By Kit-Kat

It seems strange that eleven years has passed now since the film project for The Lord of the Rings first glimmered on the horizon. Granted most people forget that it was back in 1995 that the first stirrings of the project came into being; and rather remember New Line snapping it up in 1998 with the immortal words "Aren't there three books?" This of course was the defining moment in the history of the project.

If you know anything about me, you would know that I have followed The Lord of the Rings movie project since its beginnings, and I cannot praise Peter Jackson and crew enough for the amazing job and vision bringing my most beloved books to screen. I know I am not alone.

When it comes to marketing the franchise it is easy to be overwhelmed with the plethora of products out there and just when you think it's tapering off, bam! A new Limited Edition DVD set for all three movies shines on the shelves. I've heard a lot of people say it's over kill and New Line is marketing this into the ground however, I also hear cries of joy and know that many devotees of the film already have this splendid item added to their collection (and you can safely bet I am of the latter opinion). Do I think it is necessary to have the theatrical and extended edition on a single disc released with the extra documentary disc nestled beside it - honestly, I cannot say it's necessary (I mean c'mon now, who doesn't have some version sitting about at home - or if you're like me you have a few copies, lest something happens to one of your precious DVDs) but it is convenient. Much more convenient to not have to detangle from your comfy spot and replace a disc after the first one has stopped at a crucial moment of the film. Though, they could've had the three documentaries for the films in a separate stand alone DVD set and I would have seen nothing wrong with that.

Unless you're a Tolkien fan or an obsessed movie fan, I doubt you have even sat through the hours and hours of extras in the extended editions. There is so much information and the scope is so astounding, it is easy to be overwhelmed with the immensity of it. I thought every facet of production was covered for the extended editions and I figured that these documentaries would be a rehash of what had already been seen. I was wrong. For the most part, you have a complete behind the scenes look into everything, from the money problems, the staff overwhelmed, the cast doing impromptu skits and their camaraderie, the injuries, you name it - and that is priceless. There are a few clips here and there that you will be familiar with, but they are expanded on more often than not- and you truly get the 'bigger picture' of things.

Each documentary is about an hour and a half (give or take a few minutes) and follows the content of each film. They come off sort of disorganized and with more of a home video feel to them, but once you realize they are following the events of filming - they take on a whole new light.

When a film is made, the majority of us don't consider the little things that make up the whole. Often, musical score is commented on, or the costumes and locations, animation, effects, and sure even the sound; but who truly thinks of the poor souls stuck in a corner at a wooden table putting together complex chain mail for years, or the person that has to figure out on location bathrooms or trash removal? Yet without them, the film wouldn't be possible. Behind the scenes hero's of staff and crew that bust their tails and go above and beyond pay and exhaustion to help a director bring his vision to the screen. You will have a new appreciation and respect for just what these people do and had gone through during the extensive filming of The Lord of the Rings movies.

And not only them, but the cast as well, the intense coaching and language training, combat training, costuming, makeup, hours upon hours of retakes, injuries and more, show clearly that acting isn't such a cake job as we may think it is.

Finally, the sheer enormity of what Peter Jackson had to deal with and work around was beyond me; I had respect for him before The Lord of the Rings, and after the movies I was a devoted follower (as he did what so many could not over the years) and now, he is just a marvel to me. The effort he puts into his creations is beyond anything I have seen before and the documentaries clearly show that this world would be a much duller place without him in it. He is a true visionary and a man that inspires the best in everyone.

Should you buy this? I enthusiastically have to say YES! The documentaries definitely are worth every minute and I am beyond excited that they have come out. The convenience of the two film versions on one disk is ultra convenient. They are like a compact variation of the extended edition and theatrical edition DVDs combined and in a simple two disk set compared to five how can you beat that?