Review Detail

What can be said about such a masterpiece of film? As this is a fanedit, I will discuss that portion. First and foremost, a theatrical color grade helps for a more pleasant view as compared to the downgrade the Blu-ray gave us. The editor made a good choice using this as the base.

As for the other changes, removing the portion of the Ring “betraying” Isildur was a solid improvement for two reasons. First, the editor is correct that it spoils the surprise of making people invisible. Therefore, a first time viewer would be surprised when we see Bilbo’s disappearing act later on along with the characters in the movie. That helps us connect and feel like we are experiencing what the characters experience. The second reason it helps improve the movie in my view was that the very brief scene comes across as underwhelming. We have Galadriel mention in her opening monologue that the Ring betrayed Isildur, which sounds very ominous, but when you watch the footage, it looks like the ring sort of just slips off into the water. I think we are better off being told what happened versus being shown what appears like a clumsy moment versus an apparent betrayal.

I also felt we were better off with the condensed portion of Bilbo looking for the ring as it showed a bit too much a little early in the movie. The changes to Gandalf’s dialogue were better, but I was mostly neutral on that.

Overall, these were a couple of minor changes that make an excellent movie 1-2% better. For those who want a little better of an experience watching this movie, the edit is for you. It also helps visually for those who have the Blu-ray.

I am extremely satisfied for having watched the Precious Editions of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In fact, I think I may have now entered my Gollum stage of life. As I have these editions on my flash drive, I find myself looking at my USB device and telling myself, “Nobody will take my precious away from me.”