Rating: 
Summary: Visually Stunning
Review: The first installment of the Lord of the Rings Cinema Trilogy (the novel was not, in fact a trilogy, it was one novel published in three parts) is a Visual triumph. Honestly I had my doubts about director Peter Jackson and his ability to bring my favorite novel to life. Jackson did much to dispell my worries.
The Special Effects were very well done. I felt a chill run down my spine when the Ring Wraiths attacked the Hobbits on Weathertop. I found myself impressed with the depth and detail of Moria and shuddered with the fear inspired by the forces of darkness in the few shots of Mordor.
The cinematograhpy was simply fabulous. Hobbiton was exactly as I pictured it, and this would hold true for every location in Middle Earth. Whether we were looking at the Misty Mountains or the Elven haven of Rivendell, I was quite impressed with the detail and the amount of work which had obviously gone into making this film.
As for the plot and the story itself, this is where it gets tricky. Having been a Tolkien fan for 19 years, I was bound to be disappointed. Missing characters (Bilbo's relatives the Sackville Bagginses and Tom Bombadil to name a few), cut out scenes (the Journey through the Old Forrest) and re-arranged scenes (the scene at the Prancing Pony was edited heavily and to the detriment of the story). The editing of the sequences between the time of Bilbo's party and the discovery of the Ring for what it is leads one who hasn't read the book to think very little time has gone by. However, those of us who have read the novel realize this is far from the truth. In fact almost 20 years go by!
Having said this, I must rate this film 5 stars. Honestly, Jackson did a FANTASTIC job overall. My quibbles with the film are minor and overcome by the films' strong points. Furthermore, unless Jackson opted for a film which was at least 1 hour LONGER than the 3 hour epic we have now there is NO way to get this film 100% right. Purchase this DVD and enjoy the genius of J.R.R. Tolkien as interpreted by the genius of Peter Jackson!
Rating:
Summary: Despite dispensible extras, a must-own DVD
Review: Peter Jackson's three-part adaptation of JRR Tolkien's _Lord of the Rings_ gets off to a marvelous start with _Fellowship of the Ring_, a triumph of cinematic storytelling and the most thorough visualization of Middle-Earth to date. The DVD of the film's theatrical cut is also solid, with near-flawless video and audio transfers. The extras on Disc 2, mostly puff pieces for cable and the Web, aren't worth the bother. But with a movie this good (at such a low price), who's complaining?
Rating: 
Summary: Tremendous movie, sub standard dvd
Review: First off, the movie itself is fantastic. I do believe tolkein would have been proud. but i won't bore you with details of the actual movie, but i would like to warn you of the dvd. The first few times i put the disc in, everything went smoothly. However, i recently noticed that the audio fades in and out at some points. I removed the disc to check for a scratch, however i found none. I re-inserted the disc and ran it through the same scene where the audio failed, and it ran fine this time. I hadn't changed any of the audio settings, yet none the less i still hear the audio fade in at random points of the dvd. I doubt this problem is present in all dvds, but be warned, you may experience some audio difficulties, but i still suggest you buy the dvd anyways.
Rating:
Summary: "Let's go hunt some Orcs!" -Aragorn; The Lord of the Rings
Review: This is one of the most amazing movies I have ever seen! That is no understatement. It hits number 2 on my personal top ten list. The actors are wonderful and Peter Jackson is a miracle worker. I am at the edge of my seat waiting for the Two Towers!
Rating:
Summary: Transcendent
Review: This is an excellent movie. It captures the essence
of Tolkien's masterpiece of heroic myth. I've had it
for one week and have already watched it twice. There
is always something new and fresh about it. Each race
is perfectly represented. It is visually stunning
and emotionally breathtaking. There is a rich undercurrent
of spirituality that gives the heroic adventure story
substance and a sense of transcendence. This movie
captured Tolkien's sense of grace and portrays it
wonderfully.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Film Of 2001--Period
Review: Adapting J.R.R.Tolkien's classic LORD OF THER RINGS would prove a daunting task for even the most dedicated filmmaker, but director Peter Jackson proves here that he is more than up for the task, producing one of the most unbelievably strong motion pictures to come down the pike is some time. In a time when special effects-driven films lack character driven plots, LOTR:TFOTR scores on all counts--the special effects are simply unbeatable, the story is superbly fleshed out, and the acting is first-rate across the board. Among the cast standouts, mention must be made of Ian McKellan(robbed of an Oscar), Viggo Mortenson(given a role than finally makes use of his smoldering onscreen acting work and charisma), and Elijah Wood(so far from his child acting days and doing his best work yet). This is quite simply the best film of 2001 and arguably one of the great filmmaking masterpieces of the last half century.
