Rating: Summary: Amazing Review: At first I wasn't sure what to expect,but by the time I reached the point where Gandalf and Frodo greeted each other with a hug.It had me hook,line,and sinker.I was extremely curious about everything,it was thought provoking.It had me on the edge of my seat waiting for what was going to happen next.The bad thing was that it repeated things a little too often.Besides that it was awesome.I can't wait to see the rest of them.Thank you for taking time out to read this.If you haven't seen it,GO see it.No matter what reviews you may have read before.The effects will amaze you,and the fighting scenes will too.The rest is wonderful too.Those are the things I like most about the movie.
Rating: Summary: Watch this and you'll want to save the world Review: At first, I was definately expecting a sort of '[forget] the book' movie when I went to see this in the theatre. I was shocked. This is an incredible movie. I think that the acting was superb, the casting wonderful, and though it was a little bit apart from the book, I have to say that without the book, it's still great. I think that it sometimes made Gandolf 'not as good' and made Aragorn better (like when Frodo solved the riddle when Gandolf did in the book, and the story is practically about Aragorn.) That's the only thing that I found even slightly 'wrong' with this version of LOTR. (It also helped me see Boromir not as a mean little jerk but as a victim.) Reading the books changed my life, but watching the movie made me really think twice about humans in general. If you have not seen it, and have not read the books, you really are missing out.
Rating: Summary: not a very cerebral movie. Review: at first, three stars might seem a bit harsh for this movie which was so incredibly packed with all the elements a good movies seemingly -should- have : action, adventure, comedy, death, hope, and - oh yes, above all, eye candy. it's a visually stunning film, rendering the immensity and wonder of tolkien's imagination to the world. i, however, hate to be a sheep and simply say it's the best movie i've ever seen simply because it doesn't make me think.surely, it was entertaining. it was one of the most incredibly entertaining things i've ever seen - the first time. the second time was much less - perhaps it was the company i was with, but for some reason it just was .. less. however, the imagery still kept my attention. it's definitely a very well-made and well-executed movie - as well as epic in proportion. as star wars showed us, you can't go wrong with epic, especially not epic eye-candy. i would recommend this movie to anyone, even those who like to think about movies, but only once. twice is redundant, and i can't wait for the sequel and conclusion .. but i really prefer more cerebral movies. but laud should indeed go to mr. jackson for rendering tolkien's words so beautifully in a way tolkien could not do for himself simply because his writing style is .. in my opinion .. less than stellar. his imagination, however, knows no bounds.
Rating: Summary: Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Review: At last a film worthy of Tolkiens trilogy! Ian McKellen's Gandalf is every bit the wizard I pictured 30 years ago, when I first read the book. Tolkien's dialogue is treated as respectfully as Shakespear's. You'll recognize many passages directly from the book. The New Zealand locations are spectacular, and the trek through the Mines of Moria is as memorable, as any sequence I have ever watched. John Rhys-Davis plays the perfect Gimli. My only regrets are that Saruman's character is revealed too soon; the hostility between elves and dwarves is glossed over, so the bond between Gimli and Legolas seems a bit too ordinary. And most surprising of all, much of what Galadriel says to Frodo at the Mirror, one of the most memorable speaches of all time, is distorted to provide a "special effect", that would be better served by the soft clarity of Galadriel's voice. Nevertheless this "Lord of the Rings" is the best film version we are likely to see in this age of the world.
Rating: Summary: A WONDERFUL BIG FILM FULL OF 'HUMAN' EFFECTS Review: At last, a massive epic/action/fantasy film that doesn't rest on special effects alone. The most inspired aspect of this film is not the locations, digital effects or cinematogaphy...it's actually the CASTING. A truly INSPIRED element that, for me, has elevated the film into the hall of "greatest adventure films of all time". Well done Peter Jackson for choosing actors none of us would have ever considered for the roles, and directing them in such a way where 'timing' of dialogue and movement makes the film come 'alive' with intensely 'human' effects. In fact, the casting is such a perfect match in every case, I cannot even imagine anyone else playing these marvellous characters. Thankfully these films are all shot back to back so we're guaranteed the same cast throughout the trilogy. Especially Aragorn, Legolas, Boromir and Gandalf, who bring these roles to life in such passionate detail. Each actor realizes the story is not just about good and evil, it is more about the sweet and righteous corruption of power. The quality of these actors (most of whom come from the stage), allows them to illuminate this dark side of the rings (so omnipresent throughout the books), yet still maintain our sympathy and interest. Especially those actors who play Boromir and Aragon: inspiring! Oops, now I'm repeating myself so I'll finish. This film deserves SIX STARS.
