Rating: 
Summary: WOW!!!
Review: I was amazed. I went home right away and started reading the books again. I have been waiting for this movie to come out ever since the fourth grade when I first read the trilogy. I thought how are they going to make it look real. I mean the height differences, but you did it. The characters you picked for each part was perfection. Let me tell you Legolas Greenleaf, (Orlando Bloom) what a perfect choice. He gets his own WOW! The entire cast and the directing staff all deserve a standing "O". I have seen it two times so far and I can't wait to see it again.
Rating:
Summary: Perfection
Review: I was blown away the first time I saw Fellowship of the Ring last December 19th. Everything, in my mind, was perfect. From the acting, to the scenery, to the monsters and the music. It is far, far and away the best fantasy movie I have ever seen. One of the best movies I've seen, period.The only thing I was unsure of going into it was the expanded role of Arwen, and the fact that it was Liv Tyler playing her. Her performance, however left me enchanted, as did all the other actors. Peter Jackson chose his cast well; every actor suited the part perfectly. There are some deviations from the book's storyline, but those I can forgive. A lot of them were because of time restrictions, and everything flowed evenly. There are times when I wish that there were fewer scenes with Saruman and the Uruk-Hai, but it lends more explanation for the events that come after. The only thing I don't like? That we all have to wait until December 18th to see the next part.
Rating:
Summary: Like it Should Have Been the First Time
Review: I was completely awestruck the first time I saw Lord of the Rings in the theater. This was the fantasy movie that I had always dreamed of seeing. I have been a fantasy fan all my life but strangely enough I had never read the Lord of the Rings Trilogy until I was inspired by the movie. I was overawed at the complexity and depth to this book and could not believe that I had not read this earlier in my life. Now that I have seen this extended edition I cannot believe that they did not release this version the first time. I thought that they did a wonderful job on the film before I saw this edition and now the first one seems like a second rate show[] This is how the all the other movies should be done and I sincerely hope that they are. If you love Tolkien and the Lord of the Rings this is a must have.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and beautiful
Review: I was completely enthralled by this movie. I had heard from some people that it was too long, but I didn't agree at all--I was sad when it ended. It's been a while since I read Lord of the Rings trilogy, but the movie brought it all back to me in living color. From the very beginning, it was exactly as I had imagined it--Bilbo's little round door, the Shire, young Hobbits playing, the furry little Hobbit feet. The world I created in my head while reading the books was right there on the screen in from of me. Visually, this was an incredibly beautiful, vivid, detailed, complex movie. I found myself trying to take absolutely everything in at once--the perfect scenery, the subtle differences between the races of Middle Earth, the varied and intricate faces of the characters. The battle scenes were a little disorienting and chaotic, but certainly got across the fierceness with which the characters were fighting. The Orcs and Uruk-hai were terrible and frightening, with grotesque textures and features that made me shrink back in my seat. The different landscapes of Middle-Earth were amazingly varied and complex. Each had it's own look and feel. Lothlorien was my favorite--so ethereal and magical, full otherworldly beauty. Galadriel embodied this with her luminescent glow and deep sense of mystery. Hobbitown was rustic and comfortable, with it's round doors, green hills, and good-hearted inhabitants. Bree was bustling and strange, and Moria was truly dark but also a little sad. Rivendell was beautiful and secluded, with deep roots in myth and legend. The plot was well played out, and the subtleties of Tolkien's epic story are left in tact. I was amazed in leaving the theater by how much I knew of the characters and the relationships between them. This was established in an unobtrusive manner, through dialog and small interactions, and I was surprised by how much was established so quickly. I felt strongly about each character, and the groundwork was laid for the parts that each would play in the continuing story. Elijah Wood was perfect for the part of Frodo. His large, innocent blue eyes were transformed through the course of the movie, becoming resolved and reluctantly brave. I was impressed by Sean Astin's Samwise--Astin did a good job of portraying the Hobbit's simple-minded loyalty. Sir Ian McKellen was wonderful as Gandalf--his great power was balanced by his good heart and softness for Hobbits. Also noteworthy was Orlando Bloom as Legolas--his elegance and reserved manner are quietly powerful, and served as a contrast to the chaos and darkness around him. Overall, I felt greatly relieved and happy that this movie lived up to my expectations and to the long history of Tolkien's epic tale. It may not have followed the letter of the book, but the spirit was most certainly honored. I am grateful to Peter Jackson for making this movie (and making it well). One more note: I found this movie to be at times quite frightening and violent, and I would really not recommend bringing small children.
