Rating: 
Summary: CATE BLANCHETT = GALADRIEL...end of story.
Review: The story, aside from the movie was an amazing one. It is always terribly difficult to make a movie from a book or vice versa. Someone once asked me how true the movie was to the book, and I merely answered, "This isn't the movie of the Lord of the Rings, its a movie ABOUT the Lord of the Rings." There just wasn't enough time to fit in characters like Goldberry and Tom Bombadil because they aren't exteremely intrical to the story.
I was in awe of so many of the actors. I had read the books many times before, and never could find a true interpretation of some of the characters and when I saw them on the screen, I said "oh, thats what they look like."
The scenery and sets where amazing, unlike anything I'd ever seen before. The costumes (why moulin rouge won out on costumes escapes me)
I was a bit disappointed in many people for disliking Cate Blanchett's performance. I'd read many people thinking her to be too ugly to be Galadriel. CATE BLANCHETT IS NOT UGLY. I thought that is exactly what The Lady of the Golden Wood looked like. She filled Galadriel's shoes perfectly. I think in many ways, even more than perfectly.
I do have to point out, though the entire universe knows it, Ian McKellen was the PERFECT Gandalf. Elijah Wood was also a great Frodo. Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn, Boromir, Sam, Pippin, and Merry were all also amazing in their roles. Saruman was awesome. Just thought I'd throw that one in.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, but read your ratings
Review: This movie delivered the Tolkien tale in an "edge of your seat" thriller that does not let up. It starts slowly, builds to a high level and never lets go. The characters are easily memorable and the effects are intense. With all this hype, I must add that this movie earns its PG13 rating and is way too intense for younger children (trust me). The images are lasting and if viewers are too small, they will probably have some nightmares over this one. I read the Lord of The Rings over twenty years ago, and I remembered enough (should I say too little) that the movie seemed new and interesting to me. Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Read and You'll see...
Review: 1998... It was a fabulus year... why? Ask any avid Tolkien fan. It was the year they released an announcement to never be forgotten, LOTS will shortly become a movie! I had read the series five times by then, and was so obsessed it was completly ridiculous. Ah, but of course! We cannot, and will not, forget the fans who were against the movie. On the internet, page after page of "it will be the ruin of OUR beloved books" Ahhmmm, point taken? Fabulous I had no thoughts to match these. Those wondeful intellectual snobs who chomprehend Tolkien to the inth-degree, far surpassing our petty philosophical notions. THey learned the language for gosh sakes. No, the book was wonderful,entertaining,everything its cracked up to be. THe movie was informative, thoughtful, and vivid, everything a movie should be. My advice? Rent the books, read them, then, go see, or buy, the movie. YOu will not be dissapointed! My only comment is that perhaps this movie should be screened for excessive violence, if you plan to let a child under ten watch it.
Rating:
Summary: Lord of the Rings
Review: I don't like going to the movies very much, but this series I will definitely go to see ALL of these on the big screen.The effects & sound will blow you away!This is a great example of special effects, great adventure & superb story-telling through the actors & actresses.
Rating:
Summary: An interesting, fantastic adventure epic for all ages!
Review: When I first received my copy of this movie, I was kind of skeptic to whether I was going to love it or hate it. It turned out that I liked it. I mean it dragged on for a little longer than I hoped but it was still a good movie. "Fellowship" as you well know is Part 1 to The Lord of the Rings trilogy. At the Oscars this year, the movie received (to my knowledge) 4 Oscars (one I hope for the music score!). If I give you a summary of the movie, I'll end up giving you the entire plot, so all I'll say is "LOTR:FOTR" is a very good movie for all the fans of the novels. Now onto my family content rating: This movie has been rated PG-13 for some epic battle sequences and scary images. Scary images is right. This movie will surely scare some audiences under 10. There is no language. No nudity/sex. Overall, I think this movie should be viewed for people over 14 because of the long running time and for the plot line. Great movie though!
Rating:
Summary: SEE IT!!!
Review: I don't get excited about too many movies but this one was one of the best movies I have seen in a long long time. They did a decent job of staying in-line with the books only leaving out a scant number of secondary characters and bringing the first chapter from the second book in as a cliff hanger was a nice touch. The visual effects are excellent, the plot true to the trilogy, and the actors do a nice job of portraying their characters. It made me pull out the old books, dust them off, and re-read them 25 years after I read them the first time. I can't hardly wait to see the next two installments and that says a lot.
Rating:
Summary: A Dream Come True
Review: Thus far, I have seen LOTR:FOTR in the theater three times. The first time I saw this movie, I was somewhat disappointed because I kept comparing it to the book and the animated version that came out in 1978. But when I saw it a second time, I found myself appreciating the film on its own merits. I still do have a couple of minor quibbles. I believe they should have shown a couple of quick scenes with Gollum following Frodo and his comrades as they rowed down the Anduin River. This is important for viewers who never read the books, because it would have served to remind them that Gollum is still pursuing them. Instead, we get a brief glimpse of him in the Mines of Moria and then nothing more afterwards. But perhaps such a scene will be included in the expanded DVD version that comes out later this year. My only other gripe is that the scenes leading up to Boromir's attempt to seize the ring should have been truer to the book, with Frodo's companions conflicted over whether to go to Minas Tirith or onward to Mordor. That tension was missing from the movie. But apart from these minor issues, this movie was just about everything I could have hoped for. Some purists object to the exclusion of the Tom Bombadil character from the movie, but as much a fan of the books that I am, I never really understood what purpose his character served and that at best the episode in the Old Forest was mere filler to provide the Hobbits with some adventures. I can hardly wait for the second installment to be released, as well as the expanded edition of FOTR on disc this coming winter.
