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Summary: Fantasy to Reality -- And It's Good! (Part 1)
Review: More than fifty years ago, there was one question(s) that made the common LOTR fan (Tolkienus fascinationus) go crazy: "When will they make a movie of 'The Lord of the Rings?' If they do, just how true to the book will they be?" There were many failed attempts to transfer this masterpiece to the silver screen (Stanley Kubrick, The Beatles [who would have thought?], and even though Ralph Bakshi made it, it was still bad enough to be put under the category of "WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?!") But one day, a young horror (really!) director named Peter Jackson decided that, since nobody is doing "The Lord of the Rings", why not take a stab at it? Thus, one of the greatest movies of all time was made....
In the land of Middle Earth, there was a dark lord named Sauron (and for those of you who do not feel like reading "The Silmarillion", Sauron was once assistant to the original dark lord Melkor [even more evil than Sauron]). He created three rings for the elves, seven for the dwarves, and nine to the kings of men. Sauron made his own Ring and poured his own malice and hatred in to that Ring. To make a long story short, elves and men got ticked off and fought the armies of Mordor. Sauron got "killed", and the Ring got lost. And 3,000 years later, a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm) found it and hid it. 60 years later, Sauron's spirit gets upset and wants the Ring back. Bilbo disappears to Rivendell (an elven city) and Bilbo's cousin, Frodo (Elijah Wood) is assigned to go to and destroy the Ring by the wizard Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) with a fellowship of nine companions: the hobbits Sam (Sean Astin), Merry (Dominic Monaghan), and Pippin (Billy Boyd); the humans Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) and Boromir (Sean Bean); the dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies); the elf Legolas (Orlando Bloom); and Gandalf. Together, they go through many trials, tribulations, and challenges together on their way to Mordor to destroy The One Ring.
First of all, this movie couldn't have been done better. And second of all, for those of you who think tht it could have been done better, I would just LOVE to see you go and make your own version and see if it makes over $300 million at the Box Office. I'm sure that the general movie-going audience will probably say that they liked Peter Jackson's version better. So just enjoy it as a movie, not a book.
Sorry. I had to get that out of the way. Anyway, the movie is absolute perfection itself (my opinion; others have their own opinions). The acting was top-notch, the plot was superb and original, and the special effects were....well, I can't think of a word to describe them yet....give me a second and I'll get back to you on that. To make a long story short, it beat "Star Wars: Episode II-Attack of the Clones in just about everything. In this movie, we aren't fed with junk that has been used over and over and over again (visually "stunning", but overall just apalling). We aren't fed stupid and corny dialogue ("I truly, deeply love you," drones Padme` to Anaking before they are awaiting to be slaughtered in a "Glatiator"-like fashion). Instead, we are given something that will be remebered for decades to come. It is only the beginning....OVERALL: A+
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Summary: IF YOU HAVE INSOMNIA THIS MOVIE IS FOR YOU
Review: Most boring movie I've ever laid eyes on. I can't imagine what the extended version is like.
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Summary: Best version of the film
Review: Most of the extended cut DVDs out there are not done this well. This is perfect, better than the 2-disc DVD. A must buy. Widescreen only.
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Summary: Movie lives up to book 100%
Review: Most of the time, movies are spawned from great books and novels. Many a time though, the movies don't live up to the book. Sure, some of them turn out to be great movie despite the fact that it doesn't live up to the book. Then, there are those that not only not live up to the book, but just down right bombs. (The Shining with Jack Nicholsan for example.) However, with Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship, the movie lives up to the book. Even though it excluded some of the off side adventures of the story in the book, the movie remains loyal to the book's main story line. (It can't be expected that the movie could include everything, it already is three hours long, I'm sure if they had the money they would.) For all those who haven't seen the movie in fear that it will not be loyal and true to the book, rest assured. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship is a wonderful movie and can't be any truer to the book.
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Summary: The Fellowship of the Ring - enhanced
Review: Most people did not think to buy this version because it was just a half hour extended to the film. This is the most beautiful edition that you can buy. You see the beauty of Bilbo's cottage as he sits and writes his journal. You see Mery and Pippin dancing on a bar, you see the beautiful wood elves and how they sing as they leave middle earth. Its a movie that is made to be treasured, and its the actor, Sean Bean, as Boromir, at his best.Boromir is a man who become seduced by the power of the ring, he lets the ring seduce him to his magic, but does become redeemed at the end of the film and dies making his death a personal sacrifice to save Pippin amd Merry. Its a film that should be bought and cherished for the beauty and the power that you will find.
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Summary: Fantastic Epic
Review: Most people hate reading books in school. I am one of those people. In the eighth grade, we were forced to read 'The Hobbit'. I hated it, but I managed to retain some of the names, places, and events of the book. Then, before seeing Rush Hour 2, I saw a preview for a movie called 'Lord of the Rings'. One of the names mentioned was 'Bilbo Baggins'. That name, not being one you hear every day, turned on a lightbulb in my head. I kept watching the preview, and I discovered how wonderful these books really are, just through the trailer. I saw the movie a couple days after it came out, and fell in love with it. I ended up seeing it 12 times in the theater, seeing something new every time. The day it came available for pre-order, I ordered mine, counting down the days. As you can see, this movie can captivate even the most indifferent person. I fell in love with the beautiful Rivendell, the elf city, and the Shire. I was captivated by the realness of Frodo. Gandalf. Legolas. Aragorn. Arwen. Gimli. Boromir. Elrond. Saruman. Everybody just seemed to be so real! Peter Jackson does a phenomenal job putting these books to life. You may be wondering how I know, because I only read the Hobbit. After seeing this movie, I felt the need to read all the books - and I did. They are just as good as the movies - which shows how parallel the movies are with the books. My advice to you is - buy this movie, watch it many times. You will not be disappointed.