Rating:
Summary: Don't know about Lord of the Rings? Don't Worry!
Review: I must say, Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was everything it promised to be and more. I have never read any of Tolkien's books and have no interest in doing so, but, unlike so many other films, I don't think you need to be a fan in order to thoroughly enjoy it. I will be the first to admit that the only reason I saw this movie was because I got it for free at Blockbuster. Yet I'm soooo glad I did and cannot wait for the others to come out. The only problem I had with this movie was that I felt that some of the people who were given top billing had too small a part in this film. I think I saw Liv Tyler and Cate Blanchett for a total of 15 minutes in this three hour film (don't worry, it goes by quickly) yet in the advertisements, you get the impression that they are a major part of the plot. Perhaps they will have expanded roles in the next two films? In any case, I think Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring should be on everyone's must see movie list this year.
Rating:
Summary: Would give it a 10
Review: I'm not one to read narrative prose, and although I have a friend who is an avid fan of the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, I could never get into them myself. When the movie came out I was not certain I wanted to see it, but the trailers were so enchanting I couldn't resist it. This seems to have been a fantasy film year for me-Planet of the Apes, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Spiderman, Lord of the Rings! I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The story hung together extremely well. There were no points where I stopped to ask myself, "Is this credible? Would he/she do this? Is this a logical outcome of that?" The bad guys were well and truly bad and the good guys well and truly good. Furthermore, the actors chosen for each part were outstanding. I couldn't imagine anyone else playing either of the two wizards than McClellan and Lee; each was given the right character to do and each did his part superbly. Frodo Baggins spent a little too much time looking wide eyed and misty, but his eyes are so beautiful, I decided I didn't care! I did find the use of the CGI characters a little repetitious. Since Summers' The Mummy first brought creepy crawlies out in force through CGI everyone seems to use the same types of renderings and mannerisms. It's time for something a little new in that direction, I think! The settings were enchanting and fun. I had seen a short preview of the film on TV which had discussed the Hobbit Shire and was impressed with the care that had gone into selecting its site and design. It was, indeed, delightfully fanciful. I was especially enamored, too, with the lands of the two groups of elves. Their architecture, costume, and personal grace were arresting. When Bilbo Baggins chose to live among them to write his book, I thought I could see retiring there to a life of contemplation and reading myself! The film was an absolute visual delight. When the CD came out I wasn't sure if it would take to a smaller venue-although my TV is 52"- but I needn't have been worried. It transfers to the small screen without difficulty. There are points when the dialogue seems a little forced, possibly because the smaller screen makes the human figures stand out more importantly from their background. It might also be due to the fact that it was my second viewing of the film, so I already knew what was going to be said, anticipation making it seem more forced. All in all the film is a masterpiece. I can hardly wait until the next chapter comes out this winter.
Rating:
Summary: Go purchase this DVD
Review: Absolutely loved the movie. The DVD is excellent. I now use this DVD to show off my sound system. I also plan to purchase the Extended Edition in November. Highly reommended.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Movie and Start to a new masterpiece trilogy
Review: The Fellowship of the Ring, based on the first book of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien, is one impressive movie that exceeds most of the expectations of fans of Fantasy adventures. I suggest that you read the books because there is nore material covered in the book than in the movie. The world and scenery is incredible. The New Zealand setting is a good place to film the movie. The world, peoples, languages, and story shows how much of an amazing imagination Tolkien has through this movie. Elijah Wood is okay as Frodo Baggins but Ian McKellan, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Bean, Liv Tyler, Orlando Bloom, and Hugo Weaving has done impressive acting as Gandalf, Aragorn, Boromir, Arwen, Legolas and Elrond. The action and adventure in the movie is far superior that it beats the fantasy movie Dungeons and Dragons by a huge margin. The story is well developed in the movie and the crew has done an excellent job trying to stay true to the book. It is unfortunate that Peter Jackson and the screenwriters had to cut out some important scenes from the book in order to fuse the whole 400-page story to a three hour movie, making Tolkien fans unhappy but the movie continues work well without those scenes. As for the extra features, they have a huge collection of featurettes which gives a look at how the movie was made with the trailers and a preview for the next movie. The thing that disapoints me is that there is no deleted scenes and they are going to release it in another DVD edition that costs more. It's probably that there's no room in the two discs. This is a movie for those who love adventure and a great story so if you are not interested in these two things, go look for something else unless you really want to experience this great movie. If you have read the books, the Lord of the Rings is a great movie to experience the story. I am looking forward to the next chapter, The Two Towers on Christmas 2002.
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