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The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) poster

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Adventure, Fantasy, Action • 2h 58m

Director: Peter Jackson

Cast: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Ian Holm, Liv Tyler, Christopher Lee, Sean Bean, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, John Rhys-Davies, Orlando Bloom, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Andy Serkis, Marton Csokas, Craig Parker, Lawrence Makoare, Brent McIntyre, Sala Baker, Peter McKenzie, Mark Ferguson, Harry Sinclair, Noel Appleby, Megan Edwards, Sarah McLeod, David Weatherley, Ian Mune, Michael Elsworth, Cameron Rhodes, Martyn Sanderson, Billy Jackson, Katie Jackson, Alan Howard, Victoria Beynon-Cole, Lee Hartley, Sam La Hood, Chris Streeter, Phil Grieve, Jonathan Jordan, Semi Kuresa, Clinton Ulyatt, Paul Bryson, Lance Fabian Kemp, Jono Manks, Ben Price, Peter Jackson, Chris Ryan, Bret McKenzie, Betty Adams, Timothy Bartlett, Bob Blackwell, David Houma, Jo Surgison, Liz Merton, Zo Hartley, Norman Cates, Jeff Kingsford-Brown, Marta Martí, Riley Brophy, Phoebe Gittins, Taea Hartwell, Shane Rangi, Jed Brophy, Paul Shapcott, Alan Lee, Larry Rew, Gino Acevedo, Xander Forterie, Richard Maybery, Sabine Crossen, Gareth Jensen, Ben Britton, Kester Fordham, Jarl Benzon, Sam Kelly, Matt Appleton, Blair Morton, Ray Henwood, Ralph Johnson, Jonathan Harding, Jørn Benzon, Ben Fransham, Tim Kano, Sacha Lee, Thomas Robins, Randall William Cook, Rachel Clentworth, Lani Jackson, Sharon Maxwell, David J. Muzzerall, Winham Hammond, Mana Hira Davis, Warren Green, Stu Johnson, Peter Lyon, Peter Daube, Samuel E. Shore, Rodney Bane, Siaosi Fonua, Ken Stratton, Lynden Berrymen, Ryan Carey, Tack Daniel, Shane Dawson, Branko Dordevich, Greg Lane, Tim McLachlan, Dean Morganty, Greg Morrison, Andrew Munro, Grant Roa, Vincent Roxburgh, Mike Stearne, Andrew Stehlin, Tim Wong, Daniel Andrews

Best English-friendly & video release

Video notes:

Caveat: mostly great video but the 4K Blu-rays have had additional DNR applied in some scenes on top of the DNR that had been applied in post-production and was already present on the DVDs & Blu-rays

The 2020 Blu-ray (the one without the green tint) may be better than the 4K Blu-ray?

Updated 5 months ago


Best audio release

New Line Blu-ray

New Line Blu-ray have the original 6.1 mixes

Additional info

4K Blu-ray set is missing extras from the old Blu-ray/DVD releases

The 2011 Blu-ray notoriously had a green tint, the 2020 one removes it.

UHD tiers

Solid
WB:

caveat: mostly great video but the UHDs have had additional DNR applied in some scenes on top of the DNR that had been applied in post-production and was already present on the DVDs & BDs


About the film

Young hobbit Frodo Baggins, after inheriting a mysterious ring from his uncle Bilbo, must leave his home in order to keep it from falling into the hands of its evil creator. Along the way, a fellowship is formed to protect the ringbearer and make sure that the ring arrives at its final destination: Mt. Doom, the only place where it can be destroyed.

TSPDT
2026: #591
2025: #596
2024: #594
2023: #591
2022: #591
Alternative Titles
LOTR1- The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings I: The Fellowship of the Ring

Part of Lord of the Rings

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Director: Peter Jackson

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Caveat: mostly great video but the 4K Blu-rays have had additional DNR applied in some scenes on top of the DNR that had been applied in post-production and was already present on the DVDs & Blu-rays

The 2020 Blu-ray may be better than the 4K Blu-ray?

Best Audio:

New Line Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

New Line Blu-ray have the original 6.1 mixes

Additional Info:

4K Blu-ray set is missing extras from the old Blu-ray/DVD releases

Director: Peter Jackson

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K Blu-ray caveat: mostly great video but the 4K Blu-rays have had additional DNR applied in some scenes on top of the DNR that had been applied in post-production and was already present on the DVDs & Blu-rays

The 2020 Blu-ray may be better than the 4K Blu-ray?