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Summary: A Superb Translation Of Tolkien's Masterpiece!
Review: Most simply put, this is masterpiece, a film that graphically epitomizes what an unbounded treasure an artistically derived adaptation of a simply wondrous novel (split into three segments because of size) can really be. Given the fact that Tolkien was himself a genius, a noted Don of Literature at Oxford , and a lifelong friend of famed novelist CS Lewis, it is no wonder that much of contemporary science fiction genre and the fantasy genre are all largely derivitive of his thought and work (especially contemporary efforts such as the Harry Potter series). Which is not to say that none of it is any good, but to point out the singular genius and imagination that this work represented when orifginally published as literature in the 1960s. Given all that, it was hard to be very optimistic in terms of one's expectations for the series, having already suffered through an animated attempt to portray portions of the legends associated with his work long ago. Yet, to my utter amazement, this really is a very faithful and imaginative recreation of all that one finds in the books, yet done in a way that in some way even exceeds the power ofthe novels. Thus, I heartily agree with the opinion of earlier reviewers who laud this film on the basis of its being a "fantasy adventure and also as an adaptation of a beloved literary classic". On this basis, then "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" stands alone as a worthy example of what kind of cinematic possibilities can be attained with enough vision, imagination, and, of course, money. For the cost of bringing this adaptation to film was astounding. Yet, everything associated with the film is consistent with Tolkien's somber vision of a world bent on a long-term devolution from magic and possibility to the crushing weight of politics and power. Indeed, the surreal mood set in the film catches Tolkien's dark vision exactly as one would envision it in one's head, and to this end the set and the special effets are of enormous benefit. So too, the casting lends itself to the mix of whimsey and amazement that the story weaves through its chapters, and the levels of dark of forces that gather round the not-so-merry band or fellowship signal the way the world is going, at least according to Tolkien. Of course, the cast of characters are really the key to the tale, and Director jackson has a terrific feel for this element as he weaves the characters through the tale. They, of course, represent the contradictions and the struggle of good with evil that we each hold within ourselves, and it is this struggle set in mythical times that is the key to the success of the venture. But stay tuned, for much more is to come! A simply astounding movie, and one that should need no recommendation. Enjoy!
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Summary: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Review: Most Tolkien fans are very possessive of The Lord of the Rings. It's personal. The story belongs to each of us in its own unique way and it holds a special meaning that few others can appreciate. Peter Jackson has accomplished what many thought impossible. He successfully created a movie that does Tolkien's masterpiece justice. Period. If we simply look at this achievement as a movie, it dazzles with creative and spectacular effects, crisp editing, superb directing, and outstanding acting (especially Elijah Wood amd Ian McKellen). Taken in context to what this story means to Tolkien fans, it is difficult to put into words how well this movie succeeds. Tolkien fans everywhere are simply saying 'thank you' to Peter Jackson. If you're a true fan, you know what I mean. Now..I am a purist, but not an absolutist. Did the movie follow the book to the letter? No. However, Jackson adhered to the spirit of the story and if he took any liberties, they were effective. In fact, the scenes with Saurman reveal just how well Jackson understood Tolkien's work and are some of the most spectacular scenes in the movie. The book may not have explored the plot lines this way, but I am thankful that Jackson did. Again...Mr. Jackson...thank you!
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Summary: The Best Movie of All-Time = The Best DVD of All-Time
Review: MOVIE: Strong performances abound, amazing story, top-notch special effects, what else could you ask for? How about an amazing musical score, humor, and thrilling action? Yup, The Fellowship of the Ring has all that too. Maybe that's why it has made over 300 million dollars in the US alone and won four Academy Awards. Don't miss out on this movie. DVD: You want to know how all of these things, mentioned above, were acheived? How deeply did the cast study Tolkien's books? Why did Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn) carry around his character's sword wherever he went? How much time did Peter Jackson (the brilliant director of the Lord of the Rins series) put into this trilogy? All of these questions, and more, are answered in this DVD. First off, 30 minutes of additional material were added to this release, intergrated seemlessly to the theatrical release. New music was composed for it and for the die hard fan or the casual fan, these are entertaining scenes. The DVD comes with two discs packed with extras, hours and hours of them. I have watched them all, from how the cast bonded during their 15 month shoot in New Zealand to how they got the Orcs to sound like cockaroaches. I plan to watch it all again. No Lord of the Rings fan should miss these extras, and no one should miss this movie.
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Summary: Epic moviemaking
Review: Moviemaking at its best. The screenplay truely does justice to the classic trilogy it is based on. The directing, casting, acting are first rate. This film has set a new benchmark for the fantasy genre.
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