Rating: 
Summary: The best Lord of The Rings DVD Release
Review: Peter Jackson's first part of the collossal LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy is nothing short of a brilliant masterpiece, with incredible SFX, great characters, and staying true to J.R.R Tolkien's story while altering some of the book's elements to make it more suitable for film.
Deeply rooted in the fantasy genre, Fellowship of the Rings sees a young Hobbit Frodo Baggins inherit a powerful mystical ring from his cousin Bilbo Baggins. The ring, worn by the Dark Lord Sauron, has been passed down through many people until it reaches Bilbo. The mighty wizard Gandalf and a troop of dwarfes, elves and hobbits set out on a journey to destroy the dangerous ring by casting it back into the lava of Mt. Doom. But of course, there are bad guys, in the form of Saruman the White, played with relish by the brilliant Christopher Lee and his army of Orcs and Ringwaiths. Director Peter Jackson (The Frighteners) has taken Tolkein's story and molded it into the perfect fantasy adventure. Some characters that were ciphers in the novel have been elevated to main characters, and while some purists may be upset over the loss of some characters, Jackson does do service to the story's originality. And the result? In a Hollywood summer of dissapointments, Fellowship was the standout, one of those rare films that come along like The Matrix that remind us of why we like movies in the first place. In a film as ambitious as this, all the key elements are in place, the masterful storytelling, Jackson's brilliant visionary direction, superb acting (especially Ian McKellen as Gandalf and Elijah Wood as Frodo), incredible visual effects and the wealth of imagination from Tolkien's extraordinary tome. The supporting cast is great too, with John Rhys- Davies as Gimli the dwarf, Sean Bean as Boromir and Orlando Bloom as Legolas Greenleaf. The best facet about the whole thing is that it's so real that you really think that all this happened long ago. And that, more than anything else is a bonifide sign that this is not only one of the greatest cinema acheivements ever, but it's now entered into the cultural zeitgeist. The film takes us where we've never been before, Tolkein's world of Wizards, elves, ringwaiths, orcs and all the other imaginative creatures on display are a thrill to watch. For such a huge scale, the use of CG is of course neccesary, and the visuals are incredible, utilising state-of-the-art technology to create entire landscapes, creatures and battles. The most outstanding scene, where our intrepid fellowship travels into the mines of Mordor is a fantastic tour-de-force of incredible movie magic. The seamless blend of FX and amazing cinematography is absolutly breath-taking. Howard Shore's brooding score adds another layer of excellence to the myraid of adventurous escapism. There are problems; the film may not sit well with purists and the ending feels somewhat of an anti- climax after the climactic Mordor, but we all know that the real battles are yet to come. This is a film that takes you far beyond your imagination. What lies ahead for THE TWO TOWERS will no doubt be even more amazing and draw the millions of eager fans out once again to witness the second part to one of the most amazing films ever made. For people who managed to hold off the temptation to but the first DVD release, this platinum series "extended" edition is worth the wait. Discs 1 and 2 have a unique version of LOTR with over 30 minutes of cut footage incorporated into the film and new music scored by Howard Shore. Also included are four feature-length audio commentaries by director and writers, the design team, the production team, and the cast featuring more than 30 participants.
Discs 3 and 4 contain some of the most comprehensive extra material ever on DVD. Disc 3 has the doco "From Book to Vision": Adapting the book into a screenplay & planning the film, Designing and building Middle-earth, storyboards to pre-visualization, Weta Workshop visit including creatures and miniatures from the film, an awesome interactive map of Middle-earth tracing the journey of the Fellowship, an interactive map of New Zealand (yay!) highlighting the location scouting process, galleries of art and slideshows with commentaries by the artists, guided tour of the wardrobe department footage from early meetings, moving storyboards and pre-visualization reels.
