Rating: 
Summary: Superb movie adaptation
Review: Adapting Tolkien's work to the screen could not have been done any more effectively. The acting, effects, plot ellisions, score, and scene selection combine for a riveting action epic with sufficient character development to transition into next year's "Two Towers." After suffering through the first attempt in the 1980s, the yearlong anticipation of this version was worth it. Unfortunately, we will have to live through 2 more yearlong waits as the final pieces come to the screen. At least we don't have to wait 3 years between each, thanks to the audacity and vision of the filmmakers. What a movie!
Rating:
Summary: Expect a regular movie, and you'll be pleasantly surprised..
Review: In a word: wow. In more than one word... As a person who has seen many book-to-movie adaptations and been underwhelmed by most of them, this one is one for the ages. The effects, the story, the complexity, and the characters are all there. The power of the Ring and its sway over those who desire it is intensely felt, all the way down to the subtle whispering of the "one ring to rule them all..." quote in the Mordor tongue when someone focuses on it. The CG effects, and the beautful recreated New Zealand scenery never get in the way of the story, but yet amaze us with their spectacular faithfulness to the imaginations of the audience (the gates of Gondor, the Shire, and Moria are especially incredible). Most importantly, the most powerful moments in ths first book are keenly felt, as a Fellowship is made and broken, and a hobbit takes up a burden that will ultimately change not only him but also control the fate of an entire realm. Casting for this film has shown Director Peter Jackson's wisdom, picking what is a near dead-on Gandalf in Ian McKellen ("X-Men"'s Magneto), Elijah Wood as the reluctant, angst-ridden, yet stoic hero Frodo Baggins, and Sean Astin (last seen as a "Goonie" leader) as the bumbling, yet faithful Samwise Gamgee, among many others. Some critics lament the altering and cuts, especially of Tom Bombadil and Glorfindel (replaced by Liv Tyler as elven maiden/warrior Arwen). Others purport that the non-faithfulness to the book makes the script weak and covered by "flashy CG". To those people (whose opinion I respect) I must say, firstly, that in a book-to-movie adaptation, some sacrifices must be made. In an encapsulation of a large work as Tolkien's "Fellowship", an exact recreation is simply not an option. Secondly, to dismiss the excellent acting and palpable feeling the actors convey when playing their parts as "weak" and covered by "flashy CG", simply because some small things were added or cobbled together, is to hold the movie to higher standards than the medium can provide. This is not the disaster that was "Final Fantasy". This is Tolkien, and Jackson and his associates have done incredibly well (as well as one can in making a movie based on a book) in paying homage to one of the most well-respected fantasy epics of the 20th century. For those of you who like sword and sorcery or like Tolkien - go see it! I recommend you go not being all hyped up with what we're saying or anyone else is saying. Set your expectations at your level and not at the level of everyone else's, and watch the movie for what it is. You'll be pleasantly surprised.
Rating: 
Summary: Well....they did a good job!
Review: Well they did a wonderful job, but they still left out wwwwwwwwwwaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy too much. But if they hadn't it would be about 40 hours long (personally I wouldn't have minded). I first read the trilogy when I was six and it has remained my favorite book ever since, some parts I've even memorized. But over all it was a really good movie though it wasn't Tolkin.
But all that aside THE BALROG WAS SO AWSOME, he was perfect and the casting was flawless. Except for Elrond, I just can't get Agent Smith out of my mind. But it was a very good try!
Rating:
Summary: A 5 star movie, for a six star book.
Review: The movie wasn't as good as the books, but it still retains much of what made the books great. My brother, who hadn't read the books, and I saw the film on opening day and we both LOVED it and have been talking about it for the past five days since. So don't worry if you aren't familiar with the books. And for those who have read the books, the film stays very close to the books, except for a few minor changes, that would have been nice to see, but weren't vital to the story and would have lengthened the movie to at least another hour(and possibly bogged the pace of the film for some viewers.)
If you haven't seen the movie, go see it as soon as possible.
If you hate fantasy movies, give this one a chance to change your mind.
If you've seen the movie already, go see it again.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful movie that will take your breath away!
Review: Unlike alot of the reviewers of "Fellowship of the Ring" I have not read any of the books by J. R. Tolkein. So, when I saw the movie I had an open mind about the plot and characters. However, I will most likely read the books now that I have seen the movie. PROS: ~GRAPHICS/ CINEMATOGRAPHY: The graphics and cinematography are the best I have ever seen! Usually I hate computer generated graphics due to their fake appearance. However, in "Fellowship of the Rings" there were times when I could not tell what was computer generated and what wasn't. (I only hope the ogre was a computer graphic!!!) The shots of New Zealand were incredible as well. The jagged mountains, lush foliage, and beautiful waters all combine to create a memoriable cinematographic movie. ~ACTORS/ ACTRESSES: Since I have not read any of the books I cannot write about the integrity of the characters in the movie compared to the characters from the book. With that said, the characters are wonderful. The actors and actresses portrayed the amazing personalities of the dwarfs, hobbits, wizards, etc... very well. ~PLOT: For the most part the plot kept the audience on the edge of their seats. A few parts of the movie slowed down a bit, but over all the plot was well thought out. (For detailed info see other people's reviews) ~BATTLE SCENES: Sword fights, wizardry, and devilish opponents... need I say more? CONS: ~PARTS OF THE SCRIPT: As other reviewers stated, a few parts of the script were rather cheesy. I suppose Hollywood felt as though they needed to place their standard "feel good" message in "Fellowship of the Ring". An example: "Even the small can do alot" or somthing along those lines... With this said, most of the script was acceptable. Go see the movie. Leave the kids under age 8-9 at home unless you want them crying out in the middle of the night, "Mom! An ogre is under my bed!" I look forward to the next two movies with much anticipation!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Adaptation!
