Rating: 
Summary: This Movie is one of the best of all time!!!
Review: Sure, it's a little long but when you see how much time and effort they put into this movie it's absolutely breath taking and I don't see how you could become sick of it.I really don't see how anyone could not love this movie. The acting was astounding and I think it should have gotten a lot more Oscars. Ian McKellen did an AMAZING job as Gandalf and he definitely should have gotten best supporting actor. Obviously, I haven't seen the extended DVD edition yet but I know it will be perfect and I will be getting it. You can tell the people who worked on this movie were passionate about the book and making the movie exactly right. They just had to cut out a few things to keep it from being longer and to keep it right for the movies. I have very high expectations for the Two Towers and will definitely be seeing it.
Rating: 
Summary: Ok......Great Visual Effects but where's the movie??!??!
Review: Sure....I was spellbound by all the scenery and explosion. But, when you see a movie, don't you usually want a story with a plot and all those other literature terms??? With LOTR, I saw no story. Just some creatures tryin to get a ring to a mountain to destroy it. *cue sarcasm* Woo-freakin-hoo...with that plot, it's gotta be a masterpiece!!! *ends sarcasm* Oh well, atleast I got some nap time out of it.
Rating:
Summary: TO TRANSLATE IS TO BETRAY----OR IS IT???
Review: Surely if Tolkien were alive today he would have argued against the making of this film, fearing that something would be lost in the translation. But Tolkien is dead, the films have been made, and the verdict is out: The Fellowship of the Ring is a GREAT movie. This is what fantasy fans have been waiting for: A good storyline, believable characters, wonderful scenery, and god-grand battle scenes. For the uninitiated in fantasy, there is no need to fear, as the beginning of the movie does give a brief but accurate synopsis as to what has gone on before and how the Ring came to be. Approximately three hours in length, the movie is admittedly long, but one has to be able to appreciate how Peter Jackson was able to tell a 400+ page story in that amount of time, and tell it WELL, at that. The movie does have its slow parts, but this is not so much Jackson's fault as it was Tolkien's. I, personally, found the book The Fellowship of the Ring to be a little slow and boring. In fact, if I rated the book right now, I'd probably give it only 3.5 to 4 stars (out of 5). If there are any slow or boring parts in this movie, it's because Jackson was trying to stick as true to Tolkien's vision as reasonably possible. If you look on the internet, you'll see lots of artwork that is very similar to the movie. For example, doesn't the cover art on the paperback version of The Lays of Beleriand look like the inspiration for Sauron's costume at the beginning of the movie? "To translate is to betray", the Italian Proverb goes, but with this movie, Peter Jackson has joined the ranks of the few that have proved that proverb wrong.
Rating: 
Summary: I Truly Enjoyed This Historic Film
Review: Surely you've read and heard all about this one, great scenery, cinematography, action, pace, actors and casting make it one for the ages. LOTR and it's follow-ups look to be a staple in Film Art classes nationwide and despite some very minor flaws a wonderful adaptation of the classic novel. A lot of the costumes and environments felt very similar to many modern PC roleplaying video games that I've enjoyed, I couldn't help but to keep thinking of that the first time I saw it! LOTR is the ultimate in fantasy lore and keeps your interest from beginning to end. I actually had to watch it twice to absorb all it had to offer, and my biggest complaint would be that the dialogue was hard to hear at times as intentionally soft spoken lines were not drawn out enough to hear or obscured by the soundtrack, (which is also excellent). And I can certainly forgive the film's creators for not including "everything" the book included, no one wants to watch a ten hour movie in one sitting no matter how good it is, simply impossible. The great job they did of adapting it to film made up for those lack of inclusions. A classic tale of good versus evil, and even if you aren't a fan of the book, and you have an open, creative mind that loves magic and fantasy, you can get past the fact the entire epic story is based on a simple gold ring. I simply cannot wait for the second film to arrive in theaters as the rather abrupt ending point really leaves you yearning for the rest of the story to be shown on-screen. Luckily for me it's been such a long time since I read the book that I can barely remember who lives, who dies, and what happens. And I have no intention of reading it in the interim as it will certainly make the second film that much more enjoyable. Great job Mr. Jackson and all of the cast and crew, you certainly created a worthy film adaption of Tolkien's classic tale.
