The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy

Product Information

Selected items are only available for delivery via the Royal Mail 48® service and other items are available for delivery using this service for a charge. Once again, don’t forget that in addition to the films, you also get a Movies Anywhere Digital Copy code, which should be good for all three films in both versions in 4K. But don’t get rid of your previous Blu-ray and/or DVD editions if you wish to retain all of the extras, The Appendices, and other bonus features (because you won’t find any of that content here). Due to the extensive nature of the Trilogy we’ll be updating this review with further moments from the two sequels.) The Movie You might be wondering next: Does this new 4K remaster really make that big of a difference? Is the image and sound really improved over the previous Blu-ray release? The answer to that is: HELL yes. However, if you don’t already have them, you’ll need to get a 4K display, a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player, and a surround sound system that’s compatible with Dolby Atmos.

But please, before you watch LOTR in 4k or 4k with HDR, switch to movie or film mode on your Ultra HD TV. Why? There is no need for artificial enhancements with these discs. Perhaps equally as important, remove the smooth motion “soap opera” effect also in your TV’s settings. This is film, not “Days of Our Lives.” Scores The expanded color range on the 4k Blu-ray presentation of LOTR is incredible, with luminance levels unparalleled in scenes like the opening of the Trilogy at the battle of Mordor where the One Ring glows amidst a dark army of Sauron’s forces. Hairy Hobbit feet! We always knew the Hobbits had hairy feet, but perhaps we forgot how hairy they were. Along comes this new 4k upgrade and although there are not many closeups of their feet you can almost count the Hobbity hairs when pausing the video.But here’s the thing: I’ve been reviewing Blu-ray and DVD quality professionally now for twenty-three years on The Digital Bits, and 4K Ultra HD quality for the last four of those years. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen a 4K remaster that made quite this much of a difference over a previous Blu-ray release before. Watching The Lord of the Rings Trilogy in 4k with HDR is really like watching the film for the first time. Even though you may already have every scene memorized, the visual improvements are like candy for your eyes. Dim your lights, crank up the volume, and make some microwave popcorn for this binge-worthy home theater experience.

Another audio moment is when the Fellowship attempts to take the Pass of Caradhras over the Misty Mountains but are ambushed by Saruman. The sounds of lightning, winds, and snow avalanches provide a good Atmos experience, especially in the subwoofer range. The thing with 4K is not just to go for pristine sharpness,” he says, “it is to preserve the cinematic look of it at the same time as everything becoming crisp.” Warner’s new 4K Ultra HD release includes both the Theatrical Cuts and Extended Editions of each film, the former contained on a single UHD disc for each film while the latter are split over two UHD discs each. So let’s take a look at the A/V quality of each remastered film one by one… split between two discs apiece. An even more lavish trilogy collection -- with the possibility of brand-new extras -- is planned for release The Mines of Moria. When the Fellowship enters the mines of Moria we are taken deep into caverns and tunnels where the dwarves constructed incredible mazes and halls, the depths of which have been revealed much clearer on 4k TVs. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 4k Digital Still Audio Dolby Atmos/Dolby TrueHD 7.1It’s not a story of heroes or superheroes,” he says. “It’s a story of regular people who set out to save their world.” On 4k Blu-ray there are some shots that are about as good as you could ever expect. The color is vibrant, details crisp, and the range of contrast impressive. In other shots the transfer quality doesn’t quite hit the same high marks, but that may have to do more with the way certain scenes are presented. For example, Galadriel and Arwen are always given a softer focus than other characters. There are also some shots you can find quips about, for example some of the forced perspective (used to make the Hobbit actors look smaller than other characters) does look a bit odd in today’s standards.

