LOTR ROTK extended.... 50 minutes longer!

EchiDna · « **on:** 11 Dec 2004, 12:30 am »

picked LOTR return of the king extended edition up yesterday and while I think the story moved closer to the book (as in all of the extended releases), it is just sooooooooooo long. Started watching at 7pm and it just finished before midnight.... insane length for a movie, but I loved it none the less... No spoilers for now, will let some more of you see it first!!

Mike Dzurko · « **Reply #1 on:** 14 Dec 2004, 06:09 pm »

I hope to make the pilgrimage to BB tonight to pick it up. It might be at least a week until we see it, darn!

PeteG · « **Reply #2 on:** 15 Dec 2004, 01:26 am »

Picked mine up today, along with others. I will save the extended edition for a good’O snow day.

Pete

Lost81 · « **Reply #3 on:** 15 Dec 2004, 03:16 am »

Picked it up for $24.99 at Costco

Costco also had the version that came with the silly statue.
It contains a 5th DVD featuring the making of the symphony for the LOTR. It isn't enough to convince me to pay $49.94 for the set though.

-Lost81

peted20 · « **Reply #4 on:** 15 Dec 2004, 08:15 am »

Just finished watching all 4 hours 10 minutes of it

All I can say is wow. What a beautiful movie!

Mike Dzurko · « **Reply #5 on:** 15 Dec 2004, 12:13 pm »

$22.99 at BB . . .I can't wait to get a chance to watch

WerTicus · « **Reply #6 on:** 15 Dec 2004, 03:40 pm »

far out i thought the original movies were too long

byteme · « **Reply #7 on:** 15 Dec 2004, 03:53 pm »

I'm just giddy with excitement!! I read the digital bits review which only served to whet my appetite even further!

"some 350 new effects shots, more intense battle sequences, etc."

" Thankfully, this DVD release finally gives The Return of the King the chance to truly shine, both visually and sonically, by splitting the film over two discs. This allows the maximum amout of disc space to be devoted to the video data. The result is a richly detailed, lushly colored anamorphic widescreen presentation that pleases in every respect. The image is crisp and clean, without looking digital or artificially enhanced to cover defects in the print or the transfer. There's an unbelievable amount of detail visible, even in the darker areas of the image (trust me on this - I watched this film on a 106-inch projection screen and not once did the image quality come up wanting). Colors are much more vivid looking than they were on the 2-disc version, shadows are deeper. There's virtually no compression artifacting visible, and not a single print defect that I could see anywhere. Simply put, this is a gorgeous presentation - a visual feast for the eyes.

It's sonically impressive as well, with multichannel surround audio available in both Dolby Digital 5.1 EX and DTS 6.1 ES options. The EX track is highly immersive, with astonishing dynamic range. The Battle of the Pelennor Fields is, as you'd expect, a sonic tour de force, with smooth panning and tons of directional play. The mix is also highly atmospheric, even in quieter passages. The soundstage is wide, with tight imaging and thunderous low frequency. If you've got a high-quality sub in your system, when the orc army takes their battering rams to the gates of Minas Tirith, you'll feel every impact in the seat of your pants. My wife, Sarah, complained more than once that the floor of her upstairs office was shaking as I screened this film. Need any better recommendation that that? The DTS 6.1 ES option improves on the audio experience further still, adding an even greater measure of clarity and subtlety to the mix. Imaging is more precise and the overall experience has a slightly more natural quality that I found very pleasing."

nathanm · « **Reply #8 on:** 16 Dec 2004, 12:04 am »

I watched it last night! There's so much grinding sub-bass on this flick it's insane, almost to a fault! Seems like just about everytime they want to punctuate a scene with sound cues it is done with throbbing bass gurgles. I mean, even with the opening fight between Smeagol and Deagol the ring makes all kinds of LFE bursts. Sheesh! The Buttkicker under my couch got a helluva workout. I clipped the speakers in a few scenes, much to my neighbors' delight I'm sure!

Mike Dzurko · « **Reply #9 on:** 16 Dec 2004, 12:07 am »

Quote from: nathanm

I watched it last night! There's so much grinding sub-bass on this flick it's insane, almost to a fault! Seems like just about everytime they want to punctuate a scene with sound cues it is done with throbbing bass gurgles. I mean, even with the opening fight between Smeagol and Deagol the ring makes all kinds of LFE bursts. Sheesh! I clipped the speakers in a few scenes, much to my neighbors' delight I'm sure.

It was good, an improvement for sure, but still the least favorable movie of the three IMO. Didn't even conform to its own inner-movie rules.

