Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely Astonishing Film!
Review: Having never read the J.R.R. Tolkien books, or seeing the animated 1978 Ralph Bakshi film, I really did not know fully of what to expect before seeing THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING. What I saw in the Lakewood Mall Theater tonight was amazing: Peter Jackson has created a whole world of fantasy, and so much more, with this film. Always somewhat of a mad genius, he first got attention (some would say notoriety) in, and eventually outside of, his native New Zealand by directing the ultra-gory and aptly titled horror-comedies BAD TASTE and DEAD ALIVE in the early 90's. Then, he began to branch out with HEAVENLY CREATURES in 1994, which was a harrowing real-life murder drama. I'm not sure what else he did after that, but obviously, a lot of his time was spent in adapting his madcap genius to the epic, compelling vision of Tolkien.This film has everything a great adventure/fantasy should have: A sense of wonder, a sense of danger, and a brand new world that we are watching for the very first time which totally sweeps the viewer away. Plus, it has wonderful cinematography, sound & sound effects, and visual effects. The score is mesmerizing; it should win the Oscar in this category. Also, the acting is brilliant: Sir Ian McKellen (as the hulking Gandolf), Elijah Wood (as Frodo the Hobbit), Viggo Mortensen, and Cate Blanchett (in a small but spellbinding role) are all brilliant, and each has a shot at an Oscar nomination this year. The supporting players are likewise excellent. Unfortunately, my experience in watching this cinematic triumph was marred by the family who sat right behind me who actually brought their 4- or 5-year-old to see it! Naturally (babies being babies), this kid made a lot of noise a lot of the time. (The adults, unfortunately, weren't much better!) I mean, really, this is *not* a film to take a young child to see. Under 10 is not recommended, let alone under 6! This film is rated PG-13, and it has some strong violence and genuinely scary moments. In fact, for what this film contains, it would've easily gotten an R-rating 10 years ago. But enough of that: I loved this film. I think that it is a definite must-see on the big screen, and I will definitely buy it on DVD--and I might just get around to reading the books, too! :)
Rating: 
Summary: Dissappointed
Review: having not read any of the books. I was disappointed ,the movie in my opinion ended, without and ending its like reading a book with the ending missing.
Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: Having read and highly enjoyed the books, I was eager to see the movie when it first arrived in theaters. And it did not disappoint! The theatrical release of this first installment of the famous "Lord of the Rings" trilogy was everything I had expected and more. Jackson added his own touches while still managing to remain REMARKABLY faithful to the books! No easy task! When this extended edition came out, I was first to pounce on it! And the impossible occurred -- it was even BETTER than the original release! So much was added, it was phenomenal! Mostly, it's just thirty seconds here, a couple of minutes there, though there are some quite heavily extended portions as well. But even the tiny things added SO much color and life to this already brilliant piece of cinematic art! I couldn't help thinking, "Ack! How could they ever have left this OUT?!" It is an absolutely incredible piece, I was immensely impressed. The other thing I highly enjoyed was all the extras on the other two disks, the secrets behind the effects and the making of the film itself. It was fascinating to see the inner workers of this movie, I loved every one of them! I sat there for hours, just watching the entire thing, reveling in the mysteries of film-making, and marveling that someone could be that clever and faithful to their project. You really learn to appreciate the awesome amount of work that went into this film! After seeing this one, I don't think I'll ever be able to watch the original theatrical release again!
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Film Companion to the Book
Review: Having read and loved all of Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" novels, I initially had pretty low expectations of Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring". I approached this film fearing that, through a combination of vital omissions and an excessive reliance on special affects, it would fail to compliment the experience of reading the book. Boy was I wrong! Yes, this film does omit some of the minor characters, but all of the principle players are included and portrayed superbly. Tolkien's beloved songs are completely excised, but with all due respect to the artist and his passion for inventing languages, those were the elements of the trilogy that I least enjoyed. Most importantly, I can't imagine a more perfect handling of special effects than Jackson's treatment of them in this film. Instead of relying heavily on special affects purely for the sake of realism (as in the Jurassic Park films, for example), Jackson sort of creates a middle ground in which the special affects and the characters are tailored to create the fabled atmosphere of Middle Earth. The special effects are real, but not too real. Both the costumes and the delivery of the actors are redolent of fantasy and fable, but never cease to be believable. After watching this film, I found that my recollections of it blended seamlessly with my recollections of the book, which was a sure indication that Jackson got it right.
