Topping today’s list of home video releases is New Line Cinema’s blockbuster trilogy ender, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Having grossed more than $1 billion worldwide, the final cinematic installment in the J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy saga arrives on disc with all the bells and whistles fans have come to expect from the series.
The two-disc set includes both widescreen and fullscreen versions. Among the many bonus features are the documentaries The Quest Fulfilled: A Director’s Vision, A Filmmaker’s Journey: Making the Return of the King and National Geographic Special: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Also included are the featurettes Aragorn’s Destiny, Minas Tirith: Capital of Gondor, The Battle of Pelennor Fields, Samwise the Brave, Eowyn: White Lady of Rohan, Digital Horse Doubles and a preview of the video game The Battle for Middle Earth.
Directed by Peter Jackson, the film stars Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Ian Holm, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, John Rhys-Davies, Liv Tyler, Hugo Weaving and Elijah Wood. This initial offering lists for $29.95. An extended, four-disc special edition version is sure to emerge in the coming months.
Ralph Bakshi, who directed the 1978 animated version of The Lord of the Rings, also made an animated flick titled Wizards (1977). It also arrives on DVD today. The film takes place in a post-apocalyptic future where the human race has been all but wiped out. Repopulating the planet are fairies, pixies and other fantastic creatures, including two brother wizards who find themselves fighting on opposite sides of good and evil. Extras include commentary by Bakshi, a stills gallery and the featurette Ralph Bakshi: The Wizard of Animation. The Warner Home Video release lists for $14.98.
If you can’t get enough of mythological creatures, you can also pick up unbridled vampire-versus-werewolf action in Underworld: Unrated Extended Cut. The two-disc set features commentary by director Len Wiseman and stars Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman, as well as featurettes on the creature effects, stunts, special effects and production design. The Columbia TriStar release comes packaged with a collectible production sketch notebook and a mini Underworld comic book for the suggested retail price of $34.95.