DISC 4 has the doco "From Vision to Reality": Bringing the characters to life, "A day in the life of a hobbit", principal photography: Stories from the set, scale: Creating the illusion of size, galleries of behind-the-scenes photographs and personal cast photos, editorial and visual effects multi-angle progressions and sound design demonstration. Plus the whole thing comes with two bookends. One could point out that perhaps there are one too many different releases of LOTR on DVD, but fans love the extra-extra stuff. One of the best, if not THE best DVD releases ever!
Rating:
Summary: An excellent film - but should you wait until November?
Review: Peter Jackson's LOTR has become an instant classic in the fantasy film genre. It justly received wide critical acclaim for its outstanding cinematography, faithful adaptation of Tolkien's material and ensemble acting. Those Tolkienites who gripe about changes to Tolkien's must remember that material must be re-contextualized for the time. Do Tolkien fans miss Tolkien's original dialogue? Yes. Do I, as a Tolkien fan, think that said dialogue would come off as corny and unintentionally funny onscreen? Yes. It's a different time and Jackson also has to appeal to a mass audience. I think he balanced the interests of devoted fans and Tolkien virgins beautifully. Other character changes and story revisions, particularly Arwen, have been the center of much controversy. Again, changes need to be made in order for the story to work as a film. Remember, Tolkien included an encyclopedic amount of detail in his books - there is no room for that in a film! Jackson's LOTR is a great movie that stands alone. The ensemble cast works together beautifully, with Oscar-nominated Ian McKellen as a standout. Jackson should have gotten a special Academy Award for the extraordinary amount of exposition condensed into a 5-minute opening sequence! So you should definitely get the DVD. The REAL question is - should you wait? There is a Special Extended Edition coming out in November, which will include 30 extra minutes of footage, including more background on Aragorn and more footage at Lothlorien. There will also be new Special Features, although those are still in development at this time. Since the special features on the Theatrical Edition and the SPecial Extended Edition will not overlap, true LOTR die-hards may want to invest in both editions.
Rating:
Summary: Every detail of Tolkien's world has been recreated perfectly
Review: Peter Jackson's movie of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Fellowship of the Ring," first part of a three-film adaptation of Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy is amazing.
Right away you will know what's going on with a quick and efficient introduction outlining the forging of the rings of power, the creation of the One Ring, battle for Middle Earth, Isilidor defeats Sauron and inherits the ring. The ring is lost and thousands of years later found by the creature Golum and then Bilbo.
We view the Shire full of green and goodness, the evil flames of Mordor and the Orks, The awesome ringwraths clothed in layers of black, Rivendel the Elvish Paradise, the deep caves of Moria, and the woods of Lothlorian. Every location has been recreated perfectly giving us a completely believable world straight from Tolkien's books.
Everything about this movie is amazing and full of detail. The music of Howard Shore complements every scene bringing it to perfection. Watch this movie and take a look at Tolkien's world, through the eyes of Peter Jackson for a simply remarkable viewing experience.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely stunning filmmaking!
Review: Peter Jackson's stunning 1st installment of the Lord of the Rings saga is certainly the most rousing, beautiful examples of great movie-making in the last ten years. It will definately stand as one of the greatest achievements in filmmaking of the 21st century. Certainly a labor of love for all involved, it shows what can be done when a filmization of a novel is given to a great director (Jackson, of Heavenly Creatures fame) and an excellent cast. Sean Bean (as the honorable, but corrupted Boromir) and Ian Mckellan (as the always dependable Gandalf) stand out in a cast of great performances. This is a film that takes you completely to another place and time and does it with complete believability and instills everything with what a fantasy film needs most: conviction.
If you are going to see any film this winter, see Lord of the Rings.
