Rating: 
Summary: Beatifull and Dark adaptation
Review: The only thing that I think I didn't like about this movie was that it was a bit too dark. Otherwise, it was a beautifully filmed and acted adaptation of Tolkien's classic novel. Can't wait for the next movie to come out :-)!
Rating: 
Summary: 3 Stars -- Barely....
Review: The only two saving graces about this movie were the special effects and Liv Tyler. And not necessarally in that order... This movie was almost as long and as tedious as the books. Like Frank Herbert and Dune, J.R.R. Tolkien has managed to create a lush and imaginative world that no one else has invisioned. Unlike Herbert, however, he didn't know how to write a tight, compelling tale. Instead, he gets bogged down in pages and pages of description and imagery and sadly, this has carried over to every interpritation in film of the books I have seen. While this effort certainly does outshine all of them, it still falls victom to endless minutes wasted on showing off the "wonder" and "majesty" of Middle Earth, and very little on plot and charactor development (remember those?). By the end, I was getting very tired of seeing Frodo standing some place snivelling yet once more over his plight. Puh-lease... While I will probably add this series to my collection as it is the best I have seen to date, I fear that these films, like the three books, should have been cut down to about one and a half, thus making a much more watchable (and readable) story. We can only hope the following two films will not be as boggish as the first one, and for God's sake, someone hand Frodo a Kleenex!
Rating: 
Summary: The best of the best
Review: The only way to summarize this movie is to look at it from a human point of view. The characters catch you, the script holds you and binds you to the story. I am not really sure if this movie will ever let the viewer go, or if the viewer wants to disconnect from it.
Legolas' bowmanship is awesome. I enjoyed the swordmanship, but there has not been a movie that ever showed the speed and graceful agility as Legolas with the bow.
Rating:
Summary: A movie can never match a book, but a good job none-the-less
Review: The opening minutes did an excellent job of covering a lot of material and preparing the viewer. Unfortunately, due to the time constraints of a movie, the flight from Hobbiton to Rivendell was changed significantly and lost a lot of richness in the process. 17 years were condensed into seemingly a day, but the story did need to be selectively shortened and I doubt I could have done much better. I feel that they did an excellent job of expanding on important parts of the story (Saruman) and eliminating parts that don't play into the main storyline (Tom Bombadil). I suspect a viewer without prior knowledge of the Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings may misunderstand Bilbo as his character isn't very developed. Finally, the screenplay was very effective at revealing aspects of the story that are only hinted to in the Fellowship of the Ring. I found that roots Elrond's mistrust of men is better explained by the movie than in the book. Maybe the other movies will offer similarly revelations. I can't wait.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Movie
Review: The orcs were the scariest part in the movie and the elves were the most mystical. I really enjoyed the elves city...it was really well done and very mystical. The Hobbits were all very cute.
Rating:
Summary: This is the best!
Review: The original movie of the Fellowship of the Ring was awesome, with cool scenes and special effects. But this totally outshines the original! This dvd features all kinds of hilarious scenes that they somehow managed to cut out of the original. This is a total must buy for fans of the Lord of the Rings. It includes: lembas, ale, pippin acting stupid, sam and rosie, scenes that'll make you cry, and so much more! Must see!
