The tremendous design work that went into the costumes, weapons and set dressing finally gets a proper showcase for the home audience; the detail and definition on these discs is superb. As with the extended DVD editions, the films have been split over two discs, so no information has been lost in compression. The result is a colorful, sublime presentation not seen since these films were in theaters, maybe not even then. The longest addition is the one that fans (and Christopher Lee) have been clamoring for since it was announced that it was snipped: the resolution of Saruman (Lee) and Grima Wormtounge (Brad Dourif). But in finally seeing the sequence, it's easy to see why it was excised; though it caps off two characters who were prominent in the last film, their fates don't really advance the plot that much and the movie already has too much to cover before the battle for Minis Tirith. But it's a welcome addition just the same.

Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy, The (Extended Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy, The (Extended

Here, the filmmakers discuss how they reworked the book into filming shape, and what didn't make the cut (even after filming stopped) especially a cut scene featuring Aragorn fighting Sauron — which was thought needed to give the final struggle to destroy the ring more drama, though proved unnecessary — and the absence of the long missed "Scowering of the Shire" sequence. There's also a frank discussion of the film's multiple endings. In this section one can also see the early animatics for the Sauron-Aragorn fight (5 min.). There are 15 discs in this set, five per film (two for the extended cuts and three for bonus features), plus 26 hours of bonus material. Just about the only thing it doesn't include are the original theatrical versions. If you prefer those over the extra-long extended editions, you might want to hold on to your previous set. But be aware that the versions on this set aren't just the same prints with the extra footage added in. They've been remastered, so this really is the best the three films are going to get on Blu-ray. As wonderful as all that is, here's the bad news: the special features are all presented on DVD and they've pretty much all been released before. In addition to the extras from the extended edition DVDs you also get the three Costa Botes making-of documentaries, one for each film, that were included in the limited edition DVD release. An HD upgrade to the documentaries would have gone a long way towards alleviating the disappointment at the redundancy in the supplemental materials. On the bright side, there is one new extra thrown in, and it's even one that might appeal to the IGN audience, a preview of the upcoming video game The Lord of the Rings: The War in the North. At least that's something.Disc Five offers Botes documentary on the making of RotK (114 min.) and it’s a nice playful version of a behind the scenes piece. The Middle-Earth Atlas is an interactive map where you can follow the journey of Frodo or Gandalf, with clips from the film. And, finally, “New Zealand as Middle-earth” (10 min.) covers seven of the film’s locations. Designing and Building Middle-earth” offers “Designing Middle-earth” (41 min.) gives props to the creative team behind the look of the film, while “Weta Workshop” (43 min.) gives the make-up and effects guys their due, and “Costume Design” (12 min.) highlights the self-evident. There are also two still galleries for design, broken into numerous subsections covering the people and the realms, with some of the stills coming with commentary. Here is the complete list of special features included on The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Extended Edition Blu-ray:

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Theatrical + Extended) (4K UHD

The bottom line is, if you're a fan of Lord of the Rings – or cinema in general – and care at all about video and audio quality, this is a must-own collection. It's that essential. Disc Five offers Costa Botes' documentary on the making of Fellowship (85 min.) and it’s a way more playful look at the making of the film. The hobbits get to goof on each other, but work gets done.