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: Happy Hobbit Feet
Review: Peter Jackson's wonderful sequel to Lord Of The Dance is a bounty of visual amazement for all lovers of those funny Irish jigs that came into style a few years back. This time, the director takes on the extra challenge of presenting the dance numbers in a mystical Celtic setting that embodies all the elements of fantasy found in Irish dance. We are treated to this new interest in fantasy early on when Frodo and Sam strut their stuff against a backdrop of traditional flutes and penny whistles. The two dance up quite a storm at Bilbo's birthday - a neat set-piece full of Jackson's "little people." Jackson is quite daring in his use of midgets and dwarves (Gimli and his family) in many a dance number - truly an innovation! Its quite impressive how fleet of foot those little guys are! Later on there is a lovely and romantic pas de deux between Aragorn and Arwen and a hilarious old-time "Wizard's Waltz" featuring veterans Gandalf and Saruman. But the real stand out here is Legolas who appears to magically float upon the snow during the Cahadras mountain tune! Such moves!
Rating:
Summary: An epic
Review: Peter Jackson, after this movie, has become my favorite director, easily. And yes, before the movie, Tolkien was and still is my favorite author. Peter sacrificed 16 months+ of his life to film 3 movies in a row. Now thats impressive. Think about the massive crew in filming. They also sacrificed 16 months in filming. Most of them away from their families also.
The movie was great. It was adventurous with a hint of romance. I didn't really like the fact that Tom Bombadil was nowhere to be seen, or that famor maggot had a very brief apperance, but since they have no true reason in the novel, it would confuse the viewers. The composer was very talented. I loved the music, but when I watch it at home, I always have to have the captions on because the music is kinda loud compared to the actors. The movie is great! But be sure to read the books then watch the movie. And if your not keen to fantasy, watch the movie for the beautiful scenery. :o)
Rating:
Summary: Amazing film,stellar cast,insane special effects
Review: Peter Jackson....is now my god. I fall prostrate before you Mr. Jackson. That was one of the most amazing films I have ever seen. I don't think Tolkien's fantasy world could be created any more wonderfully than this film does. The computer generated scenes were of the highest calibre, and maybe a little too real. I forgot it was a movie sometimes. The casting director sure deserves a pat on the back for picking one of the most talented and appropriate casts I have ever had the privilige to see. Overall, the best film of the year, bar none. You'll leave the theater DYING to see the next film. Just amazing. That's the only word for it
Rating:
Summary: Fellowship of the Ring
Review: Phenomenal movie. I'm probably the best & worst person to give an opinion, since I've read the triology [of which this is the first part] 5 or more times. I'm biased, yet I expected a lot. This movie delivered! The scenes in the movie made me feel exactly like I did when I read the book. Though the characters were not exactly as I pictured them, they were very close. The setting: incredible! The scenes seemed to be pulled right out of my imagination. Even for those that didn't read the novel, this movie is a mastery of fantasy & special effects. If possible, read the book: either before [suggested] or after seeing the movie. But see this movie. Peter Jacob did an amazing job translating an epic book into an epic movie. Tolkien would have been proud!
Rating:
Summary: A dream come true
Review: Phenomenal! There are films and there are movies and this is classic film. For as much as I knew about the film before arriving, I truly was surprised by how affected I was. More than once I found myself surprised by tears. I loved the humor, the tight editing, screenwriting and the solid acting. There is such strength in this film in so many places. I loved hearing the names and places pronounced and I just bathed in the richness of Arwens' elvish. I loved that there was so much depth in the film, costuming, settings, and languages. I loved the rolling R's. One of my few quibbles about the books (I've read them a dozen times or so) is the dearth of female characters. This film has made up for it by highlighting and developing the existing female characters. As for movie quibbles, I do have to admit that Galadriels' transformation at the mirror made me squirm a bit. This film is absolutely not directed to children like Harry Potter was. One would think that the PG-13 rating would serve as warning but some people don't get it. I don't remember blood or gore but there is a tremendous amount of violence and implied violence. The film adaptation is as perfect as you can hope from a book of this depth. Three hours truly felt like 1½ or 2. It's truly a beautiful film and easily stands as a classic epic. It's quite possibly my favorite of all time and it is my dream come true.
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