Rating:
Summary: The Definitive Version to Own
Review: The original theatrical release of "Lords of the Rings" was a fantasic adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic trilogy. With the Extended Edition, it is apparent how much footage Peter Jackson had to let go. And what great additions they make. The first twenty minutes leads straight into Hobbiton from the prologue read by Cate Blanchett. However, the introduction and attention to Bilbo and Frodo's relationship is played out in a series of crucial scenes, not to mention a lengthy voiceover from Ian Holm. With the presence of the voiceover we are bridged from the events from "The Hobbit". There is a great cut scene with the stone trolls Bilbo tells terrified young Hobbits about earlier at his birthday. Amazingly, Aragorn and the quartet of Hobbits break out in songs...of Elvish love tales and drunken glee, respectively.Gandalf also has some momentous scenes that appear here, namely one which explains why he can slow time with his booming voice..."the tongue of Mordor, which I will not utter here." At Rivendell, Boromir approaches the ring with much more confusion to which Gandalf speaks in Mordor, and the same effect is used. To make a long story short, there is little self-indulgence on this DVD. I can't imagine watching the original after seeing this rightful edition. It would be like watching the digest. And with this Collector's Edition, you get two nice statue bookends to hold your DVD in place. Peter Jackson, a long underrated director, finally got his due with the "Lord of the Rings". About ten years ago, Jackson had a eclectic filmography that included gorefest, "Brain Dead" aka "Dead Alive" and the wacky adult puppet show called "Meet the Feebles". It was then that Jackson wrote and directed a masterpiece called "Heavenly Creatures" that introduced two terrific actresses, in Melanie Lynskey and Kate Winslet to the world. The irony is that Jackson could not afford to work with Winslet after "Titanic", and now he is sitting on top of the world. His unique visual style (lots of animation without pandering to the G-rated mainstream) combined with his courage to tackle difficult subject matter is what commands the kind of respect he deserves. I can't wait to see the Two Towers!
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!!
Review: The original theatrical release seemed hurried to me. This extended version adds so much depth and richness back into the story. The most wonderful scenes were "concerning hobbits" and the scene with the elves passing to the grey havens. I highly recommend this version and definitely waiting for the extended version of Two Towers...
Rating:
Summary: Wait for the Director's Cut
Review: The other reviews amply cover the content of the movie. I imagine they are unnecessary to you, since box office receipts would indicate that you probably saw the film yourself, especially if you're thinking of buying it on DVD. Then be aware that Peter Jackson and the studio have prepared an extended cut of the movie (with about 30 minutes of newly included scenes) to be released in November. In order to maximize dvd sales' profits, however, the studio has decided to release this, the shorter theater version, on dvd first, to be followed by the other around Thanksgiving). They realize that fans of the film will buy both, especially those who are not aware that another is coming.
Rating:
Summary: Business as Usual
Review: The over-all quality of this DVD is very good. If you don't know it already, Peter Jackson's version of LORD of the RINGS - THE FELLOWSHIP of the RING is very good. The pictorial grandeur and operatic scoring of the wide-release version of LOTR-FOTR is well served by the letterbox format and excellent sound on this double-disc set. The bonus DVD contains moderately interesting interview and on-location documentary footage, though much of the best material here is from the LOTR website featurettes. As others have observed here on Amazon's public review board, this DVD's 'problem' (if it can be called that)is the revelation of a new, extended version of the film, due out in mid-November and tantalizingly previewed on the bonus materials disc. From a business perspective, New Line is wise to release the 178 minute version of the film several months before the longer, more detailed version. Such a stategy will certainly move more discs than releasing both versions of the film at once, which would likely confuse public opinion regarding the better version. Make no mistake, if J.R.R. Tolkien could approve a film adaptation of FOTR, he would prefer a version longer than 178 minutes. I can just imagine some of the comments from test audiences when the earliest cut of FOTR, a 4 1/2 hour version, was screened: "Difficult to digest," "Too many names," "Unwieldy." Negative comments like these would have had a special weight, considering the monumental investment/gamble of the film's backers.
With so much riding on the success of the trilogy's first film, New Line must have been concerned about marketing. Even at just under 3 hours, this version of the film pushes the acceptable length for a wide-release feature. Remember, if you can, the public reception of Lean's LAWRENCE of ARABIA, and the subsequent attempts to improve its "viewability" by cutting it.
I have little doubt that the extra 30-40 minutes of material in the extended version of FOTR will improve the film. Tolkien used detail to flesh-out his characters and environs. Fantastic languages, loving descriptions of landscape, and cultural details all contribute to the depth and allure of Tolkien's vision. The extended film version of FOTR promises more footage of settings, and more use of foreign (fantastic?) language. Also, it will provide information that sets up later events and contributes to richer character exposition. For example, more footage of Lothlorien, including a long-shot, should lend a better sense of scale to the tree-city. The important gift-giving sequence has also been restored, giving viewers a source for the cloak clasps all the Fellowship members are wearing in FOTR's final scenes, a detail that will continue to pay off in The TWO TOWERS.
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