Rating: 
Summary: How will it be surpassed?
Review: Even if you read the book, saw the movie, or bought the VHS, you should thing about getting the DVD too. Maybe even the extended version.
This play cannot be surpassed and time will not change that.
Screenplay, story, music and actors make a fantastic and heroic world come true, a world that you can be in as long as the DVD lasts.
The quality of the whole production is one of the best ever.Maybe Lord of the Rings is for our generation what Ben Hur (the movie) was for the previous generation : Unique, a film to use as a guideline for others. Have a nice time in Middle earth.
Rating:
Summary: Improves on perfection. 10 stars.
Review: Wow. On November 5, 2002 I went to an advance theatrical screening of the extended edition of Fellowship of the Rings. This was the same edition that appears on this DVD, with the extra 30 minutes of footage.
Wow.
It was AWESOME. I was amazed at how the extra footage improved on perfection. The extra 30 minutes footage was divided into a minute here, thirty seconds there, to a significant extension of the Shire and Lothlorien. For vaguge details, see below:
[VAGUE SPOILER WARNING]
The extra footage developed the relationships between Gimli & Legolas, Aragorn & Boromir, Frodo & Sam, and Arwen & Aragorn. That last bit really changed the way I felt about Arwen/Liv Tyler. She rocks. The character is so much better now, and I'm glad Jackson chose her instead of Glorfindel as the bearer of the wounded Frodo.
Also, significantly, the additional footage showed some signifant plot points that were just plain missing from the first cut (I won't go into details, but if you read the book and remember Lothlorien you'll know what I mean).
But best of all was the extra characterization; the characters of the Fellowship were developed and they became people; Legolas and Gimli instead of just Iconic Blustery Dwarf and Iconic Graceful Elf, Haldir instead of Suspicious Lothlorien Guard, Boromir instead of Doomed Patriotic Man, Aragorn instead of Gloomy Ranger. The 30 minutes developed not only characters, but also places and history: Lothlorien and Gondor are much more developed.
The special edition is SO MUCH BETTER. But, remarkably, the special edition also showed just how good the first cut is. Meaning, even without the 30 minutes, the first cut ably conveyed the majesty and vital plot points of Tolkien's book, and even included a LOT of character development for Gandalf, Frodo, and Sam and background info on the Shire, Imladris, Isengard, Mordor, Moria and Middle Earth.
Wow. I still get chills, just thinking about the movie.
If you liked Fellowship of the Rings, you'll *love* this special edition.
Rating:
Summary: Five Stars to Rule Them All!!!
Review: Solid five for this one! The "Fellowship of the Ring" is definately one of the best films in history. The special effects, lush settings, dark imagery, and epic story put other sci-fi and fantasy flicks to shame. Luke Skywalker, watch out for Frodo Baggins. The plot remains almost exactly to the book: Frodo the hobbit is given the quest to destroy the evil ring of the dark lord Sauron, and is joined by a motley bunch of adventurers to form the Fellowship of the Ring. Gandalf, the ancient wizard, gives guidance and wisdom. Legolas the Elf and Gimli the Dwarf, warriors among their kind, are well acted. Boromir the human is the heroic guy with a dark side to him. Aragorn, a.k.a. Strider, is so *HOT*. Sam, Pippin, and Merry, the three bumbling hobbits, provide comic relief as happy-go-lucky fish out of the water in a dangerous quest. The bad guys were convincingly evil and freaky, not like the stupid disco-chanting orcs in the 1970s cartoon, "Return of the King." The orcs were marvelously gross and ugly as they were meant to be. Saruman is excellent as Gandalf's rival. The ringwraiths are all good and spooky. The Eye of Sauron watches the viewers in their seats, and Balrog is great as a genuinely dark, evil spirit. The special effects themselves don't dominate the whole film. This movie brings the Tolkein characters and their Middle Earth world to stunning and breathtaking life. The characters become people one can relate to and it is easy to get into the story. (When Frodo was crying I just wanted to go up to the screen and hug him!!!) There is some controversy over the character of Arwen and her getting a bigger role in the movie than in the books. This was basically necessary, since she is the girlfriend of one of the lead male characters and the movie somehow has to establish her character. She IS a warrior woman, but not a fake Lara Croft or Xena take-off. A few other characters from the book are completely left out, but only for time reasons. With a whopping three hours already, it would be impossible to have the book down word for word. "Fellowship of the Ring" is sure to satisfy die-hard Tolkein fans without confusing newcomers. The movie goes into great detail and explanation without getting too slow. The chase sequences and epic battle scenes, especially in the second half of the film, take the viewer on a wild, heart-thumping, suspenseful roller coaster ride. Definately a must-see!