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous rendering of a favorite trilogy... flawless movie!
Review: Sweeping visuals, wonderful performances, great special effects, emotional rollercoaster ride... and then of course there is the story.
I know the story well, and even so the whole three hours were mesmerizing for me. No sore butt, no restlessness, not one thought as to when it would end.. I wanted it to go on and on, and on!
Such a delightful fulfillment of this Tolkein fan's hopes.
Brilliant film.
Rating:
Summary: Capturing the Spirit of Tolkien
Review: Synopsis: In the land of Middle Earth, a hobbit named Frodo Baggins comes to possess a magical, vastly powerful gold ring. Centuries before, the ring was the possession of the Dark Lord Sauron, an evil sorcerer whose spirit still inhabits his fastness of Mordor. If reunited with his ring, Sauron will once again have the means to enslave the world. Frodo, gentle representative of a peaceful and timid people, must find a way to convey the ring to Mount Doom - the heart of Sauron's kingdom - for destruction. Along the way he will be beset by the savage and remorseless emissaries of the Dark Lord. Aiding Frodo in his quest are eight representatives of the free peoples of Middle Earth: an elf, a dwarf, two men, three other hobbits, and the wizard Gandalf. The Fellowship of the Ring tells the story of the first leg of the quest. When I arrived at 11:30 a.m. on December 19th for the local cineplex's first public showing of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the guy who ripped my ticket made it clear that he thought it pretty strange for someone to show up an hour early for a weekday matinee. I told him that, given that I'd been waiting a quarter century to see this movie, arriving an hour early to assure a good seat wasn't all that hard to understand. I've been a Tolkien fan for quite a long time and have read and re-read the books to the point where I could probably quote (at least) short passages of them unaided. I don't know if that nets out to a plus or a minus in qualifying me to review the movie. But I thought you should know. First, a few words about The Fellowship of the Ring as a book adaptation. While leaving the story overall remarkably intact, the filmmakers omitted a few scenes from Tolkien's epic (Tom Bombadil and the Barrow Wights are gone, for instance), conflated some other events and characters, and generally tightened the action in order to fit it comfortably within the movie's roughly three hour running time. Those changes will doubtless outrage extremists among the Tolkien True Believers; I heard one such individual harrumphing that director Jackson had turned the book into "just a long chase scene." In fact, the changes not only make The Fellowship of the Ring a better movie, they actually improve upon the story. Here's one notable example. In the book, an elf named Glorfindel has an exciting but brief role in events, and then is essentially unheard of throughout the rest of the saga. Jackson and co-writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens have taken Glorfindel's part and given it to Arwen, an elf princess who occupies an important place in Tolkien's Middle Earth but appears rarely before the trilogy's final installment. The change at once helps unify the action of the books, makes Arwen a far more interesting character, and adds tension to the film's action by contrasting the elf maid's seeming delicacy with the malevolent might of her evil pursuers. How does The Fellowship of the Ring stand on its own as a movie? All in all, magnificently. Visually the film is a tour de force, combining sweeping, majestic vistas with lovingly detailed sets and costumes, and enhancing its stunning New Zealand outdoor shots with monumental CGI effects. Decades ago C. S. Lewis, in describing the appeal of the Icelandic sagas that inspired both his and Tolkien's work, talked about their ineffable "northern-ness": a spirit that is compact of the land, the climate, the old religions and languages and worldview of Northern Europe. Somehow, with his crisp, blue-skied landscapes and stony ruins, Jackson manages to capture that Nordic geist. Without it, this movie would not have worked. And the director uses his genius for composition and color to reinforce the themes of the story. Some images of the One Ring remain indelibly in the mind a week after seeing the movie: a close-up shot of Boromir examing the ring, spellbound, against a backdrop of azure sky and white snow; a scene of council delegates arguing with increasing violence - all reflected in the smooth, seemingly innocuous surface of the ring; and over and over, the ring lying in silent menace in an outstretched palm. Jackson never lets you forget this golden artifact, whose power ultimately motivates the action of the entire trilogy. The Fellowship of the Ring scores big in nearly every area, including the performances. Ian McKellan is superb as the wizard Gandalf, the backbone of the fellowship. He combines warmth, irascibility, intelligence, solicitude, and righteous menace - moving seamlessly from one to the next. Elijah Wood and Sean Astin are perfectly cast as the main hobbit characters Frodo and Sam, respectively. Frodo's vulnerability and sensitivity are balanced (as they are in the books) by Sam's sturdy optimism and simplicity. Among the other parts - and there are a lot of them - Sean Bean is notable as the troubled warrior-prince Boromir, Billy Boyd shines as Frodo's impish cousin Pippin, and Ian Holm gives depth and tragedy to the old hobbit Bilbo Baggins. The film makes a few missteps. A wizardly slugfest between Gandalf and the traitorous Saruman doesn't work particularly well, especially when Gandalf appears for all the world to be break dancing under the command of Saruman's magic staff. Some sound effects become irritating after too much repetition. The most tragic shortcoming is the music; this movie and the story it's based on demand a truly transcendent, imaginative score. Instead we get some undistinguished Enya and generally overwrought orchestral work by Howard Shore. But those are quibbles. The Fellowship of the Ring is a triumph. If the two remaining movies live up to the promise of the first, The Lord of the Rings should take its place with multipart works like The Godfather and Star Wars among the greatest film sagas ever made.
