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This week, New Line Home Video delivered a package that will be on a lot of Christmas wish lists. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring—Special Extended Version DVD set—four full discs—improves upon the theatrical release, fills story gaps, and offers pleasant surprises. Fans of Tolkien's classic series will be delighted to see that several episodes from the book are now included in the film.

On top of more character development and extended scenes, the new version also offers a more leisurely, informative, and comical introduction to the hobbit lifestyle, and the camera lingers longer on the astonishing set design—village design, really—which was crafted to seem if these cultures existed for centuries before the filmmakers arrived. When Gandalf warns that Sauron threatens all the lands of Middle Earth, we now know more and appreciate better what beauty, joys, and traditions the enemy may destroy in future episodes.

In addition to the extended film itself, there is such a wealth of information here that Tolkien fans will explore for hours on end. Documentaries focus on Tolkien's immersion in languages, how his passions helped him endure after the loss of both his parents, and Peter Jackson's long quest to get the three movies made. But there is so much more as well.

I can't think of a better way for moviegoers to prepare for the opening of The Two Towers next month than to settle in with this sprawling, beautifully realized work. No home video package has ever offered such an in-depth look at the creative process or the way excellent storytelling can influence an audience.

In a replay of last year's big-screen fantasy face-off, Harry Potter is back to stare down the hobbits. With established characters and familiar settings, director Chris Columbus is able to pack more action, more adventure, and more ambitious special effects into Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Based on the second book in the successful series, the movie finds Harry back at school with his charming cohorts and nefarious rivals, caught up in a troubling mystery. Students are being turned into stone one by one, and it's up to Potter and Co. to find out who's responsible and how to stop them.

Concerned parents and pastors are again raising their voices that the Potter books preach sorcery and paganism to children. Some Christian readers and moviegoers counter those criticisms by saying that the nay-sayers should look closer at the meaning of the Potter stories.

In the first religious media press review of the film, Gerri Pare (Catholic News) addresses some Christians' concerns over Harry Potter's "magic" and the quality of the film itself. "It is to be stressed, as with its predecessor, the film is only a fantasy—not a course in witchcraft—so it is not attempting to undermine Catholic beliefs. Harry is out to thwart evil and protect his fellow students even at the risk of his own safety. Children too young to understand the difference between fantasy and reality are not the appropriate audience."

On this film's craftsmanship, Pare writes, "Some of the magic is missing. The two hours and 40 minutes feels really long in sections where the exposition is plodding and the pace lags." Pare adds, "The grand finale where Harry must face down the gigantic serpent is probably too frightening."

Shelvia Dancy (Ethics Daily) hears from two writers on the subject. Connie Neal (author of The Gospel According to Harry Potter) says, "Some people will tell you they've found 64 specific places where Harry Potter illustrates witchcraft, but my approach was that I could do the same thing and find the gospel. I found more than 80 parallels. Once you start looking for it, you get an eye for it and you see it everywhere you look." The Rev. Francis Bridger, principal of Trinity Theological College in Bristol, England, calls the Potter stories "an enormous opportunity for speaking about Christian themes and truths and ideas. The books open the door for talking about things such as right and wrong, the nature of faith, loyalty, bravery and trust."

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November (Web-only) 2002, Vol. 46