Rating: 
Summary: My small contribution .
Review: This points-review is my small contribution to the unprecedented joint effort of Amazon reviewers (in such a relatively short time) to express and describe their impressions , thoughts and feelings about this extraordinary experience .1. You don't have to read the book to enjoy the film . 2. This is the real thing : as a fellow who hasn't read both books - "Harry Potter"(HP) and "Lord Of The Rings" (LOTR) - but has seen both movies - LOTR overshadows HP completely . The originality of this film shines through the inevitable comparison of the two . I'm sorry I wasted my time on seeing HP - don't waste yours . 3. Visually stunning : you shall witness never seen before visual effects that will leave you breathless - the movie is , beyond everything else , a visual experience - after all , the leading stars of LOTR are the special effects , that could be accomplished only in recent years thanks to advanced computer technologies . 4. Audibly striking : in addition to the visual dimension , the music , noises and voices bring the film to heights of performance few movies share . 5. It is NOT suitable for kids under the age of 11-12 : the movie is chilling , creepy , terrifying , and contains some images that are not easily digested . There were several scenes in which I was so tensed , frightened and edgy , I actually jumped in my seat , and throughout the whole experience my body was stiffed . As a rule , there are a lot of horror-movie motives in LOTR , and I wouldn't recommend any weak-hearted or pregnant women to experience them . Beware ! 6. Of course , beautiful landscape shots , that make you wish you've been to New Zealand - the sooner the better - this country looks like heaven . 7. In contradiction to other reviewers , I am not sorry I will have to wait a year for the next movie . I think the producers have made a wise decision in holding the crowds anticipating for the next to come ; waiting is sometimes a good thing , especially when one knows how good it is going to be .
Rating:
Summary: Amazing film!
Review: I was very impressed by this movie. I think that the script writers stayed very true to the story when they wrote the scrit for this movie. It was wonderful in every way and I would recomend it to anyone who loves fantasy, or just loves really great movies.
Rating:
Summary: WOW! Amazing! A MUST see!
Review: When I first saw this movie I came out of the theater wanting more! I immediatly fell in love with the characters and the awesome special effects! If you haven't seen this movie, you need to! The cast is great and play their parts as if they were once the actual people. I loved this movie sooooo much that I went and saw it three times and I still plan to see it several more. For anyone who loves fantasy, action, adventure, suspense and who cares... who loves any movie theme, they will enjoy this awesome movie. I recomend seeing it at least twice!
Rating: 
Summary: Lord of the Ring
Review: The first hour and a half went fast and was very interesting, however the next hour and a half went very slowly because the many battles were repetitious and unbelievable that four adults and three children can beat full armies of tyrants. Also I notice that some scenes showed the horse and some scenes forgot the horse, even in the aerial shots when the group set out over the mountain to reach Mordo.
Rating:
Summary: One in a Million
Review: I am not the biggest Tolkien fan. I'm only about halfway through the first book in the trilogy, which I read in anticipation for the movie. But, as little of it that I'd read by the time the film came out, I can at least say that anyone can easily love this film. The camerawork is great. The scenery is breathtaking. The characters are believable and well-acted. Even the special effects don't really look like special effects! This is the kind of movie that people dream of being in or making. When you get a chance that big, you don't blow it, and you can tell that by watching how well everything is done. However, the movie is not without its flaws. I realize that if they had included everything in the movie, it would have been 5 hours long instead of just three. Still, as a result, the finished product has very little to do with the book. You can't go see the movie and say that you've read the first book, because there's a lot of differences. One of the most important characters in the book is not in the film. I hear that that character is even more important in the second book. One cannot help wondering how the second film will be able to pull that off. But in any case, truthful or not, this is still a darned good film that will keep you on your toes from beginning to end. Director Terry Gilliam once said that movies now can either be a fun escape or a serious example of art, and that it's very rare when a film can reflect both of these. Lord of the Rings is one of those rare films.
Rating:
Summary: A great epic
Review: This is one of the best films I've seen. Not perfect by a long shot, but any quibbles I have with it are just, well, quibbles. Peter Jackson has done a magnificent job of presenting Tolkien's vision on the big screen. My quibbles: 1) Not enough character development for Legolas and Gimli, nor of their burgeoning friendship. 2) Galadriel's gift giving to the Fellowship was sorely missed, in part because her gift giving brings about actual changes in perception on the part of some of the characters (most notably Gimli, who becomes enamored of her) 3) The casting of Hugo Weaving as Elrond--having not seen The Matrix I do not associate him with the bad guy in that film, but Weaving, sorry to say, is not nearly "beautiful" enough or awe-inspiring enough to pass as a leader of the most beautiful, immortal race. 4) The casting of Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn. If anything Mortensen and Sean Bean (Boromir) should have switched roles. Mortensen is a capable enough actor, but Bean was by far the stronger, more compelling presence. 5) A few sloppy instances of editing and special effects. Most notably, how the heck does Legolas always have a full quiver of arrows even though he's shooting all the time? Perhaps Jackson figured the audience would just infer that Legolas was retrieving arrows from somewhere. :-) The cave troll was mostly great but for a few rather obvious "oh look this is CGI stuff" moments. The good stuff: 1) But for the above mentioned moment with the Cave troll, the CGI and special effects were really top-notch, especially because they did not exist for their own sake but for the purpose of enhancing and telling the story 2) Substituting Arwen for Glorfindel. Some gripe about this "PC" decision to use the female elf as a warrior princess, but I thought it was a wise choice because it shows that Arwen is as full-blooded a character as the man she loves. Mortensen and Liv Tyler also had a strong chemistry that worked well in their scenes. 3) Cutting the songs, Tom Bombadil, etc. They were not missed, although perhaps a song or two sung by the hobbits would have lightened things a bit. 4) Ian McKellan as Gandalf and Orlando Bloom as Legolas. Every actor did justice to their roles, filling them beautifully in both look and deed, but these two were my top picks, because they actually made me forget that wizards and elves are creatures of fiction. McKellan was born to play Gandalf, the perfect combination of humor, gravity, power, warmth, and I loved his little forays into mischief and sarcasm. Bloom also seems born to play Legolas. He perfectly embodied the grace and beauty of the Elves in both movement and looks, (the guy is just gorgeous) but also the masculine elegance of his character. His character was given short shrift, but nevertheless I could not take my eyes off him, particularly during the battle scenes. 5) Casting in general was inspired (minus Elrond and perhaps Aragorn). The actors all had tremendous chemistry, they worked hard without looking like they were working hard, and they really made me care about them and their journey. In total, this film is an object lesson in what "epic" moviemaking should be all about. The scenery and effects are not what make this film, it's the story, the characters, and the acting. I have seen this film three times and I would see it again, and what's more, it gets better with every viewing. I am anxiously awaiting a Director's Cut, either in theaters or on DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Special Effects, but story lacking...?