Rating:
Summary: Jackson Wins Battle for Middle-Earth
Review: Having read both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, I couldn't wait to see the big screen adaptation of the extraordinary world of J.R.R. Tolkien, but was a little worried that Peter Jackson would in some small way be unfaithful to the text and ruin it for me. Not at all! This is the first film I've ever fallen in love with AFTER I've already read the book--it was as if the pages jumped up into the screen themselves. Very true to the book, and true to my interpretations of the story as well. The scenery is breathtaking, the cast is perfect for their respective parts, the action and special effects are unmatched, and the production is flawless. This film is one of the most brilliant science fiction/fantasy films ever made, though the special effects and fantastic details don't cloud the story or emotion of the film itself. Brilliant, will be a classic forevermore.
Rating: 
Summary: Where did they get the screenwriters???????
Review: Having read the books by J.R.Tolkein I came to the theatre with teeth clenched but hoping for the best. I expected some compacting, cutting, etc. but was totally unprepared for the hacking, sacking, and total corruption of the original story as seen in the screen play. This looked more like a creature thriller than anything else and missed major story lines which leave many characters without understandable motivation. The distressing part of this is that I could see no reason for the change in the story line, i.e. it would have been as easy to keep to the true story line as wander off as the screen play did. What is most frightening I suppose is that as disappointed and disillusioned as I am with the first movie I don't see myself going to see any of the rest. Yes the scenery was wonderful and the special effects dazzling, but the story was greatly diminished and the orc battles perhaps a bit over the top. My 11 year old son put it best when he said that had the movie been made without the book it would have been exciting and enjoyable, but no one who appreciates Tolkein's books can find the film anything more than disappointing. Having read the press about none of the actors knowing anything of the books before the movie was made, I now wonder about the screen writers and director as well.
Rating:
Summary: Peter Jackson did the impossible.
Review: Having read the books I didn't think anyone could take me to Middle Earth. Boy was I wrong. I have seen the movie 8 times and each time I am amazed by the way Mr. Jackson has woven the story together. The musical score is fantastic and the contrasts between the scenes is great like when the camera shows the fellowship going down the peaceful river and then switches to the Orcs running along the shore. I agree with other reviews that this isn't a movie for young kids. The bad guys are really bad and will cause nightmares!!! The only downside to the movie is that I have to wait until next December to see the next part.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent movie
Review: Having read the books numerous times, I was skeptical of the movie version. However, I was pleasantly surprised by not only the special effects used in the movie, but the way the plot was interpreted by the director. Overall, excellent movie ...
Rating:
Summary: Captivating!!
Review: Having read the books when I was a teenager, this was a long time in coming on film, but I don't think they could have done it justice if they had tried in the 70's. The cast, special effects, sets, heck most everything was superb! The spirit of the novels were there and I wanted to see more even after sitting there for 3 hours. Can't wait to see the next installment!!
Rating:
Summary: True to the book
Review: Having read the books, I went to the movie expecting disappointment. However, this wasn't the case. Aside from minor plot adjustments and skipping some areas of the book (these, in my opinion, make it into a better movie), the film as a whole is true to the book. The characters are very well acted and also true to the book. In addition to this, the scenery (New Zealand) and special effects are absolutely magnificent. It amazed me how often the scenes portrayed in the movie matched those which I had imagined whilst reading the book. There were also areas where the movie went further than the book would be able to do so. For example, the black riders, while true to the book's description, were truly scary - something the book wasn't able to do for me :) So whether you look at it as a movie (not taking into account it is based on a book) or whether you examine from the viewpoint of how successfuly it portrayed the book, I think this movie is a true modern day classic and well deserving of 5 stars.
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