Best Audio:

New Line Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

New Line Blu-ray have the original 6.1 mixes

Additional Info:

4K Blu-ray set is missing extras from the old Blu-ray/DVD releases

Featured in National Film Registry

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Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

US Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

> UK MoC 4K Blu-ray > Australia Imprint > US Kino Lorber better encoding

The MoC, Criterion and Imprint UHDs were encoded by FiM making all 3 very close. The higher bitrate helped in deciding and some luck; however Criterion is the most consistent one of all 3. Imprint has some scenes with more splotchy grain while MoC is quite close to Criterion but has some more blocking in dark scenes (e.g.: comp #27). With Criterion’s superior audio, it ensures complete consistency.

Audio Notes:

From cbc: "I'm personally quite fond of the restored track on Eureka's 4K Blu-ray. It does have spots with objectively worse fidelity, but for the most part, it sounds a lot more natural and less shrill, particularly dialogue. It seems to be a new mixdown of stems. Technically a remix, so not everyone's cup of tea, but it's not revisionist like most new movie mixes tend to be"

Additional Info:

Both Imprint (included in their set) and Capelight (on its own/individually) offer remastered BDs. All other BDs, including the one included in The Complete Kubrick, are sourced from the same older master from around 2010.

Director: John Boorman

Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

2027 Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1984 WB LaserDisc

Director: John Schlesinger

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Imprint 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

2027 Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Additional Info:

Included Imprint Blu-Ray also has markedly better image compression than the Criterion Blu-Ray, though do note the Imprint has some adjusted color grading within roughly the first five minutes of the film

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=16775595&postcount=450

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=24237074&postcount=73

Director: Arthur Penn

Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K transfer

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Included in the Complete Kubrick box set with FiM encode of the same master from the Universal release without the filtering.

Audio Notes:

DTS:X mix on Universal 4K Blu-ray most closely approximates original surround mix

Additional Info:

Criterion DVD and Universal 4K Blu-ray has additional features not found on the Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Included in the Complete Kubrick box set with FiM encode of the same master from the WB release without the filtering, 1.85 ratio restored for US Cut; both US and International Cuts are 4K.

Best Audio:

US Cut: 1999 WB DVD/Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Additional Info:

No Blu-ray or DVD release until the Criterion 4K Blu-ray has presented the US in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The International Cut has never been presented in it's OAR of 1.66:1 in any home video releases.

The packaging on the back of the WB 4K Blu-ray incorrectly states it as 1.85:1 when the movie is actually 1.78:1 as is the original Blu-ray. 

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray 

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Included in the Complete Kubrick box set with FiM encode of the same master from the Sony release without the filtering; Comparison between Sony and Criterion.

Best Audio:

Mono: 1994 LaserDisc (marginally, unfiltered) or Criterion 4K Blu-ray (filtered)
5.1 Remix: Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Included in the Complete Kubrick box set with FiM encode of the same master from the WB release without the filtering Comparison between the Criterion and WB.

Best Audio:

5.1: WB 4K Blu-ray, a remix but has higher fidelity

Mono: Criterion 4K Blu-ray (restored for the box set)

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Included in the Complete Kubrick box set with FiM encode of the same master from the WB release without the filtering; WB 4K early pressing has errors of a shot, later pressings fixed. Comparison between Criterion and WB.

Best Audio:

6-Track 70mm mix: Criterion 4K Blu-ray (restored for the box set), 1997 MGM LaserDisc, 1998 MGM DVD
35mm Mono Mix: Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Matrixed Stereo Remix: MGM Japan LaserDisc (1985) [G158F5509]
5.1 Remix: Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Director: Steve James

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray and UK Dogwoof Blu-ray probably similar

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

More from Peter Jackson

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Director: Peter Jackson

4K · Worse Than BD
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Old Universal Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Old Universal Blu-ray is better than new 4K Blu-ray which has excessive DNR

Director: Peter Jackson

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Turbine Germany 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray teased for many years, will come out once Turbine's exclusivity rights expire

Best Audio:

Cinema DTS

Director: Peter Jackson

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

WB 4K Blu-ray is significant upgrades compared to the BDs, but has noticeable artificial sharpening

Director: Peter Jackson

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

WB 4K Blu-ray is significant upgrades compared to the BDs, but has noticeable artificial sharpening

Director: Peter Jackson

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

WB 4K Blu-ray is significant upgrades compared to the BDs, but has noticeable artificial sharpening

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tyyuxvanshadyJojoTheMovieOtterHydra Spectre

· last reviewed 5 months ago

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