Rating: 
Summary: Long, Drawn-Out and did I mention that it's LONG!!!!!!!!!
Review: I was eagerly awaiting this movie and when I finally got an advanced copy of it and saw that it was 3 discs I knew I was in for a long movie. Don't get me wrong the movie itself is good but it could have been shorter (like let's try 2 hours exactly!). The movie is just like the book, but let me just say that the movie itself just gets to the point and doesn't give us the over-long intro the book has. I own the 1978 animated movie which with a running-time of 134 minutes contains both "The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Two Towers", WHY COULDN'T THEY HAVE DONE THAT! Oh well, the movie is good, but make sure you pee before you watch it.
Rating:
Summary: Much better than expected!!! Well Done!
Review: I was excited when I heard about this, and a little skeptical too. There have been a few animated film versions of the books that just did not do it justice. However, you cannot compare animation films like that to a full scale movie epic like this!
It is true that the action was emphasized in the film over the poetic pathos of the book; but to SPECTACULAR effect! The movie was gripping, and visually stunning! The influence of the famous artwork by the Brothers Hildebrant was prevelent throughout. This is artwork that I remember seeing and being influenced by as a teenager. There were some subplots that were not approached; but I'm sure it was done so as not to confuse or interupt the natural flow of the movies story. I was very impressed; It made me want to read the books again! I look forward to the next instalment; and I anxiously await the DVD!!!
Rating:
Summary: bugger when some missed out.
Review: I was expecting to see Tom Bombadil to be included in the movie.Trying to figure out who will play a blue clown with a beautiful wife though they have no influence in the whole story. The second bugger I received was Gollum does not have any proper introduction of itself when he will play an important role later or the director wanted to change the storyline.One more thing I would like to voice out is I expect Galadriel to be a very lovely Elves but she was portraited as kinda cocky and wicked. Overally, the movie is great and I love the part when the company was in Moria and Weathertop.Long live Tolkien.
Rating:
Summary: Great film, but...
Review: I was extremely pleased with this treatment of the classic text. However, if you're enough of a fan of the film to go out and buy it, why not wait until November to get the special release with 30 extra minutes?
Rating:
Summary: WOW!!!
Review: I was extremely worried about watching this movie. I have SO loved the books, and usually when that happens you end up disappointed when it's adapted to the screen. This, by far, was not the case! This has to be one of the most exciting movies ever filmed. Even knowing the plot (which the movie followed almost religiously) you're still on the edge of your seat. To me the highlights was of course the special effects and the musical score, which was just tremendous. The cast was outstanding, without a weak spot. My 14 year old daughter, who had never read the books, was able to follow the plot well and enjoyed the action, even though this isn't her type of flick. This is a movie for anyone who enjoys exciting and intense movies, even if you're not a fantasy fan. Just be forewarned: I would not take a child under 10 to this. This is not Harry Potter! The evil creatures are very scarry to young children, as witnessed by many parents having to escort their children out at certain times. The movie, at just under 3 hours, flies by and before you know it you're begging for part 2 (The Two Towers) to start. I don't know if I can wait until next December.
Rating:
Summary: What a "Special Edition" SHOULD Be
Review: I was fortunate enough to see the extended edition on the big digital screen. Some important scenes were restored and others were extended. What we end up with is something much closer to the heart of the books than the original release (which I thought was excellent). The extended edition is not the original release with new scenes accessible from another menu or with a little flashing icon that allows you to add them in--this is a newly-edited film with music written and recorded for the new scenes. This DVD set is an example to all DVD producers as to what a special edition should be. From the outside in:
- The packaging is elegant
- The booklets are well-produced and give interesting information
- The DVDs have simple, elegant navigation
- The documentaries are exhaustive without being tedious. For Tolkein fans, it's great to get inside of every aspect of the production and to see not just HOW makeup, costumes, scenery, and FX were made, but WHY. I really got a sense that Peter Jackson did this as a labor of love and that no one else could have or should have taken on this project. The caveat here is that we can't really expect for any other DVD set to contain content like this. Jackson thought ahead of time and made sure that every aspect of filmmaking was thoroughly documented. This takes time, money, and a hell of a lot of resources. He did this because these stories have meant so much to so many for a half century. Any other director who would document his film to this extent would just be conceited, so I guess we can look forward to James Cameron doing it in his next release. In summary, if you only own one version of the Fellowship DVD, make it this one.
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