First Look At Lord Of The Rings DVD

The menus are GORGEOUS. All of the images look slightly grainy, like the weathered, yellowing pages of some ancient book. And the menu selections are arranged in a circle, as if they were inscribed on a RING.

Let me tell you folks, all of my fears were unsubstantiated. If anything, this movie plays even BETTER on the small screen. Right from the opening prologue, where the legend of the ring is explained, I knew I had nothing to worry about.

The transfer came through beautifully, making the contrast between the darks and lights look stunning. The Shire is just the most beautiful place ever filmed, with the greens jumping off the screen. And the sound... WOW! This was a point I was actually disappointed with in the theaters. Too often it was too loud, muddling much of the sound together. But not the DVD. Now everything is fluid, and so many of the subtle nuances can be heard. (most notably, the voice of the ring.. often chanting or speaking at key scenes) The bottom line is that this disc is one of the most technically sound packages I've come across.