Rating: Summary: SUPERB, LONGER VERSION ON EXTRAORDINARY 4 DISC SET Review: Available on DVD since August in a straight theatrical transfer, this new, lavish four-disc set raises the bar for content and packaging. The film itself is an expanded 210 minute version of the much-praised, award-winning adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkein's beloved novel that has not been previously seen in theaters or on DVD. In addition, there are four audio commentaries and six hours of documentaries and other never-before-seen bonus features. LOTR is an extraordinary first segment in the potent moral trilogy that explores the dark, seductive lure of obtaining power through occult means and the destructive grip that lust-for-power-alone eventually has on the souls it possesses. The first two discs are the movie and terrific commentaries. The third disc is "From Book To Vision." The fourth disc is "From Vision to Reality." The extras are too lengthy to mention in detail here, but be assured they cover almost everything you'd ever want to know about creating and shooting this opulent, eye-filling New Zealand production of Tolkein's epic vision of light and darkness and free will. Highest recommendation.
Rating: Summary: Terrific book, Pathetic film Review: Avoid this movie. Avoid it at all costs. I read the trilogy for the first time last fall, partly in anticipation of the movie... If I had seen the movie first, I would NEVER have read the books! Whoever screenwrote this movie obviously had no appreciation for the story. Granted, it's a lot of plot to cram into nine hours (Are all three movies this long?), but they could have done a much better job. The characters were believable and well-portrayed, but it ends there. It moved far too slowly over uneventful and unimportant areas, and far too quickly at the most important and pivotal points. Many subplots were cut out entirely, and new material was added that is NOT faithful to the novel. I admit, the fight scenes and the CG were stunning, and very well done, but the rest of the movie was pathetic. At any moment, I expected Celine Dion to start singing the Titanic theme song, which would have made me instantly vomit. Actually, I saw this movie with my family, and both my parents fell asleep about 2/3 of the way through out of sheer boredom. So the final verdict? Read the book, skip the movie. You'll be much happier.
Rating: Summary: A powerful rendition. Review: Awesome film! I'm very familiar with Tolkein's Fellowship of the Ring, and the film is very faithful to the book, as well as some scenes chilling to the bone. You feel for the characters; the majority were just as I imagined. Great orcs!
Rating: Summary: AWESOME! This is the icing on the cake!!! Review: AWESOME is the one word I can think of to describe this instant classic. But I am not here to extol the wonders of "The Fellowship of the Ring" as much as to clarify the confusion some reviewers might have out there. What I want to clarify is this: Yes, New Line Cinema is releasing 3 versions of FOTR. The first is the theatrical cut (meaning: the exact same movie that you saw in theaters) on August 6. This is a 2-disc set that includes the specials "Welcome to Middle Earth" (by Houghton-Mifflin), "Passage to Middle Earth" (Sci-Fi channel behind-the-scenes special, and "The Quest for the Ring" (Fox special).... Then you have the 4-disc Special Extended Edition (*which is what this DVD is*) which includes an additional 30 minutes of footage incorporated into the film. The add'l scenes include more Aragorn back story, more "character moments," and a slightly different introduction to hobbits as narrated by Bilbo Baggins. Discs 1 & 2 are the film and commentaries of more than 30 participants including Peter Jackson, Richard Taylor, Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Ian McKellen, Howard Shore and much more. Discs 3 and 4 contain over 6 hours of in-depth behind-the-scenes footage. Disc 3 is "From Book to Vision" which explores the screenplay, design, special effects, costumes, armory, locations, storyboards, etc. Disc 4 is "From Vision to Reality" with features such as "Bringing Characters to Life," "A Day in the Life of a Hobbit," "Principal Photography: Stories from the Set," as well as picture galleries and much more! The 3rd version is the Collectors Gift Set (also released on November 12th) which includes the Special Extended Edition DVD, 2 collectible Argonath bookends and The National Geographic special DVD - "Beyond the Movie." So the question is: how big of a fan are you? Casual fans may just want the theatrical version DVD. More avid fans (who could never get enough of The Lord of the Rings) will want the theatrical version DVD (to be released on 8/6) and the SEE. Avid fans and collectors will most likely want the theatrical version and the Collectors Gift Set. The wonderful thing is having choices. The beauty about these releases is that they DO NOT OVERLAP. Meaning: what you get in the theatrical version DVD does not show up again in the SEE DVD. They are completely stand-alone. All I can say is, thanks to New Line and Peter Jackson for such a wonderful (early) Christmas present!!!!
Rating: Summary: SWEET! Review: Awesome movie! Peter Jackson really captured the book and put it on film. He changed some parts, like when Arwen rides away from the Nazgul, when in the book Frodo actually rides. I guess he was trying to show how sick Frodo was. Overall, Tolkien masterpiece becomes one of the best movies of all times.
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