Rating: 
Summary: What you buy is up to you
Review: So I choose to wait for the extended scenes before buying LOTR: Fellowship and now I will probably go ahead and buy the theatrical release anyway - for comparison purposes.This is a fantastic set! Although I have only had time to view a third of the extra features on the two additional "Making of" disks, I enthusiastically recommend them. The National Geographic disk was a little disappointing - it spent too much time synopsizing the plot of "Fellowship" - but it included some good background on Tolkien's life and his goals and ideals. I don't need to say much about the movie itself and the additional scenes. They are beautiful and added a great deal of depth that was lacking in the theatrical release - though only fans of the book would probably notice the differences. In short, it's up to you which version to buy. If you are into background material, the four disk set has a wealth of wonderful material. If that's not important to you, the theatrical release is still beautifully done. And with the gift pack, you get the National Geographic disk and the bookends - nice but worth the price only if you are a rabid fan. Oh, and the "Free adult ticket" is only good at a limited number of theaters...
Rating: 
Summary: Not perfect, but still good
Review: I am a HUGE fan of Tolkien's books, and not a big movie fan, so I was pretty dubious when I heard about this project. However, once I actually got around to watching the film (when it came out on VHS) I was pleased, though not ecstatic. The main problem with the movie is that too much time and emphasis was spent on the action, and not enough on the subtler aspects of the story--characterization, the vast historical/mythological background, etc. The most glaring example is the Lothlorien episode. Galadriel is terribly underdeveloped as a character, and unless my memory fails me no mention is made of the Ring of Power that she bears. Thus when her far-too-flashy temptation arrives we don't understand her thought processes or the significance of her choice. Nor should she be so shaken up at the end. The actress (Cate Blanchett) could have played the part well if they'd let her. Taking a chunk of time out of the overextended and not-so-believable battle with the Moria-orcs and using it to develop Galadriel would have helped. Gandalf's encounter with Saruman was far too flashy--and his leap from the top of Orthanc was too Luke-Skywalker-ish. This sort of thing makes the tirades of some Tolkien lovers understandable.
I liked many aspects of the movie, however. The moral quality of the original was strongly adhered to--and by moral I don't mean the absence of sexual references and licentious characters, but the choices the characters must make when faced with the One Ring. This aspect of the story could be summed up in Jesus' words, "What shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" The movie adheres faithfully to Tolkien's sense of right and wrong. Also they did a good job of creating lines that sum up ideas brought out more gradually in the book. Gandalf's line, "There is only one Lord of the Rings, and he makes no allies", was right on target.
About the actors. Ian McKellan was phenomenal as Gandalf, and Elijah Wood was perfect for Frodo. Cate Blanchett could have been good as Galadriel if they'd let her, though Liv Tyler was pretty boring as an unneccessarily prominent Arwen. The hobbits were all pretty decent. The real blot was the portrayal of Elrond (by an actor much too ugly for an elf--and a descendant of Luthien at that!!!). Elrond should be austere, but also sad, patient, and full of quiet wisdom. This dude is just crabby.
The special effects were stunning in many cases, Isengard being very notable--also the Balrog, suitably overwhelming, and in great contrast to the hopelessly brave little wizard who faces him. But the thing that made the greatest impression on me was the music. The music, the music, the MUSIC!!! It was tremendous, powerful, moving, seemed to have been composed for the book. For me it almost redeems any departures from the spirit of Tolkien. The Fellowship theme would have done credit to Wagner or Mahler, and the opening theme is just heartbreakingly beautiful.
Oh, and the scene of Boromir's death was very, very moving (partly because of that music!). All in all, a fairly satisfying and very impressive experience. As a friend and fellow Tolkien-freak told me, "Not perfect--but still good!"