Rating:
Summary: The hype is right
Review: "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" may be a big-budget epic, but it's got the heart and soul of a well-crafted indie. That's a thesis that I've been considering ever since I first saw the film in December, and actively propounding ever since I saw it a second time in February. As rich and beautiful and visually mesmerizing as this first adaptation of the J.R.R. Tolkien trilogy may be, its most valuable asset is both immeasurable and increasingly rare in Hollywood filmmaking -- restraint. It's a quality you certainly won't find hiding within the schlocky morass of half-realized sentiments and outright lies that is "A Beautiful Mind," which inexplicably beat "Lord of the Rings" for the 2002 Academy Award. The joke's on DreamWorks -- they may loft and embrace every one of their four undeserved trophies, but at the end of the day, "A Beautiful Mind" is just another dusty relic on the shelf of forgotten Best Picture winners. "Lord of the Rings," which isn't a year old and has already attained classic status, moves on to a higher pedestal. Hiring Jackson has made all the difference. Watch his 1993 psychological thriller, "Heavenly Creatures," and then watch this film; you'll notice the same virtues: masterful pacing, a tremendous visual imagination, a genuine curiosity about character and, of course, restraint. In spite of the $100-million budget, "Lord of the Rings" doesn't feel like a $100-million movie. It has its sweeping panoramic flourishes and its eye-popping battle sequences, but they're integrated so unobtrusively, and with such enormous fluidity, that they feel absolutely inseparable from the story. That story, of course, is well-known: Frodo (Elijah Wood), that gentlest of Hobbits, has the most unenviable task of destroying the One Ring, which seems capable of corrupting anyone or anything (including the camera; Jackson focuses his lens on the ring so unnervingly that it assumes the magnetism of a full-fledged villain). Aiding Frodo in his quest are the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and the seven other members of the eponymous Fellowship. In an age of cynicism, there's nothing more difficult to take seriously than a fantasy epic -- how "Lord of the Rings" manages to be so effortlessly convincing, and so unembarrassing in spite of its proliferation of pointy hats and funny cloaks, is hardly the least of its miracles. The idea of Gandalf glaring into the fiery face of a Balrog and screaming, "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" at the top of his lungs inspires a groan on paper; McKellen, acting at the height of his powers, turns it into one of the most singularly riveting scenes of the year. That's ultimately what makes "Lord of the Rings" so thoroughly resonant and refreshing; behind the stylistic ingenuity and pitch-perfect ensemble, it has a very real sense of the human consequences of evil. And despite the PG-13 rating, there are scenes here that can and will make you squirm in terror -- not just the kind of terror that has you cowering in your seat, but also the kind that fills you with a positive thrill of gratitude, that real drama and real magic are still alive and well at the movies. Here's to the next two.
Rating:
Summary: Heaven comes to Tolkein fans
Review: It would not be possible to capture ALL of Professor Tolkein's great work on one film. Thus challenged, the makers of this film sought to bring it to life, and if they could not put on film exactly what he wrote, they would film what any fan of the Tolkein universe wanted. So far, they have won. Right from the start, when the history of the ring is being explained, and the brutal war in front of the gates of Mordor at the end of the Second Age of Middle Earth is being shown, the detail and spirit of this great work hits the viewer in all its intensity, darkness, and triumph. The pace is maintained throughout Fellowship, so much so that any real fan is left breathless by the time the Fellowship ends and the story takes its first great turn. One can always niggle at this or that technical problem or some part left out (Tom Bombadil, for example), but once you have seen Gandalf confront the Balrog--if that didn't get to you, you are probably brain dead and unable to read this review. Sheer delight! Ken Heimer
Rating:
Summary: A promising DVD
Review: As for the theatrical version- it is an amazing, breathtaking, view into the world that JRR Tolkien created 40+ years ago. Having seen the movie first, and then reading the book, I was able to get a unique perspective regarding the movie.
The first thing that a viewer has to keep in mind is that the movie, in its original form, was over six hours in length, which was, needless to say, too lengthy to show in theaters. Therefore, certain things, and I'm sure very interesting things, had to be left out. The viewer can take comfort in the fact, however, that what is left is the product of a series of cuts that ended up being the three hour epic that it is. Certain characters (i.e. Tom Bombadil) are omiitted in the film, however the film is extremely effective in portraying the book. So although the film is cut down, it is a masterpiece; a theatrical gem.
This DVD offers the oppurtunity to bring home this amazing masterpiece- what an oppurtunity! The DVD comes in two formats; widescreen and full screen. If you do not have a widescreen TV, I suggest buying the full screen version as it will not be "cut off" in terms of height, which some find annoying. This DVD incorporates some interesting special features, which are listed at the top of the screen. Among them is a sneak peak at the Special Exteneded DVD, which is going to hit stores November 10. This special extended version, according to lordoftherings.net, will be a unique version of the film with over thirty minutes of new footage incorporated into it.
Personally, I intend to buy both of these DVDs, one, which I have preordered now, and the other, which will come out November 10th. I will do this because I simply can't wait to own this masterpiece of a film.
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