Review: Firstly, I'm not a Tolkien fan, never read his books, so I write this seeing Lord of The Rings and it's story for the first time. The Special Effects were great! The director used a lot of overhead sweeping landscape shots, and it greatly magnified the grandeur and scale in which the special effects were used. Go watch the movie simply to admire the camera work and special effects,... now I know for sure that Hollywood CAN make anything happen. The reason I gave it only 4 stars is because of lack of story. After the audience knows what the ring and fellowship and everything is all about, it appeared the director proceeded to use the special effects almost as a replacement for extending the story line. As a result we are treated with a barrage of action and special effects, long on time, and sort on depth. Running over 3 hours, at times, I was looking for more story line, not more action. Don't get me wrong, I think this is a landmark film, showing off powerful computer animations and effects. Lord is the kinda break through movie like the first Star Wars was, likely spawning a new generation of highly stylized special effects type movies. Now, movies truly can make anything look real!
Rating:
Summary: One of the greatest adventure movies ever made !!!
Review: This movie is truly a visual masterpiece that I encourage everyone to see. Even people who haven't read the book or aren't fans of the fantasy genre will find this movie to be 3 hours very well spent. The special effects are astounding with absolutely amazing scenery. The fight scenes are extremely well done (better than Gladiator in my opinion). The characters are very well cast and the acting is superb. I have read the Fellowship of the Ring and this movie certainly does justice to that great work of fiction. I can't wait until the next movie is released! See this movie, you won't regret it!
Rating:
Summary: A Must See for Tolkien Fans!
Review: If you loved the books, then you're definately going to love the movies. It's one of the best movies that has been released in a long time. Not only are the visual effects breath-takingly, bone- chillingly astounding, but the casting and acting are certainly Oscar worthy performances. Nothing in this film falls short of one's expectations; in fact, it goes above and beyond anything one could imagine. Many Tolkien fans were worried that the magic and authenticity of the novels would be lost in the modernity of today's style and culture, but all these fears have been pushed aside as everyone has found them to coinside with the magical feelings that the trilogy possesses. Nothing about the movie is dissappointing and nothing falls short of eager Tolkien fan's expectations( except maybefor the fact that I was just waiting for Elrond to say in his monotone voice,"Welcome to Rivindell, MR ANDERSON"! ). A joy ride of thrills and wonder, LOTR is sure to become an instant classic that will go down in movie history as one of the best films of all times.
Rating:
Summary: Stupendous Film!
Review: An absolute marvel to watch. I felt everything was perfect; characters, actors, special effects, cinematography, scenery, etc, etc. Looking back in retrospect, perhaps character development was lacking, but I believe the timelessness and excitement of the story made up for that. I just can't believe the people who say they were bored with the repetition of fight scene after fight scene, not to mention all of the carnage. What carnage? I mean, of course, there were many battles between good and evil and many creatures killed, but I saw none in such a graphic and horrific way. No spewing of blood, no flying of guts, no people left in pain and agony to die horrible deaths. If you want to see graphic carnage, try 'Saving Private Ryan' or 'The Thin Red Line.' Those were films with massive amounts of grotesque and violent death, not to mention an endless repetition of the same theme...(some good guys fight the bad guys, then move on, then fight the bad guys, then move on, then fight the bad guys, etc, etc.) Honestly, I do remember leaning over to my boyfriend when the Fellowship was in the Mines of Moria fighting the ancient demon and whispered, "How many evil creatures are they going to fight?" I didn't say it out of a sense of boredom or urge for the movie to continue forward; I merely felt sorry for the characters. I mean, wasn't it bad enough just to go to Mordor without having to worry about battling every other demonic figure on the way there? Finally, I can't stand the way people here are so narrow-minded to say that the movie sucked because there was no ending. Duh! The movie is part of a trilogy, so of course it doesn't really "end" yet! I admit, I was disappointed about it though (only because I have to wait a year to see the second part). All in all, it was an absolutely fabulous movie, one of the best I've ever seen! A definite DVD buy for me!
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