Rating: 
Summary: One DVD to Rule Them All
Review: One of the most comprehensive DVD's I've ever seen!An amazing digital tranfer makes for pure movie magic in the astounding DVD Special Edition. The extra scenes add to the story, instead of distracting you from it. I've read the book, and these extra scenes give you a little more background on the specific scenes. If you enjoyed the movie, spend the extra [$$$] and get the Special Edition before they're all gone! The 4 Disc set comes in a great cover that makes it look like an old leather-bound book. Looks more like a book on your shelf than a DVD. I'm sure the next 2 films will be done the same way for the Special Edition. The extras are unbelievable. Over 6 hours I think. I still haven't seen them all! The only thing I wish that would not have been done, is putting a break in the middle of the film. Probably to preserve the great digital transfer, they had to put the film on Disc 1 & Disc 2. But it's only a minor issue. Creates a great time to run to the bathroom before finishing the film :) One DVD to rule them all!
Rating:
Summary: Just saw it and WOW! Quite simply FANTASTIC!
Review: One word describes the first of three movies for the Lord of the Rings... "Awesome". It was better than I had hoped. I have been let down by many other fantasy movies over the years but this one was worth waiting for. The music score by Howard Shore and Enya give the movie the magic and imagination that is simply JRR Tolkien. This movie will be a hit and is great for movie patrons young and old. The special effects are fantastic and the set and costumes are superb and extremely detailed. I have seen movies like Gladiator and Braveheart and think they are simply awesome. This movie ranks right up there with them as one of the best of the past decade. It is epic, magical and a great representation of what JRR Tolkien would have wanted his books to portray on the big screen. If you have not seen it.... Go today. You will be in awe and want to see it again like me!
Rating:
Summary: Masterpiece
Review: One word sums up the DVD. Excellent. This movie had a larger than life story to live up to and did an excellent job. I am a huge tolkien and have read all his books. I watched the movie with a critical eye. This movie had some slight changes in comparsion to the book but overall stayed true to the story line and charecter development. A MUST SEE.
Rating: 
Summary: A for effort, C for execution
Review: Only a truly churlish soul would opine that Peter Jackson doesn't have high regard for the Ring trilogy or for the intentions of J.R.R. Tolkien in writing it. Trouble is, so did Ralph Bakshi when HE attempted it, and Jackson makes a lot of the same mistakes Bakshi made. It's one thing for a movie adaptation of THE LORD OF THE RINGS to not meet everybody's expectations---that's to be, um, expected. What bothered me in this version and in the 1978 version is that the subtlety in which Tolkien tells his tale AND weaves his epic history and landscape of Middle Earth is only sporadically allowed into view here. If all there was to THE LORD OF THE RINGS was a quest, heroes, villains and a lot of battles, this wouldn't be an issue--but there's more to it than that. Why NOT have Tom Bombadil in either movie? Don't tell me that portion of the story would bore people; my nephew, who's 11 years old, LOVES that part of it! Why present Saruman in the flesh so early? Part of the power of the story is when we, the readers, see behind the facade of Saruman's power for ourselves in THE TWO TOWERS--and he is truly evil in the book, not Christopher Lee doing a a white-bearded Darth Vader impression as in the new movie. Why automatically make the assumptions that people won't "get it" unless you scream it at them with a pumped up soundtrack, non-stop gory battles and only the barest hint of Tolkien's poetry? Nonsense! At this point, I'm not sure that, beyond a good reading on audio CD (and there are a couple out there that are quite fine), THE LORD OF THE RINGS belongs anywhere else besides on the printed page, to be read, re-read and enjoyed. Maybe there is a good movie to be made of it, but these sure aren't them!
Rating:
Summary: LOTR
Review: Only the best film and score ever developed. Must see for young and old alike.
Rating:
Summary: The One DVD To Kick Major Arse.
Review: Or should I say 4 DVDs? Anyway this movie has something for every person. The only people I've talked to who hated this movie were ignornant teenagers who raved about XXX (the awful Vin Diesel movie, you perve), or the new Matrix movie (just admit that it served no purpose and that one Wachowski brother is seriously nuts). JUST BUY THIS DVD SET! Why are you reading this review? This movie is a freakin masterpiece! You should know that! Buy it. Come on. You want the commentaries, the extra 30 minutes, the featurettes. Buy one of the best movies ever made. I can't stop typing random things. Zucchini...Garfield 25...he's fat I get it.....Mogadishu... Peter Gabriel. I'm done. Please click the buy button. Then I'll stop.
Rating:
Summary: The Extended Edition was definitely worth waiting for!
Review: Originally I saw this movie in the regular version. It was great even then...but the extended edition was definitely worth the wait!! The extra footage really ties everything together and on top of that it adds to the adventure. Definitely a MUST have.
Rating:
Summary: DVD DONE RIGHT-
Review: Other reviews will explain story issues and opinions- I'll just say that this version of the film and the DVD as a package is outstanding. The extra 30 minutes of footage (all character development) add enormously to the emotion of the entire film- The extras are informative and extensive. It took me days to watch all of them- Perhaps the best part of this DVD is its commentaries. I must admit, I am not a huge fan of commentaries in general because most movies don't deserve exhaustive analysis, but "Fellowship" does, and it doesn't dissapoint. Whether it's the cast commenting on the finished film and all it took to create certain shots, or the production designers talking extensivly about making the film, every word of the commentairies is fascinating. Most interesting are the commentaries by Fran Walsh and Peter Jackson, who talk mostly about adapting the book to the screen... what was cut and why, what was added, and most interestingly, how things will come to be in the next two films. Jackson reveals quite a bit. If only every DVD was so good- (or every movie as good for that matter!) I'm excited that 2 more volumes of this wonderful film series will come to DVD with similar features. I'm glad that the film makers are doing this right.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Movie, Poor Packaging
Review: Others will doubtless supply sufficient praise of Peter Jackson's accomplishment in bringing this classic to the big screen in an unforgettable way.
The only gripe I have against the 4 DVD set is the packaging:
Both of the first two discs were scratched by a plastic protrusion. Neither of them can be removed from the clever book-like enclosure without severely flexing the DVD. I will have to find some other, less beautiful way of storing the DVD's than the original container.
Rating:
Summary: In the Fullness of Time...
Review: Our parents read these books to us from the earliest age we could understand them. The courage and the creed of the Hobbits, Elves, Dwarves and the Men of Numenor have shaped our lives from first memories. Now this masterpiece of fantasy has finally made it to the silver screen, presented with a perspective that is as fresh as the morning of the world.
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