Rating: 
Summary: A few misgivings but still great fun
Review: For a reader who has become enamored of a book, it is perhaps rather naive to expect that any film adaptation of the tale will not disappoint in at least some capacity. The reader's imagination conjures up living and vibrant personages, in the mind's eye, by compare with whom any actor, regardless of skill, is likely to fall short; and, too, it can be jarring when the director's priorities-- of which scenes and lines and characters were most important-- are not in line with the reader's. Nonetheless, there is certainly enough which is good and done well in Peter Jackson's version of "The Fellowship of the Ring" to keep me satisfied and to move the most casual viewer to awe. From a cinematographic point of view the film is beautiful, and done on such a grand scale as to befit the epic scope of the book; and the New Zealand settings are exquisite. Certainly, a good deal of the book has been pared away by necessity that the writers might condense it into a three-hour movie; for the most part I was pleased with Jackson's prioritisations, though I had a few reservations. Some of the battle scenes, particularly the fight in Moria with the orcs and the cave-troll, run overly long, and have the end effect of assailing the viewer with so many jerky camera angles of clashing blades and desperate struggles that the scene loses both sense and interest, and I found myself simply waiting for the next scene without any great tension or excitement. One is given to think that the animators are having a bit too much fun with their CGI toys, though they certainly do not indulge that vice to such atrocious degrees as in most modern screen 'epics.' The movie is, I think, at its best when rendering scenes straight from the book; there are several moments which, while dramatic, were not present at all in the book to my recollection, such as the company leaping across the breaking staircase in Moria and Saruman's duel with Gandalf at Orthanc. Most of these scenes have a certain hollow lack of drama-- we know, of course, that the heroes are bound to escape-- and seem better-suited to a standard fantasy adventure movie, than to keeping company with adaptations of Tolkien's often subtle and understated prose. I also found myself wishing to hand the script editors a red pen at the various throwaway gag lines inserted into a few of the scenes, which are not as funny as the writers seem to think (though mercifully there are far fewer of them than in other movies of the fantasy genre), and at the rather minimal screentime afforded certain characters such as Galadriel (for whom I would gladly have foregone a few minutes of orc-bashing), with the end result that the movie affords a rather skewed image of their personalities. But I do not think these flaws would have chafed me so if not for the fact that there is so much in the movie which -is- wonderful, and it is at those times when we are most awed at the presentation of a thing that any miscalculation glares out at us most unpleasantly. Even with my caveats I recommend it to fans of the book; it is difficult to do justice to the book, but Peter Jackson does quite as well as one could hope for, I think, from any living director.
Rating: 
Summary: A pox on New Line
Review: For a while this movie bothered me, but then I remembered that Film interpretations of books are just that, interpretations. Peter Jackson was not required to keep all of the original storyline in his film trilogy, nor was the studio required to respect Tolkien's works as they marketed it to the masses as a new trend. Yes, trend; what used to be a cult was suddenly known to every idiot who was able to put forth the money to enter the theatre or watch it on television. What used to only be available to those who took the time to discover it, read it and appreciate it is now available in trend-form. Okay, so it still bothers me, maybe I just thought that Middle Earth deserved to be spared the whole cult-goes-mainstream process and stay as an exclusive subculture made up of those who appreciate the art of Tolkien's work rather than being stripped of everything that was cult-like about it. Maybe this is more of a rant than a review, but I cant help it.
Rating:
Summary: I looked for friends and got strangers
Review: For all the work they put in to get everything else right, they sure got the characters wrong. Most of the personalities were completely revamped, and personally I found that far worse than having their names mispronounced or their costumes wrong. The only one left unmangled was Gandalf. Arwen shouldn't even be in the Fellowship of the Ring, she was hardly even mentioned in the books and they made her a central character (replacing Glorfindel, who always seems to get left out of things). They spend too much time on the cave troll, cutting out far more important things to make room for it, mainly plot stuff which I guess isn't as popular. It was good, but I do think they could have done a better job.
Rating:
Summary: If only there were even MORE added footage!
Review: For anyone who enjoyed the books, the extra footage is a treat, although no new characters or storylines originally missing (and appearing in the book) are really added to this set. I haven't had a chance to peruse all the documentaries yet, but the parts I have watched were interesting.
Rating: 
Summary: Top 5 greatest movies EVER
Review: For anyone who needs a lesson on filmaking buy
this DVD. Great pace and acting combined with superb
special and visual effects. You wont be dissapointed!
Rating:
Summary: Great For Fans of the Book!
