Peter Jackson’s epic trilogy is one of those anomalies in film that sees every decision made in production, clearly turn out to be the right one. The odds of something like J.R.R Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings being executed to such a perfect level are very small, making these movies stand out when compared to other movies of its era and even movies of today.
Despite nobody calling for it or being anything other than blown away to consider it, The Lord of the Rings can now be purchased on 4K Blu-ray. Plus, Peter Jackson himself oversaw all of the remasters. Bet you are glad that you bought that disc version of the PS5.
To get excited for what will be another excuse to re-watch these incredible adventures, we will be listing ten scenes that will be even better in this remastered, almost holy, form.
One Intro to Rule Them All
Let us start at the very beginning.
The introduction of The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring is perhaps one of the best blends of mystical narration, meticulously crafted music, and an incredible amount of eye candy. A fantastic way to set the scene of Middle-Earth with perfect exposition and a sure-fire way to get any new viewers on board.
With Dolby Atmos being featured alongside lots of audio remasters done to each and every scene, the soul-reaching narration from Lady Galadriel will pierce you like never before and the booming orchestral music will have you ready and willing to sit for 12 hours with ease.
…And That Means Comfort
Without meaning to do this in order, this next scene comes directly after the prologue section mentioned above. There is an effective contrast that seeing The Shire brings, after seeing and hearing such darkness and corruption from the opening 20 minutes.
In the upscaled 4K resolution the green pastures of The Shire will be even greener, the music even jollier and Frodo’s feet even hairier. The magic of seeing this curious, but wonderful place with inhabited holes in the ground never dissipates, even for seasoned Lord of the Rings veterans.
King of Men
Obviously seeing Aragorn in glorious 4K is nice enough, but the very moment a lot of us fell in love with the heroic heir of Isildur, was when he took the fight to an entire legion of Uruk Hai on his own.
The scene takes place at Amon Hen, which is another excellent example of intricate set design and just gorgeous natural forest. Minutes after comforting Frodo and proving his loyalty to the fellowship, Aragorn takes on a whole legion of Uruk Hai, allowing Frodo to escape.
Heroic enough just seeing him hold his sword calmly in line with his face, Aragorn dispatches of many of these barbaric monsters. Adding to the moment, but not taking it away, is the timely arrival of Gimli and Legolas which begins the unlikely friendship between one of the most famous trios in fantasy.
The Bridge of Khazad-dûm
The entirety of The Mines of Moria will be a marvel in the 4K remaster. Again, some of the series best sound design with the booming drums of the goblins and the skittish noises they make.
There is but one scene to extract from here though and that is when the fellowship must cross the bridge of Khazad-dûm. Boasting arguably the best orchestral track out of the lot, this scene is brimming with tension, heartbreak and jaw dropping visuals.
With the famous “You shall not pass” scene, the horrifying Balrog and of course Aragorn saving Gimli by grabbing his beard. This scene will stay cemented as one of the best scenes in the trilogy and even more so in remastered 4K.
Boromir’s Demise
Boromir’s death at the hands of Lurtz is handled with the cinematic excellency that you expect from these movies. Whether it’s the music used here, or even the lack of it in place of powerful sound effects like the bow string being pulled or the arrows hitting his chest. There’s a reason why this scene is so well remembered.
After Aragorn arrives and defeats Lurtz, he is too late to save his kinsman. After a shaky relationship with the proud and stubborn Boromir, the two characters share an incredibly touching and important moment that redeems Boromir to the viewer and propels Aragorn into his fated journey as a King.
Look to the East
The battle of Helms Deep that takes place in The Two Towers is one of the most famous and well-crafted battle sequences that you are likely to find. Packed with epic moments that come from a real underdog’s perspective, there is never a dull moment during this sequence.
After Rohan’s forces and its allies are all but defeated, Gandalf arrives atop a steep hill in an incredibly majestic scene. The excitement doesn’t end here though, as the reinforcements charge down the hill towards the Uruk Hai, in a wide shot of the entire battlefield. The music used here is just mesmerising and the cinematic style behind the shot is pure perfection.
Quite easily one of the best finales to a battle sequence ever created for the big screen and in 4K it will be immense.
The Way is Shut
When preparing for the battle of Pellinor Fields in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Aragorn looks to seek out a formidable ally that lies within the nearby mountains. With Gimli and Legolas tagging along, our three heroes enter the path of the dead.
Offering some truly unique ambience and atmosphere, especially with the additional extended scenes, the audio remastering will really help create the shadowed and haunted lair of the King of the Dead.
Not only does the sound design here offer some spooky moments, but the design of the inner city within the mountains is quite incredible and will look magnificent in 4K. A truly tense sequence filled with ambient sound design and uniquely creepy atmosphere that will be on another level with the remastered mixing.
Meet Smeagol
During the opening sections of Frodo and Sam’s journey in The Two Towers, they are surprised by an unwanted visitor whilst sleeping. After being teased throughout The Fellowship of the Ring, the audience finally get their unhindered look at Gollum/Smeagol and the sight or sound is not pretty… in a good way.
Memories of this scene at the cinema back in 2002, hearkens to the terrifying sounds and screeches made by the creature as well as the built-up tension in finally seeing his form. The CGI of Gollum, of course pioneered by Andy Serkis plays a large part here, still today standing on its own as completely effective and realistic computer graphics.
Seeing this scene with enhanced audio for the piercing screams and growls of Gollum, paired with the beginning of what is an incredible performance from Andy Serkis, will surely make this scene a massive standout in the 4K remaster.
Gandalf vs The Witch-king
This scene, which was cut from the theatrical version, is the only scene in the extended editions that changes the direction of the film. Instead of Rohan’s reinforcements announcing their arrival during a generic battle scene, we are instead treated to it coming moments before the Witch-king kills Gandalf.
In a phenomenal and intense scene, we get to see Gandalf lock horns with the equally as powerful Witch-king of Angmar. After destroying Gandalf’s staff much to the shock and horror of the audience, the Witch-king makes Gandalf look extremely vulnerable and moves in for the final blow.
When the Rohirrim horn sounds, signalling the arrival of reinforcements to Minas Tirth, the Witch-king is distracted and flies off to investigate.
This scene is a rare look at Gandalf being overpowered and a great way to show just how powerful the Witch-king is. It also doubles the emotional effect and excitement of the reinforcements arriving, by giving you a tense moment, seconds before they swoop in to save the day.
For Frodo
One of the final scenes which effectively culminates all the emotions you have felt throughout these epic adventures, into one moment.
Surrounded by Mordor’s main force, Aragorn knows that he must buy time for Frodo and Sam to complete their mission. After a rallying speech, Aragorn looks back at his makeshift army, tears in his eyes and says “For Frodo” before charging into battle.
Again, this scene is shot beautifully and is accompanied with just perfect orchestral music to drive home the emotions, the mood, and the setting all at once. A grand finale that when paired with Frodo and Sam’s final push to Mount Doom, opens the perfect ending for the perfect trilogy.
Plus many more…
It’s incredibly difficult to single out 10 scenes or sequences from this trilogy, but these ones happen to be the ones that came to mind first. The bottom line is, The Lord of the Rings is out now in 4K and for a movie trilogy that is all about stimulating you with it’s timeless visuals and unmatched soundtrack, it’s a must watch for all.
