The second film, “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” in its extended edition on Disc 1 is using a BD-100 (100 gigabytes) disc, 67.77 gigabytes total and 65.9 gigabytes for that first half of the extended edition itself of the second film. The extended edition on Disc 2 is using a BD-100 (100 gigabytes) disc, 80.61 gigabytes total, and 71.5 gigabytes for that second half of the extended edition of the second film. Due to the extensive nature of the Trilogy we’ll be updating this review with further moments from the two sequels.) The Movie Furthermore, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy featuring remastered Blu-ray discs of the theatrical and extended versions of the 3 films will also be released in the fourth quarter 2021, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. You know, visual effects technology has advanced a lot in twenty years and when they become, you know, ultra crisp and sharp through the 4K process we realized that some of the shots were not holding up too well.” So, DNR has been applied to the new 4K DI (digital intermediate) new masters for each film, and it would seem was intended by the director himself. However, I personally don’t see that to be a dealbreaker of an issue. This still manages to hold a light amount of film grain, as I’ve seen with some other Super 35 source material when it comes to 4K.

Available in both standard and, from selected retailers, Steelbook sets, both trilogies will feature the theatrical and extended versions of the six films in 4K resolution with High Dynamic Range ( HDR) in the form of Dolby Vision which uses dynamic metadata to automatically optimise the picture for every scene, frame by frame, expanding the colour palette and contrast range. If there’s anything humans demand in this life, it’s that. Greater clarity. Just speak clearly, you scream—at politicians, at therapists, at spouses. Also at me, for writing such a muddy first paragraph. God, it really is a mess. Sinful, even, so wordy and wasteful. If clarity, like its cousin cleanliness, is indeed next to godliness—and it is; the word, in the original Middle English, meant “glory, divine splendor”—then to be unclear is to be unethical. Or un-optical, as it were, since optics are the new ethics, at least in corporate America, where all they do is seek clarity on this, visibility into that. I mean, could I be any more clear? Now, with all of that disc use information out of the way, let me start to really examine the video quality here on these films. All and all, this trilogy earns itself an impressive 4.5 rating for video quality . Each of these films on 4K UHD Blu-ray Discs here offers up a nice improvement over those original Blu-ray releases of the films.The third film, “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” in its extended edition on Disc 1 is using a BD-100 (100 gigabytes) disc, 86.49 gigabytes total and 78.2 gigabytes for that first half of the extended edition itself of the third film. The extended edition on Disc 2 is using a BD-100 (100 gigabytes) disc, 91.65 gigabytes total, and 83.4 gigabytes for that second half of the extended edition of the third film. The thing with 4K is not to just go for pristine sharpness, it is to preserve the cinematic look at the same time of everything becoming a little bit more crisp.” Overall though, there are rarely any films that have been given as good an upgrade as The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Presented in 2160p resolution with High Dynamic Range compatible with both Dolby Vision and HDR10, this new 4k Blu-ray edition far surpasses all previous Blu-ray and DVD editions. And, with Dolby Atmos there has never been a better audio experience at home. This is reference quality through-and-through. Perhaps someday the upgraded films will make a run in the theaters again. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 4k Digital Still The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

The Fellowship of the Ring: Behind the Scenes” (1:12:54 – SD) is shot like a home movie but it also includes interviews with the entire cast and crew that worked on the film. Speaking of color, the previous green tint found on Blu-ray versions of these films is not at all an issue this time around. I was immediately asked about this by some readers. I can safely say that no green tint is at all present here, with things looking perfectly balanced in terms of color and the tones now seem natural. In fact, as briefly mentioned, the color timing here feels to have been heavily corrected on a level, in comparison to the original Blu-ray releases, that adds so much more to the presentation. Still, it’s not a 100% perfect visual presentation in 4K. Sure, each is an impressive improvement over the HD versions of these films but they come with some issues that I’ll discuss a bit below. The average consumer is likely to not even really care about these problems, in all due honesty but it’s something a home theater enthusiast will most certainly notice. All three of the films in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy make their debut on 4K UHD Blu-ray in the 2.39:1 aspect ratio. That goes for both the theatrical and the extended editions of each of the three films. Each film and version of each film includes Dolby Vision and HDR10 forms of High Dynamic Range. Gandalf’s Fall Into Darkness. The color range improvement is clearly evident when Gandalf battles the Balrog and the two fall into darkness. Not only is the imagery deep with color, it’s also sharp, making almost every frame a work of art. The visual effects of Balrog hold up wonderfully even after 20 years.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” was nominated for a total of six Academy Awards (Oscars). It would end up winning a total of two Oscars in the categories of “Best Sound Editing” and “Best Visual Effects.” The critics were even kinder to the second film and it also carries a “Certified Fresh” rating over at Rotten Tomatoes. It is a well-earned, heartfelt conclusion to one of the greatest film franchises of all time, one that stood the test of time and continues to entertain a younger generation of moviegoers. " Let me get really, really, really technical, for a bit longer than usual here as I’ll be spanning across 9 discs, in regards to the 4K UHD Blu-ray Discs themselves here for this set. The first film, “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” in its theatrical cut is using a BD-100 (100 gigabytes) disc, 85.41 gigabytes total and 84.0 gigabytes for that theatrical cut itself. The second film, “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” in its theatrical cut is using a BD-100 (100 gigabytes) disc, 87.35 gigabytes total and 86.0 gigabytes for that theatrical cut itself. The third film, “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” in its theatrical cut is using a BD-100 (100 gigabytes) disc, 89.46 gigabytes total and 88.1 gigabytes for that theatrical cut itself. Exact Runtime(s): 2:58:25, 2:59:25, 3:21:01 (theatrical) 1:45:43, 2:02:34, 1:46:39, 2:08:52, 2:07:40, 2:15:37 (extended) 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.