On the audio side of things, Warner’s new 4K UHD release also includes a brand new English Dolby Atmos mix (that’s 7.1 Dolby TrueHD compatible). And the most important thing you need to know is that, is that it’s—hands down—a reference quality cinema surround sound experience. For one thing, the soundstage is absolutely huge, and not just across the front—this is a truly complete and hemispheric sonic environment. Every channel is active at once, including the overheads, uniformly engaged in creating a sense of whatever space is being depicted on screen at that moment. Dialogue is crystal clear and naturally-positioned. Panning is so smooth as to seem effortless. And the dynamics! There are moments so soft and subtle they’ll take your breath away with tiny little environmental sound effects filtering in around you—burbling water, bird calls, insects at night. And then, in the middle of the action, the full sturm und drang of battle assaults you from all sides, as if to shake the very foundation of your house. Swords scrape, clash, and ring sharply, their sounds lingering in the air. The orc drums in the depths of Moria, the roar of the Balrog, Boromir’s horn of Gondor—you can practically feel the low end in your chest. One of the scenes that surprised me most with this mix was Gandalf and Saruman’s first confrontation in Orthanc—just listen to the surround panning and bass as Gandalf is being thrown around the room! It’s marvelous. And topping it all off, Howard Shore’s score has simply never sounded better, presented here in lossless fidelity. Additional audio options on the 4K EXTENDED EDITION discs include French 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and German, Italian, and Castilian Spanish in 6.1 DTS-HD MA, with optional subtitles in English for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, French, German for the Hearing Impaired, Italian for the Deaf, Castilian Spanish, Dutch, Simplified Chinese, Cantonese, Korean, Latin Spanish, Czech, Danish, Finnish, Greek, Norwegian, Polish, Swedish, and Thai. Additional audio options on the 4K THEATRICAL CUT disc include French 5.1 DTS-HD MA, German and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Italian 6.1 DTS-HD MA, and Spanish 2.0 Dolby Digital, with optional subtitles in English for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, French, German for the Hearing Impaired, Italian for the Deaf, Dutch, Simplified Chinese, Korean, Latin Spanish, Czech, Danish, Finnish, Greek, Norwegian, Polish, Swedish, and Thai. The surviving members of the Fellowship, with the help of the Elves, have defended the kingdom of Rohan at Helm’s Deep, as Gollum leads Frodo and Sam ever closer to Mordor. But Sauron is marching an even larger orc army, led by the vile Witch King, to the defenseless city of Minas Tirith. If it falls, so too will Gondor, and all hope for the world of men will be lost. Gandalf races to the city with Pippin to sound the alarm, while Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Merry attempt to convince King Theoden of Rohan to ride to its defense. With the fate of Middle-earth about to be decided in a last, massive battle on the fields of Pelennor, Aragorn must finally accept his destiny. And Frodo and Sam will face the ultimate test of friendship, and their very lives, in their quest to destroy the One Ring.The result of all of Park Road’s hard work is a 4K image that’s not just massively better than the previous Blu-ray, but better than the very best theatrical experiences during the film’s original release. Watching Fellowship of the Ring now via this new 4K master with HDR is like seeing the film for the first time again. It’s not quite perfect, but it’s so much better looking than you’ve ever seen it before, that it’s a truly thrilling visual experience. The Maps in LOTR of Middle Earth never looked so sharp, and neither have the shots of the ‘One Ring’ with carved inscriptions that are incredibly detailed, beautifully luminous, and perfectly legible (if you could read Elvish tengwar – if not, Galadriel provides the translation). Editor’s Note: This review is now complete. A similar review of The Hobbit Trilogy in 4K Ultra HD is also now available here on The Digital Bits.] Bilbo’s Birthday Party. Gandalf’s fireworks have never looked so detailed as they do in 4k with HDR. This is a low-light night scene that benefits from the expanded color range, so much you can almost count the candles on Bilbo’s 111th birthday cake – a slice of this particular scene that you might not have noticed before. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 4k Digital Still Video (Color Range) trilogy) on the format as a complete set that includes the theatrical and extended cuts of each film. This surprise holiday