Shelflife — Movie

If you liked the theatrical release of director Peter Jackson’s adaptation of the first third of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy The Lord of the Rings, then you will very likely love this special edition, consisting of two discs containing the now expanded film and two more detailing the production and those who helped create it.

Scenes removed from the original release for the sake of running time are masterfully restored here: “Concerning Hobbits,” with actor Ian Holm narrating the wherefores of Hobbitdom over scenes of rustic life in the Shire, and more moments of significant interaction between pivotal characters—Frodo and Bilbo, Aragorn and Boromir, Gandalf and Frodo, Gimli and Galadriel. The color and sound qualities are superb.

The two discs detailing the various stages of creating this remarkable film—from a nice little biography on Tolkien himself and interviews with director, writers, cast and crew to conscripting the services of two well-known Ring illustrators to help design the sets and scouting New Zealand locations—render this entire set informative, enjoyable and worth owning.