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 7.1 In terms of audio quality, “The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy” comes with some of the most impressive Dolby Atmos object-based surround sound mixes that I have ever heard. Each one of these three films, in either their theatrical or extended version, proves to be pure “demo material” from start to finish. To say these mixes can get intense would be a bit of an understatement. Each film will leave you feeling so much more immersed in the motion picture experience now thanks to the benefits of height channel speakers. The 6.1 surround sound mixes found on the previous Blu-ray releases of these films were pretty impressive themselves but now with Dolby Atmos, these films are able to be presented to you in an audio presentation that feels nothing short of otherworldly. Each one of these mixes earns a perfect 5 rating for audio quality, with enough “oomph” to leave this reviewer extremely pleased.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). As of 2023, no streaming services offer The Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit films in 4K to stream. The Lord of the Rings is available to stream on HBO Max and Hulu. With one account you can get both subscriptions. You can stream all three The Lord of the Rings films and three prequel films to the story, aka the Hobbit trilogy. Unfortunately, at this time, you can only stream the movies at 1080p and to experience it in 4K you have to buy them digitally or buy the Blu-ray discs. 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.]

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. Audio Commentary with “The Design Team” features Richard Taylor (Weta Workshop creative supervisor), Tania Roger (Weta Workshop manager), Grant Major (production designer), Alan Lee (conceptual designer, set decorator), John Howe (conceptual designer), Dan Hennah (supervising art director, set decorator), and Chris Hennah (art department manager). The Return of the King: Behind the Scenes” (1:51:54 – SD) is shot like a home movie but it also includes interviews with the entire cast and crew that worked on the film.

Scores

We could all use a trip to the Shire right about now. Those rolling green hills with blooming flowers and pastoral farms would be a welcome respite. While going to Middle-earth may not be possible, you can now put yourself into the world of The Lord of the Rings like never before. That’s because, last year, Warner Bros. released the beloved trilogy on 4K UHD Blu-ray. trilogy) on the format as a complete set that includes the theatrical and extended cuts of each film. This surprise holiday Is this one to rule them all? That depends on if you’re asking if it is 100% perfect or if it’s one very impressive experience. No, it’s not 100% perfect in terms of video quality, but it is one very unforgettable experience in 4K and most especially in Dolby Atmos. The sound mixes are truly perfect and the most impressive part of this 4K UHD Blu-ray release. That’s not to say that the video quality doesn’t come with some excellent color correction in comparison to the Blu-ray and all, but at the same time it does come with the use of DNR (digital noise reduction). Still, these films have never looked better unless you have them on 35mm and a professional projector nearby. This is Dolby Atmos at its absolute finest and one of the most impressive sets of mixes in the sound format that I have heard to date. This (trilogy entirely) would be in my personal favorite top 5 releases on the format with Dolby Atmos sound. It’s that downright incredible. This is something you’ll just have to hear to believe, but trust me, you will not be let down by the sound presentations. This film in both its theatrical and extended versions earns a perfect and definitively earns itself perfect reference material 5 rating for audio quality. Wow. Just, wow. These films sound simply more astonishing than they ever did before and this [on 4K UHD Blu-ray] is the ultimate way to experience it.