Rating: 
Summary: Curious re-edit not as good as the theatrical release
Review: Buy this edition for the documentaries, comentaries, and cool LoTR paraphenalia, but if you are a fan of excellent _cinema_ you might like to consider renting before buying. Why? This "special edition" is NOT the wonderful theatrical release PLUS additional scenes that simply add to your enjoyment, but is instead a curious re-edit of the movie. In my opinion, the many changes from the original version sacrifice pace, focus, and narrative flow for the dubious benefits of showing modified and/or extended scenes that: (1) restore lines of Tolkein's dialogue/exposition,(2)restore stunt work that is silly (e.g. Aragorn and Boromir pulling the Cave Troll's chain; Merry and Pippin killing Uruk Hai by throwing stones [hobbits + uruk hai = ewoks + stormtroopers???]). Lines are inexplicably taken from one character and given to another, diminishing several great performances in the process, but without adding much. The new scenes frequently don't quite match the look of the original footage, which I found jarring. Worse, the long awaited Lothlorien gift giving scene is merely OK, and includes material that departs from the books (e.g. Sam gets rope as his gift - even if the Battle of the Shire has been cut from the movie trilogy, why not still have Galadriel give Sam a gift for his garden in hope of better days?; Aragorn does not receive the golden scabbard for Narsil, as that sword is still broken back in Rivendell in this movie, but if he doesn't have a scabbard from Lorien the scene at the door to Theoden's Hall is badly damaged, and for no good reason!). Worst of all, the much advertised additional music jumps in all over the place, changing the rhythms of the scenes in a way that shows just how fantastic were the original editing and scoring. Bottom line: I loved the theatrical release, and am sadly disappointed by this "special edition". I will watch this edition for the commentaries, and will enjoy the documentaries and fine WETA bookends, but I will go back to the theatrical release DVD whenever I want to enjoy a masterpiece of cinema.
Rating: 
Summary: An epic start to the trilogy
Review: Astonishing fantasy epic about young hobbit Frodo Baggins (Elijah Woods) of the Shire who sets out on a quest with eight companions to reach the treacherous land of Mordor to destroy the great ring of power which possesses a deadly threat to the inhabiting beings (men, elves, hobbits and dwarfs) of Middle-Earth. Director Jackson (filmed in his home country New Zealand) is the perfect candidate to bring J.RR Tolkien's ever famous trilogy to life in this visually compelling, well cast, entertaining and emotional tale; rich with out-of-sight visual effects, beautiful photography, eye-popping art direction and some of the most realistic battle scenes filmed in cinema history. Note worthy performances by Ian McKellen as the mighty wizard Gandalf and Viggo Mortensen as the hard-boiled ranger and king Aragon. Howard Shore composed a masterful music score, which is aided by Enya's two songs (written for the film) Aniron and May It Be. However, the battle scenes could have been more brutal and chaotic.
Rating:
Summary: The Greatest Fantasy Epic Of All Time
Review: I never thought a superb adaptation of Tolkien's "The Lord Of The Rings" would ever appear on the screen. Yet Peter Jackson has accomplished the impossible, offering a splendid adaptation of "Fellowship Of The Ring" which remains true to J. R. R. Tolkien's vision, even if it sacrifices nearly a tenth of the plot. He does an admirable job emphasizing the trials and tribulations awaiting Frodo Baggins and the rest of his company; Elijah Wood is a memorable Frodo Baggins, Orlando Bloom is fine as Legolas, John Rhys-Davis is a splendid Glimli, replete with all of his taciturn manners. Yet along with Elijah Wood, the acting accolades go deservedly to Viggo Mortenson as Strider/Aragorn, and especially, Ian McKellan as Gandalf, who deserves an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor. Other excellent performances include those of Sean Bean as Boromir, Sean Astin as Samwise Gamgee, Christopher Lee as Saruman the Wise, Liv Tyler as Arwen and Cate Blanchett as Galadriel. Yet there isn't one false note shown by any of the actors since they all do admirable jobs bringing the denizens of Middle-earth to life. Some have criticized raising Arwen's (Liv Tyler) stature as a character in the film, since she is hardly mentioned in the novel. Yet Jackson's instincts are correct, since she will play an important part later in the saga, as Aragorn's (Viggo Mortenson) lover. I also appreciate the film's emphasis on Saruman's (Christopher Lee) treachery, which is only hinted at in the text. I have seen "Fellowship Of The Ring" twice; it is a sumptuous visual feast for the eyes as well as a nail-biting swashbuckler of a film. It harkens back to the great film epics of the 1930's, 1940's and 1950's, with its own epochal sense of film making. It's been the most enjoyable three hours of film I have seen in a long, long time. Unquestionably, despite Jackson's and his co-writer's liberal adaptation of Tolkien's tale, it remains the finest adaptation of a literary classic I have seen. The film is graced with an admirable film score by Howard Shore; easily one of our foremost film composers. I sincerely hope it earns an Academy Award nomination for best film score. I look forward to seeing "Fellowship Of The Ring" several more times before it ends its American theater run. Hopefully, that won't be any time soon.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite movie of 2001!!
