on the set. The Costa Botes documentaries accompany acclaimed special features by Michael Pellerin from the original extended cut releases to make this the most comprehensive The Lord of the Rings compilation