First Reviews Of Lord Of The Rings/Hobbit 4K Trilogies Are Extremely Positive

Just in time for the holidays, Warner Bros. is re-releasing The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit once again, this time with a 4K UHD. Reviews for the re-releases have begun to appear online, and they are very, very positive.

Bill Hunt from The Digital Bits said one scene in particular from The Lord of the Rings trilogy shines very brightly. "The Ride of the Rohirrim in 4K with HDR and Atmos is the single great thing I have ever experience in my home theatre," he said. "And I do NOT say that lightly. I may just have leapt out of my seat."

Hunt went on to share some further thoughts about the 4K re-releases, saying the VFX still look "a bit processed," but the rest of his takeaway was very positive.

"The new color grade & HDR means they blend w/live action MUCH better. OCN footage is gorgeous, w/very light grain & improved fine detail. The Atmos mix is spectacular. I'd prob. give Fellowship an A- for image and A for audio," he said.

Ars Technica posted a review of the new films, saying they are "must-own home theatre stunners."

"It's not a matter of if you should get your hands on the LOTR 4K trilogy, but when," reviewer Sam Machkovech said. "If you've worn out the films' supplementary featurettes and documentaries over the years, or if you typically skip extra features and simply want each film's theatrical and extended cuts to watch on your 4K-iest TV, don't hesitate to snap this up."

The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies launch on December 1, each carrying a $90 USD price point. Each box contains the theatrical and extended edits, as well as a code to get the 4K movies on Movies Anywhere service.

You can pre-order them right now on Amazon.

At launch, you can only buy them separately, but Warner Bros. is releasing an Ultimate Collector's Edition in 2021 that comes with all six movies and "new bonus content."

In other Lord of the Rings news, HarperCollins is releasing a new Middle-earth book that will, among other things, explain who can grow beards.

Amazon is currently filming a very expensive TV show based on the fantasy series in New Zealand, while there are multiple Lord of the Rings video games in the works, including an MMO and a title featuring Gollum.