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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

WB 4K Blu-ray

Best English-friendly & video release · updated 5 months ago

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?

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

Overview

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.

Release details

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.

TSPDT
2026: #591
2025: #596
2024: #594
2023: #591
2022: #591
Length
178 mins
Type
Movie
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: Tony Scott

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Paramount 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

70mm 6-track mix in 5.1: Paramount THX LaserDisc

Dolby Stereo mix in 2.0: Paramount THX LaserDisc

Additional Info:

The 70mm 6-track mix has a higher bitrate on the Paramount 1998 DVD, but is more limited than on the THX LaserDisc The Paramount 1998 DVD also has open matte versions in fullscreen 1.33:1 and widescreen 2.00:1 instead of the theatrical aspect ratio of 2.39:1, but the 2.00:1 widescreen presentation is non-anamorphic. The THX LaserDisc is available in both fullscreen 1.33:1 and widescreen 2.00:1 variants.

Director: Terrence Malick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Lovely underlying remaster by Criterion and Resillion but encode is sadly low-pass filtered by Pixelogic, and even then, the encode is still less than ideal. Still easily obliterates any prior disc release, but certainly wouldn't hurt to have a UK or German label take a crack at this same master.

Best Audio:

1999 Paramount DVD

Director: Anthony Mann

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray, Universal 2008 DVD

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

2008 Universal DVD mono

Audio Notes:

The mono on the Criterion is severely filtered resulting in it sounding incredibly muffled. It is nearly as filtered as the 2003 original Universal DVD which had extreme filtering and sounds horribly thin. The 2008 DVD remaster and original Laserdisc analog mastering are mostly left alone. The original LD master is from a worn element but otherwise sounds very natural. The 2008 DVD is the highest quality version we have without the heavy filtering and the defects of the LD master. It isn't perfect but easily the best of the main four sources by a dramatic margin. 

Additional Info:

The existing 4K SDR restoration looks excellent, but the Criterion extras are limited and disappointing. The classic Stewart interview commentary from the LD is ported over but given a new mastering. Compared to past releases it has been very slightly noise reduced.

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

2005 Universal DVD

Director: Howard Hawks

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Indicator Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Box Set coming October 20th with FiM encode, work done to un-Nolan the 4K master, the first ever appearance of the 35mm mono track on physical media and a new restoration/remastering of the 70mm 6-track mix.

Video Notes:

(early pressing has errors of a shot, later pressings fixed)

Best Audio:

1997 MGM LaserDisc, 1998 MGM DVD

Director: Stanley Kubrick

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

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Box Set coming on October 20th with FiM encode

Audio Notes:

DTS:X mix most closely approximates original surround mix

Additional Info:

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

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Box Set coming October 20th with FiM encode, new restoration of mono mix which should be better than what was on the WB 4K Blu-ray and 1999 DVD and revised colour timing to make the film look more like it did in 1971.

Best Audio:

WB 4K 5.1: a remix but has higher fidelity

Mono: 4K Blu-ray/1999 DVD

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

US Cut: WB 4K Blu-ray

International Cut: Old 2007 Europe Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Box Set coming October 20th with FiM encode, both the US and the International Cut, new restoration/remastering of the mono mix which should be better than the 1999 WB DVD, revised colour timing to make the film look more like it did in 1980 and for the first time ever on physical media, the film will be in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1.

Best Audio:

1999 WB DVD

Additional Info:

No Blu-ray or DVD release has presented the movie in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 for the US cut or 1.66:1 for the International cut.

The packaging on the back of the 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:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Box Set coming October 20th with FiM encode

Best Audio:

1994 LaserDisc (marginally)

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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Researched and maintained by

tyyuxvanshadyJojoTheMovieOtterHydra Spectre

· last reviewed 5 months ago

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