Nathan

Which is your fav of the three?

nathanm · « **Reply #10 on:** 16 Dec 2004, 12:14 am »

Same as my opinion of the book, it seems: The Fellowship of the Ring definitely. As movies they are all excellent and I could hardly think of any serious objections, but if you know the book then you're kinda "poisoned" to them in a way. Like Jackson said in one of the commentaries he wished he could be hypnotized and forget that he ever made the movie and watch it again with a fresh mind. I wish I could do that too and forget I ever read the book! But hey, if I wrote the screenplay I'm sure people would criticize my interpretation too.

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #11 on:** 16 Dec 2004, 04:13 am »

I just finished the Uber-Edition ten minute ago, and all I can muster is a dazed "WOW!"

Absolutely un-be-frickin-lievable! My only mistake was not watching the previous two within the last couple weeks- so much happens that I wished I'd "gotten my Ring on" first.

In every technical sense the extended version is a triumph, and artistically the "restored" movie towers above the theatrical release. It's very hard to imagine how it could have been done any better.

As an aside, I'm probably the only diehard fantasy fan that never read any Tolkien. So excepting the obvious that Frodo will succeed in destroying the Ring, it was all fresh for me. Well, given that almost all fantasty books in the last century owe a debt to Tolkien, as fresh as it could be under the circumstances.

byteme · « **Reply #12 on:** 16 Dec 2004, 06:22 am »

Quote from: Rob Babcock

I just finished the Uber-Edition ten minute ago, and all I can muster is a dazed "WOW!" Absolutely un-be-frickin-lievable! My only mistake was not watching the previous two within the last couple weeks- so much happens that I wished I'd "gotten my Ring on" first.

In every technical sense the extended version is a triumph, and artistically the "restored" movie towers above the theatrical release. It's very hard to imagine how it could have been done any better.

As an aside, I'm probably the only ...

I've never read him either and when I heard of the movies I poo poo'd them as another fantasy buff fluff film. But I still bought the Fellowship on DVD and I was BLOWN AWAY! As someone who has never read and not even really followed any of LOTR I can say that I was absolutely captivated by both of the first two movies and then taken to another level by the extended editions. I can't wait until I have the time to watch the 3rd in it's extened majesty! For someone who is discovering this tale for the first time, it's truely remarkable.

Ears · « **Reply #13 on:** 17 Dec 2004, 01:38 pm »

I am convinced that this extended version is worth double dipping for( thanks for that)...but please tell me that the good buy scene at the end is not also extended

I remember squirming around in my seat at the theater wondering if the love fest of goodbyes at the end would ever end an otherwise spectacular flick

Greg

zybar · « **Reply #14 on:** 17 Dec 2004, 01:49 pm »

Quote from: Ears

I am convinced that this extended version is worth double dipping for( thanks for that)...but please tell me that the good buy scene at the end is not also extended

I remember squirming around in my seat at the theater wondering if the love fest of goodbyes at the end would ever end an otherwise spectacular flick

Greg

Greg,

Compared to the book the ending was short and didn't really capture things completely. I DO HOPE that there is a little extension so that further details can be explained or exposed.

I plan on watching the extended cut this weekend and I fuly expect it to be worth "double dipping" (as were the previous two extended cuts).

Kudos to Peter Jackson for giving us 50+ extra minutes and not 5 minutes like many other extended or director's cuts do.

George

Mike Dzurko · « **Reply #15 on:** 17 Dec 2004, 02:33 pm »

I’ve been hooked on Tolkien since the 60s. Read the quad eight times cover – cover in my teens. When I heard that Jackson was going to do the movies, I mentioned to my wife that it could be very cool, or not. She bought the books for me and I read them again. All I can say is that I’ve found the movies to be absolutely terrific. Of course Jackson left a lot of stuff out, if he hadn’t, the trilogy would be 1000 hours long. I think the choices he made were exceptional. I can’t wait to sit down and watch ROTK.

Ears · « **Reply #16 on:** 17 Dec 2004, 06:20 pm »

I plan on watching the extended cut this weekend and I fuly expect it to be worth "double dipping" (as were the previous two extended cuts).

Kudos to Peter Jackson for giving us 50+ extra minutes and not 5 minutes like many of extended or director's cuts do.

George[/quote]

Isn't that the truth

Greg

Lost81 · « **Reply #17 on:** 17 Dec 2004, 07:40 pm »

Quote from: Ears

I am convinced that this extended version is worth double dipping for( thanks for that)...but please tell me that the good buy scene at the end is not also extended

I remember squirming around in my seat at the theater wondering if the love fest of goodbyes at the end would ever end an otherwise spectacular flick

The farewell scene at the end of the theatrical release version is terrible. It brings to mind a dress-up Halloween version of a Castro Street Love Parade... Ugh!

Like freaking "Get over it already!"

-Lost81
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