Review: I have read the Lord of the Rings 3 times in my life, and I have started it again after seeing Peter Jackson's cinematic masterpiece. I am so glad the producers and the studio didn't chop the movie down to a 2-hour Reader's Digest version of the book. The film was just long enough to convey the essence of the story without leaving you feeling cheated. Kudos a thousand times over to the screenwriters and editors for doing such an excellent job! Today's filmmaking technology didn't get in the way of making this a very great film about the power of faith and friendship. The scenery is awesome to behold on the big screen--I'm definitely going to see this several times. The cast is a wonderful ensemble, particularly Sir Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood's performances. Viggo Mortensen and Sean Bean and Sean Astin make for fine soldiers and swordsmen. Cate Blanchett literally looks and sounds like a vision in her very brief appearance. I also really enjoyed Liv Tyler's character and her look. I hadn't seen her in a movie before, though I know she has done a few. Looking forward to seeing some of these characters again when the next movie is out in Christmas of 2002! The DVD edition will hopefully be full of extras and commentary. Don't miss this! You will believe in the magic of the Ring!!!!
Rating:
Summary: A Grand Epic That Falls A Wee Bit Short
Review: With all the hoopla surrounding this film and recommendations from friends that had seen it, I couldn't wait to get in the queue and see what all the fuss was about. Well, I recently saw that flick and believe that is has its merits, as well as its detractions. The pluses are many: 1) sweeping panoramic images of lush country sides, snow-capped and treacherous mountains, unearthly and ominous caverns, and majestic and deadly towers; (2) good computer effects that bring life to the words of Tolkein; (3) impressive camera tricks that allow the "Hobbits" to appear very diminutive in relation to the other inhabitants of this mystical world; (4) great performances from Elijah Wood, Ian McKellan, Billy Boyd, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Bean and Ian Holm, (5) a rousing score by Howard Shore, featuring vocals by Enya; and (4) remaining true to the classic novel. Credit for all the above must be given to director Peter Jackson. It is also great to see horror film legend Christopher Lee in the plum role of Saruman the white, the wizard that succumbs to the will of the Dark Lord. On the downside, though, is the pacing that I find to be a little slow. The battle scenes seem to drag on endlessly and are filmed in a style reminiscent of Ridley Scott's "Gladiator" of two years ago. There are also times when the audio is unclear, especially in pivotal moments of significant revelation. The latter could have been the result of a poor sound system at the theater showing the movie. As earlier stated, the computer-generated effects while effective can't hold a candle to the stop-motion and technical wizardry of Ray Harryhausen or even "a cast of thousands" assembled by DeMille. But, the movie is still worth a look, and upon its release on video, a purchase.
Rating:
Summary: Just one long fight scene
Review: I loved the books, and I loved parts of the movie. Galadriel was perfectly beautiful. The hobbit friendships were charming. The miracle of the horse-rapids was breathtaking. But the fight scenes go on and on and on and on. I got thoroughly bored and started fast forwarding. There was not much left. The fight scenes were pure Hollywood schlock, complete with slime and alien-style fangs. The movie is mostly aimed at the Bart Simpson mentality. The terrifying nameless dreads of the book are replaced with explicit gore.
Rating:
Summary: Lord Of The Rings--Superb
Review: The three parts of the Lord of the Rings---Fellowship, The Two Towers and Return of the King are all superb. Photographed very well and the acting is very good. This is a fantasy story, but has many parallels to real life (Good versus Evil). Not recommended for children under the age of 12. Some scenes could frighten some children. These films are excellent even for the person who has not read the Tolkien books. It is good entertainment value for the casual film viewer. These film rank up there along with "The Godfather and Band of Brothers" Good entertainment with immense and intense scenes of battles. Very good film-making and attention to detail.
| 
