J.R.R. Tolkien - Master of the Rings Gift Set

Starring:Robert Di Napoli, Rick Wakeman
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

This comprehensive survey of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings is billed as "the definitive guide to the world of the Rings," and it delivers what it promises. Hosted by Tolkien scholar Robert Di Napoli, the 80-minute documentary is academic without being dry or pretentious, covering such aspects of the Tolkien epic as its literary influences (including Beowulf), character and plot analysis, inspirations on other arts (such as the progressive rock of the 1970s), and enduring popularity. While Tolkien's fiction is spectacularly visualized in the artwork of the Hildebrandt brothers and Roger Dean, an impressive variety of Tolkien experts--from literary scholar Helen Kidd to former Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman--offer eloquent insight into the value of Tolkien's writing. A Hildebrandt gallery is included on the DVD, along with supplemental interview clips to expand on previous discussions and further examine Tolkien's lasting influence. Altogether, this is an eminently respectable study that any Rings fan will readily appreciate. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Like Watching Paint Dry.......2005-12-31

There's a reason this DVD can easily be found for $5 used. As big of a fan as I am of all things LOTR-related, I couldn't make it through a single viewing of this documentary. Based on previous reviews I've read at Amazon and elsewhere, I hoped that it would be fun in a painful sorta way, like the Ralph Bakshi LOTR movie...rather, it's dull, pompous and actually makes Tolkien's life and works seem LESS interesting than they did before. That ain't right.

About half of the disc is taken up by a retelling/synopsis of the story, punctuated by wavery backyard footage of miscast actors done up as Aragorn, Gandalf, and Frodo (portrayed by a middle-aged dwarf, as are the other "Hobbits") and the Hildebrandt Brothers' garish, cartoony paintings that harken back to the 1970s in all the wrong ways. The other half of the docu is talking-head interviews with dullsville "experts" who fidget nervously on camera. Not a fun time for this viewer.

I'm sure this was well-intentioned and probably a hoot to make, but it's a real endurance test to watch. For a far better documentary on the subject, check out the movie Ringers: Lord of the Fans instead.

Talking heads are the most interesting part of this.......2004-08-27

The host is great and some of the experts interviewed are fine, but the rest of the material is sub-standard. Witness the recreations of scenes from the books: The hobbits are played by midgets wearing tacky feathered hats - the guy playing Frodo is probably 70 years old. The guy playing Aragorn, on the other hand, is maybe 28 and probably moonlights as an underwear model. Very little included about Tolkien's interesting life and how it shaped his Middle-earth stories. While I love the Brothers Hildebrandt illustrations, these are used so often you get tired of them.

Think of this as a very poor Cliff Notes for the video age. If it were my first exposure to Tolkien, I'd never look further.

Nothing I didn't already know. Don't waste your money!.......2004-04-28

If you are interested in learning about Tolkien read Humphrey Carpenter's excellent biography rather than wasting money on this DVD. The only thing of interest on this disc is the footage of Tolkien himself, but there's not enough to make the price you pay worthwhile. The majority is taken up by a badly performed synopsis of the story. Also includes a disc of totally boring music supposedly inspired by LOTR. Buy Howard Shore's soundtrack to the Peter Jackson films if you want great music that really sounds like it fits the story.

Not Really Worth Anything.......2004-03-03

For those who have given this five stars have most likely not read the books, or else read the books when they were children and remember almost nothing of the facts. The only two interesting things about this DVD is the footage of Tolkien (which isn't really that much) and the 3D map, but even that is wrong, as any real Tolkien enthusiast can tell you. The artwork is interesting, but I've seen a lot better (check out artist Alan Lee, who actually also worked on the film and is world renown). It also has some reenactments of the book, but these are a little lame (they could've done a lot better). But the biggest thing that gets to me about this DVD is that though it tells the story in a condensed version, it presents a lot of misinformation, such as saying that it was Merry who destroyed the Witch-king (everyone knows it was Eowyn). It also states that the ethnic difficulties present in Middle-earth that were set aside for the Fellowship is comparable to the same that happened during World War II with the Allies and the Axis powers. This goes against the very things Tolkien (and his son Christopher) have said, that the Lord of the Rings is in no way allegorical.
So, in all, this may be of some interest to those who love the movies, but have never/not yet read the books, but for fans of the books, I recommend that you stay away from this and save your money! (Luckily I only spent $6 on this!)

Great material, but you have to know what you are getting!.......2003-12-30

This DVD provides a wealth of serious, academic oriented, introductory analysis of the Lord of the Rings and Tolkien. It is for the lover of the books interested in gaining some context and perspective. It will please primarily the Tolkien's fans and not the Peter Jackson's great rendition of Tolkien's fan. So be prepared for 80 minutes of a magisterial class on Tolkien, his times, and the Lord of the Rings as literature. The extras are nice. The picture gallery is a nice collection of one the most renowned Tolkien's illustrators, the Hildebrandt brothers, but you can find it in other places too. The others abound in a little extra depth in some of the material already covered in the main feature. The CD is a good collection for Rick Wakeman's fans and it will please new comers. Why 3 stars? I think the use of the menu is not as easy as it could have been and the video quality is not always top notch, but those are minor details. The main one would be that the presentation might have been a little more dynamic and the serious viewer might benefit from knowing the credentials of the speakers so their judgment can be rightly appreciated. I'm very pleased with this set, however I'm not quite sure of many times can you replay this one.

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