Perfection – Part I of III
Disc 1 of the Extended Edition 4K (Disc 2 further down)
Will be reviewing these in halves as they are split up and it may take time to get through. And they’re basically full movies in and of themselves. This part is 105 minutes.
“So, where are we going?”
The 4K is absolutely breathtaking. I don’t have HDR and was still blown away by the detail. Unfortunately, the disc began skipping five minutes in, but after a couple of restarts, it worked fine for the rest of the duration.
If there is to be one nitpick, it is that in the upscaling/remastering of the effects, some of them have clearly aged. But they have aged like a fine wine, super well. You can spot the aging, but it’s never bad. Never takes you out of the film, and is still better than most CGI today.
What I respect most is how everything is themed. Each landscape, each race, team, or what have you has its own look and sound. The music is arguably just the start of the greatest score ever written. The ethereal, yet soft aesthetic of the Elves. The painted hellscape of the wraith realm. The vibrancy of the shire. The grit of Isengard. All of it, is distinct.
And in Fellowship, the breadth of practical effects on display seamlessly (mostly) mixed with groundbreaking digital effects. Even the action sequences just feel more real and visceral because of all of this.
The natural sense of world-building through fully investing in the lore, stopping to explain when it’s organic for the characters. With the exception of the beginning, which is the greatest cinematic prologue to be cut across the screen. Throwing you headfirst into the greatest fictional work ever written.
It’s not without heart, humor, scares, tension, or action. It’s filmed and edited with shocking attention to detail, with sound design so exquisite, you’re completely transported to middle earth. Characters grow, the stakes continuously rise, and the pacing – while deliberate at times – rewards your patience and attention.
And that’s just the first half of movie one.
Disc 2 of the Extended Edition 4K
The second half of this film is almost non-stop action. The epic money shots, downtime with the team, and the phenomenal, lower-scale battle sequences.
The entirety of Moria is genius. Another brief tease, and a timeless line “all we have to do is decide what to do with the time given to us.” That dialogue still means more to most people than I think anyone realizes. It sets the stage for Frodo’s decision later on. The battle is visceral, elevated by the use of silence and exquisite sound design. It’s perfectly staged and paced. Jackson’s background in horror really shines through here creating the tension.
The visuals of Lothlorien, the statues of Kings and the scale is just magnificent. Again, I’ll say that I noticed more aging on the VFX than ever before. They still look good, especially considering their age. But they have aged.
Gandalf’s demise is one of the most dramatically epic scenes in cinema history. Iconic phrasing, visuals, and musical themes are presented in glorious fashion. It still moves me to tears.
The battle of Amon Hen is absolutely RIVETING! And it’s unique among the epic fights as it’s entirely practical. Wonderful choreography, fast but intentional editing with enormous stakes. And like anything with LOTR, filled with emotion. Aragorn resisting the ring and sending Frodo off was a hard sell, and my wife even mentioned that she struggled with it. As does the Fellowship, because Frodo was in an impossible situation, but thankfully Sam keeps his promise. The moment between Frodo, Merry & Pippin is underrated, as they basically sacrifice themselves for him. Always moves me. But the absolute standout is Boromir’s fall and redemption. It’s believable, sincere, and heartbreaking. It also leads to another epic moment for Aragorn as he dispatches Lurtz, and gets inspired by Boromir to find his path to becoming King. His first Kingly decision? Trusting Frodo and Sam with the Ring, letting it go, and choosing the lives of Merry & Pippin instead (prioritizing the sanctity of life for Legolas and Gimli too).
Arcs are realized, and everything comes to a natural close, perfectly setting up a sequel as a “part one” of the story. May It Be is also an incredible closing track.
Probably my favorite moment, and this is reflective of the entire Fellowship basically sacrificing themselves for Frodo in the third act, is when Aragorn tells Frodo to run. Then stares down an entire battalion of Uruk-Hai. By himself. Unwavering. And completely holds his own.
What a man.
Five out of five stars
Read this review (disc 1) on Letterboxd
Read this review (disc 2) on Letterboxd