Review: For anyone who was disappointed with the theatrical version of The Fellowship of the Ring because it did not follow the book exactly the way they thought it would, this special extended version of FOTR may be good to watch, although it does leave out Tom Bombadil and the Old Forest. It does contain several new and exciting sequences, such as an extended sequence of Hobbiton, with Bilbo Baggins writing a document entitled "Concerning Hobbits" which happens to be what the prologue of the book is. Other new scenes include, extended shots of Caras Galadhon and also a sequence in which Galadriel imparts gifts to each member of the Fellowship of the Ring. There is more character development, although it is mostly character development for Aragorn, showing his burden of lineage in a greater light. Other new scenes include Extended coverage of Frodo's journey with Samwise, Merry, Pippin and Aragorn before they reach Weathertop, where the four Hobbits are attacked by Ringwraiths, additional conversation scenes at the part where the Fellowship reaches the Gate of Moria, the Council of Elrond sequence is enhanced and lasts a bit longer. This special extended version of the theatrical film is not to be missed by anybody who is a devout Lord of the Rings fan, as I am. This extended version conveys more of J.R.R. Tolkien's world lending even more credit to the book. Also included at the end is a special feature, "A Day in the Life of a Hobbit", which takes you behind the scenes 6to the making of Fellowship and includes interviews with Elijah Wood (who plays Frodo Baggins) Dominic Monaghan (who plays Merry Brandybuck) Billy Boyd (who plays Pippin Took) Sean Astin (who plays Sam Gamgee) and Peter Jackson (the director).
After that, the trailor for The Two Towers plays.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible stuff
Review: For decades, J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings had been very popular with book readers the world over. Eventually musicians decided to record albums inspired by LotR. Best example would be Swedish prog rock musician Bo Hansson who recorded an all-instrumental album inspired by the trilogy in 1970, and a few more albums inspired by LotR by different artists had appeared since. Then it hit the big screen. There was an animated version of LotR that was made in 1978 that was panned by the critics, and not well liked by viewers. At the end of 1999, I heard a non-animated version of the epic was to be made and to hit the big screen in the next two years. Of course, I had my skepticisms. Would it be all talk, and it never got off the ground? Would they embarass themselves? Turns out, none of that happened. I still had a little doubt because Liv Tyler makes an appearance (an actress, who I believe, only made it because of her looks and the fact she was the daughter of a very famous rock star - that is Aerosmith's Steven Tyler). Most of the rest of the movie consists of actors I never heard of, except for Christopher Lee, best known for those campy, low-budget Hammer horror flicks made in the 1960s. But all my doubts were thrown out the window when I got to see this film. The visuals are nothing short of amazing. Not only that, it's so far removed from the corporate nonsense that I usually face with a new movie that I highly recommended to those who had long given up watching new movies. If you have never read the books, you might find plot to the movie adaptation of LotR a bit thin, but the stunning visuals make up for the shortcoming. I have to admit, I am still not familiar with all the LotR characters, as I hadn't yet read the books. Plus the movie has a rather abrupt ending, but I hope to see the sequels to see how it ends. If you've read the books, don't expect the movie to be exact to the books (few, if any movie adaptations can ever be exactly like the books). This is one of the best recent movies I have ever seen and if you want to see a fantasy flick without the Hollywood glitz and hype, give this a try.
Rating:
Summary: A Different Feel
Review: For lovers of the book, the extra footage is essential. My problem with the movie was the rat a tat cutting pace. The extra footage breathes some air into the scenes and characters. And adds dimensions to many characters ... especially to Aragorn and Galadriel. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: WOW!
Review: For me, LOTR was a foggy and distant 7th grade memory. I had a general recollection of the book and having enjoyed it but was dim on specifics. A good friend of mine (Alfredo, who loved this book so much he was nicknamed Alfrodo in school) got tickets to see it opening day--so I went though I couldn't imagine tranfering this tale to film successfully. Wow! What a great job Peter Jackson, cast, and crew did. The movie is incredibly enjoyable and brought a feeling of truth to the existence of the Middle Kingdom. You feel the fellowship between the different groups of inhabitants, as well as the evil and goodness within the individual characters. The special effects are very good for the most part and convincing enough to give me a vertigo on several occassions. Ian McKellen is very good as Gandalf,Ian Holm spot-on as Bilbo Baggins and Elijah Wood portrays Frodo with an absolute sincerity that is charming. The Warriors are also incredibly well cast, they are all very different, very complex, very believable and with the exception of the dwarf warrior (John Rhys Davies--Sorry, John your a hottie but not in that make-up) very attractive. I was also very impressed with how cleverly they shot the scenes to so those portraying the hobbits seemed so short in relation to everyone and everything else. The sets are also excellent. It's always sign of a good movie when you don't want it to end (which I didn't). Also, we didn't realize the movie was three hours long until afterwards when I checked my watch to see what train I could catch to get home. I highly recommend this film. I can't imagine anyone not enjoying it immensely. I'm now rereading the Lord of the Rings (the film really captures the book) and look forward to the second installment of the film trilogy coming out later this year.
Rating:
Summary: THERE ISN'T ANY FILM BETTER THAN THIS
Review: For me, lover of LOTR and the fantasy medieval ambient, there isn't any fil better than this... From The begining to the end, is just perfect, anyway. I just can't wait to Parts II and III. A must see, a must have. BEST FILM EVER.
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