Rating:
Summary: For the First time, We see Tolkein's vision Realized
Review: As the first movie in the epic Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring is a grand, emotional and rousing film that brought the Fantasy genre to another level. What the books did for bringing Fantasy genre to adults, this movie did for Fantasy genre in movies. Theere is so much t enjoy, awe, and rave about this movie that we could start talking at noon and end at midnight. New Zealand director Peter Jackson has given the movies a sense of unbelievable scope, but also gives us memorable characters that stick with us long after Frodo and Sam make their way into Mordor. For those who don't know the story from the books, Frodo (Elijah Wood) is a hobbit, a small, peace-loving creature who really wants to do with little in the rest of the world, even though he often begs Gandalf (Ian Mckallen) for news of the outside world. But he soons inherits from his uncle a powerful Ring, that was made three thousand years ago by a ruthless being named Sauron, whose one goal was to control all life in Middle-Earth. Now, he has regained enough power to start gathering an army and once again launch an assault on the now dwindled forces of resistance of Middle-Earth. Frodo, along with his faithful friends Sam (Sean Astin), Merry and Pippin, flee to the Elf haven of Rivendell where a Fellowship is made of the dominate races of Middle-Earth. Their mission is to destroy the Ring and end forever the threat of Sauron. Along with that intricate plot, the acting is superb. English vets Ian McKallen and Christopher Lee (Saruman) lead the way with masterful performances and they show off their talents as well groomed and experienced actors. But there are more than just the wisdom: the young actors who portay the hobbits are just wonderful and delightful to watch. Not to mention Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn), Orlando Bloom (Legolas), John Ryes Davis (Gimli), Liv Tyler (Arwen), Hugo Weaving (Elrond) and Cate Blanchet (Galadreil) all give memorable performances. Then they are the matter of the special effects. They are spectacular. From the opening battle sequence on the slopes of Mount Doom, the panorama shots of Hobbiton, the computerized orcs in the halls of Moria and especially the the world Frodo enters when he wears the Ring of Power are wonders of CGI and the massive pre-production that went on before the actual filming began. The oscar for best visual effects went to the right place. One other reason why the movie was such a success was because of the many moods, settings and styles that the film executes with grace and near perfection. We have action in the mountain of Moria; romance in Rivendell; suspence in the chase between Arwen and Frodo and the ominous Ringwraiths; and effective comic relief from Merry and Pippin. Almost anyone can find something to enjoy in this movie. You can find this movie to be one of the best ever made. It is executed so well, the story so well told and the scope so epic that you cannot help but be in awe. Yeah its three hourslond, but it is one you will enjoy without noticing or feeling the time. I seen other movies half as long but they felt slow and insipid. This one movie is not one of them.
Rating: 
Summary: Not 30 minutes of extra footage!!
Review: While the extended edition is great, don't expect a total of 30 minutes of new footage. What the idiots don't tell you is that 20 minutes of that is nothing more than a listing of the fan club members in the credits. Like who in the heck cares! I was expecting a LOT more footage. The extra footage was great, but nowhere near what I expected. I hope these liars do better on the next extended edition!!
Rating:
Summary: What was that reviewer thinking
Review: coming from a middle of the ground aged reviewer, I thought that the Fellowshiop of the Ring was by far the best DVD I have bought to date. I am a college student who has loved watching the great Star Wars trilogy growing up, but honestly Peter Jackson's work on the Lord of the Rings blows George Lucas away. This movie is one of the greatest accomplishments in filmaking, and the extended DVD adds needed plot points and details that are well thought out, and are actually useful in knowing if you see the Two Towers (who isnt gonna see that one). It is appaling that I saw one review saying this DVD was boring, I guess that guy's imagination fell out of his head long ago. This is truly the peak as far as movies go. Watch and Enjoy
Rating:
Summary: The version for True Tolkien fans -and best DVD ever made?