Review: I must say I was very impressed with this movie. The imagery was astoundingly faithful to the books. I felt almost like I had seen it all before. I think it gives testament, not only to the director, but to J.R.R. Tolkien as well, for creating a literary epic with such vividness and texture. The complexity of the books was transferred astoundingly well to the screen. Although obviously simplified, very little of the feel was lost. The only criticism, which is small, is that it felt like the story was rushed, taking leaps forward instead of a steady flow. That, however is to be expected, considering the sheer literary volume of the text. I suppose that Tolkien zealots might be disappointed with the required omissions and modifications to fit it into screen time, At the other end, Tolkien remedials may not fully appreciate the scale of the story. However, for the large portion of us, who know Tolkien and his wonderful world, this movie is close to as good as it gets. A finlal word of warning to mainstream movie hounds...the movie ends very blatantly as the first book does..."to be continued".
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: Spectacular Tour-de-Force!
Review: I have read the Trilogy at least 25 times and have waited 35 years for this movie to arrive! The film delivers in every way - casting is superb, even Agent Smith of the Matrix playing Elrond works! Acting is full of heart and emotional intensity, and Elijah Wood embodies the innate goodness and purity of Frodo. Peter Jackson's pacing is flawless, keeps the audience riveted to the the screen for three hours. The sets are lush and perfectly rendered, with astonishing attention to detail. For those who have read the book, subtleties and allusions abound - just one example is when the Council of Elrond is heatedly arguing about the Ring. Their images are reflected in the gold surface of the Ring, fire sweeps around it, and a muted voice chants in the Black Speech "One Ring to Rule them All..." Don't see how its possible to wait an entire year for the Two Towers!
Rating:
Summary: Transporting, fanscinating and frantic......
Review: If Peter Jackson's spectacular take on the first installment of The Lord Of The Rings just about stops short of being overwhelming, its still a noble and for the most part highly successful attempt to bring celluloid life to Tolkien's mythology. As such it should leave all but the most hardcore Tolkienites satisfied. Jackson has breathed remarkable life in to Middle-Earth and Tolkien's potentially rather holky mythology. The film wants to make us believe - and generally succeeds. This is a truly fantastic land, populated by all manner of weird and wonderful creatures. Infact, so large is the canvas on which he is working, it is to Jackson's credit that his character's are not simply subsumed by it. Both Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen and Ian Holm manage their roles nobly and convincingly. None are really aloud to blossom since the plethora of exposition required at this stage in the story means that virtually every scene requires dialogue to basically lay down the rules of the land and its mythology - little time is left for characteristion which may have given it more resonance. As it stands, the actors occasionally come across more as authorial mouth-pieces than actual characters. Shot on location in Jackson's native New Zealand, the film features some of the most indelible visuals to be brought to the screen in a long time - both real and computer generated. And this is the film's most resouding success - it really does take you to another world and make you want to explore it further. This is no mean-feat to be sure, but there's something rather frantic about the cramming of exposition and in to every corner of the movie - it seems to lack respite - which is neccessary in a three hour picture. One hopes that the next film will gives itself a little more breathing room. As for this one, I guess the best you can say is that Tolkien would have been pleased.
Rating:
Summary: 5 times in 4 days
Review: Well, the highly anticipated movie has arrived and I have been blown away! Though it has way more gore than I like and it wasn't 100% true to the book, if you just relax and take it as the fine bit cinema, you won't be disappointed. There were a thousand inconsistancies, but it is a given that the movie will never be able to completely represent the book. That's why they always say "BIASED on the story by (X)." So just take it as two ways of telling a story, independent stories if you like, and enjoy the action and adventure. I think the casting is great. Elijah Woods is such a good Frodo, and Sam, Pippin and Merry are represented very well. I'm not 100% with Aragron and Boromir's representations but Olando Bloom does a fabulous job of depecting the nobility and strength of Legolas. Gandalf was lovable and powerful...the wise sage and the great, magical warrior (when he shouts "YOU...SHALL NOT... PASS!!!" I get goosebumps!). I loved the dwarf Gimli, John Rhys-Davies from Slider fame,and I was okay with the changes to Arwen. It's a thrill ride at 120 decibels, take your ear plugs to conteract the screaming of the Ringwraith! All told, I think it is the strength of Frodo's character that really makes the movie come together. Elijah Wood's angelic face and piercing blue eyes give Frodo a real innocence, sincerity and vulnerability! I went to see it opening night, December 19 and in the past 4 days, I have seen it 5 times. Be sure you stay with the kids, though, this is a scarey film with lots of violence. Enjoy! I know I'll see it again.
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