Rating: 
Summary: 5 stars for movie, 1 star for DVD
Review: Take heed! Whether you have seen this movie before or not, do not, I repeat, DO NOT buy this edition. Its one of the cheapest marketing ploys to ever hit the DVD scene. In case you aren't in the know, New Line Cinema is releasing 2 editions of Fellowship of the Ring. The first edition, this one, is being released August 6, and the second one is being released November 12. The first one is basically the theatrical version that showed in the theatres, along with some very basic special features. Do not be fooled by the title "In depth documetries". I have seen all 3 of the shows and they are anything but. They are essentially TV shows that aired before the movie was released, and include very basic information. In addition to these documentries there are a bunch of short featurettes that were on the website... These feturettes are slightly better, but they hardly go in-depth. This whole release, in fact, can be summed up as laziness. New Line has essentially taken all the material they already had made, and stuffed it into a marketable package. What is even more insulting is the shameless nature with which it's done. There 3 advertisements here that pass as "features". One for the video game, one for the special edition being released in November, and one for The Two Towers. It's a pity that the last two are actually more entertaining then all the rest of the features combined. Don't get me wrong, the movie is incredible. But this edition hardly does it justice. It's just a marketing ploy to get the general public and anxious fans to buy 2 editions of the same movie. Trust me, once the Special Edition is released in November this edition will become so obsolete it will be frogotten beyond recall. Do the math yourself. For less then $10 more you get an extended edition of the movie that includes 35 minutes of new footage edited into the film, 4, I repeat, 4 commentary tracks by more then 30 people combined, and 2 extra DVD packed with hours upon hours of brand new material on the making of the movie. And there are no advertisements for any other products. Which sounds like the better edition, or if nothing more the one that give you better value for your money. It saddens me that the August widescreen edition is the number one selling DVD on Amazon right now. It just shows how much marketing genius New Line has. They have even released sad PR announcements saying how the two editions are equal and Peter Jackson (the director) supports them both. But if you buy this edition don't say you weren't warned when November 12'th comes around. Look past the marketing and make your own decision.
Rating:
Summary: Look out Harry Potter, the ORIGINAL fantasy story is in town
Review: Take it from someone who has seen the movie twice, this is one of the best films of the year. At 3 hours long (not 87 minutes as the first review says), it goes by in an instant, leaving you speechless at the end after all you've just seen. With great performances all around (especially by Sir Ian McKellan and Christopher Lee), expert pacing, a triumphant and rousing score, great special effects and make up, and the most epic feel of just about any movie ever made, The Fellowship of the Ring stands out in this dismal year of movies as one of the best of the bunch!
Rating:
Summary: ...[the best]...
Review: Talk about sheer power and loyalty to the book!! This film's a winner from the get-go. I read the trilogy years ago, and watching it unfold before my eyes was mesmerizing, and the characters were as truly inspiring as Tolkien's writing. I would have liked to have seen more of Gollum, however, but I'm sure that's to come, and I am in anticipation of owning this film for my own. ...
Rating:
Summary: Great film
Review: Terrific film - get it!
|