Review: Wow. This is easily the best DVD ever made. This movie does an amazing job of bringing Tolkien to life on the big screen. Not everything is perfect, and true fans will probably find something to complain about, but overall you won't be disappointed. This film is a very faithful adaption with fine acting, visuals straight from Tolkien's favorite artists, and dialoge right of the books. This special extended version is definitely the best version. This is the film for those of you who loved the books, who were annoyed at the changes and insane pacing of the theatrical release. The 30 extra minutes of material aren't just a few deleted scenes here and there, but actually hundreds of extra shots and scenes, ranging from a few seconds to 4-5 minutes long. The additions aren't perfect, but mostly good. You'll find a longer, warmer intro to the Shire, the passing of Elves as Frodo flees the Riders, the gifts of Galadriel, and so on. Better yet, many important scenes are given just a little extra time, so that you can enjoy and even understand them better. Match this with some of the best DVD extras you'll ever find. A total of 4 commentary tracks, plus 2 discs of extras covering every conceivable topic - how did they make hobbits so convincingly small? Included is a wonderful documentary on Tolkien himself, and the history of this project as the director struggled to get it financed. There is a map of Middle Earth and the journey of the Fellowship, plus another map of New Zealand and which locations were used. Wonderful special effects montages take you through the multiple layors without having to click through a million still images (although those are still there). Even the still images, which I usually hate and avoid, give us information and tell a story. And the whole thing comes wrapped in a cover that reminds me of my old hardback edition of the book itself. As an interesting touch, the movie chapter names match the chapter names in the books. Perfect in every way, I strongly recommend anyone that owns a DVD player to buy this DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Finally, a movie that compares to the book
Review: I always hate it when a movie is made from a book, and it turns out disappointing to fans. This one definitely does not. Peter Jackson kept the vision of the author alive, not scaling anything down to make things easier for himself. In fact, certain aspects of the movie were actually better than the book. For example, characters such as Legolas (whos part in the books is not really that large, but who I've always been fasinated by) have a lot of screen time and as a result are much better developed. BUY IT BUY IT BUY IT! It is worth every penny.
Rating:
Summary: One "newbie" swept away
Review: I never read the Tolkien ring trilogy, nor did I ever have much patience with the cult that formed around it. When I heard that a film version was being produced, I cringed; another "trekie" situation I feared and expected. Even when the "Fellowship of the Ring" was released and received surprisingly (to me) good reviews, I still dismissed it and never even considered seeing it. I just hoped it would go away. Recently a close friend chastised me for being such a stubborn blockhead, and challenged me to watch it before offering any more of my "opinions" about it. Fair enough, I acknowledged, and so I got it and watched it. My friend was right, I was being a blockhead. This is a truly amazing film. I rank it among the top five best looking films I've ever seen, and among the top ten best films overall. True, it's somewhat difficult to follow at first, the plot is extraordinarily complex and dense for the film medium. But this rich tale is all in there, and with the DVD set one can watch it as many times as needed to figure out what's happening. I'm still watching it and not yet even close to being bored by the replays, I'm still finding plenty of new things in it. I still won't join the cult, but I highly recommend at least this extended edition DVD version of this gorgeous, soon to be classic film. I consider this currently the most advanced film yet made, and it's worth a lot more than the modest price to me, at least.
Rating:
Summary: ASTONISHING
Review: This movie was just as good as the fellowship fo the rings. There are great effects and a great view. If someone dislike this movie is because they have lack of imagination... this movie is not easy to understand...it has it all...magic, action, love, drama and the actors adaptated to the characters feeling and expressing themselves so truely. Gollum was great, cute, funny and a great addition to this triology. This movie is completelt surreal, but the feelings and all the emotions and the great performances make the viewers for a moment get into the movie and concentrating so much they end up wanting to see more, be part of this wonderful adventure and this movie let us with great expectations, so great we imideatly want to see the third and last movie at once.
Rating:
Summary: Lord of the Rings:The Fellowship of the Ring
Review: I am ten years old, and I rate this film five stars. It is
good. I think Star Wars is a five star movie ,but I rate it four and a half stars compared to the Fellowship of the Ring even
though I had to cover my eyes twice even though in Star Wars I
didn't.
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