Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant & Breathtaking! A Masterpiece!
Review: Books into movies... An age-old controversy. Everyone has their opinion(s): "The director won't do the book justice."; "Details will be overlooked, and/or changed."; "The spirit of the author will be overshadowed by the glamour of Hollywood.", etc., etc. All are sound arguments, and all, unfortunately, have been proven true throughout the past 100 years. I've seen some of my favorite books tortured on the big screen, and others brought to life in a way I never expected and was left spellbound. I have been disappointed by the former and pleased by the latter, and sometimes vice-versa. I am, however, one of those who have not read the trilogy and was thus "untainted" by Tolkien's tale of Hobbits when I first viewed the movie. I was thus able to go without expectations and let Peter Jackson weave his (Tolkien's) tale before me. And even if I had read the books, from what those around me (who did read the books) tell me, the movie was almost 100% faithful to the book, down to the most minute details. Captivated from the very beginning, I became quite enchanted with the Shire, the Hobbits, and of course, Frodo. I instantly liked Bilbo and Gandalf, and immediately despised Sauron. The 9 Wraiths, the Orcs, and the Golems were just what I would've pictured these gruesome creatures to look like. And they are even more vile when given the chance to freeze-frame the picture to see just how Jackson brought across the costuming to convey such evil. Once the fellowship was formed, the rest of the "party" soon became a concern of mine. There were bits of comedy where needed, and several moments of heart-pounding excitement where necessary. "Unseen" Sauron scared me to death; never wanting to ever wear a ring. And you could actually feel the characters' struggles against the ring's "calling". Character is vital to any picture, and Jackson did a marvelous job here. Although often the Hobbits seemed to be overshadowed by their taller counterparts (no pun intended), Frodo's choices, Bilbo's regrets and desires, and even Sam's stalwart friendship were strongly felt. Regretfully, the only human character I felt compassion for was Gandalf. His end(?) brought much sniffling. Perhaps my feelings for the other "humans" will change in the 2nd and 3rd installments. Perhaps because I was not "encumbered" by having read the book and not knowing how the events would unfold and what would happen to the characters, I was able to take in the story and its players and not look for the liberties Jackson may have taken. That is not to say that the movie was without my own reservations. The movie was, in my opinion, a tad long. At one point I wanted to scream "Die already!" regarding one of the death scenes. Would it never end? And did the river journey, and Gandalf's escape, have to be so elaborate? But again, not having read the book(s), maybe I can't fault Jackson. After all, this was his interpretation of Tolkien's work, not mine. Some of the character and locale names were difficult to understand and thus keep straight. Keeping-up was a challenge. (I am overwhelming pleased for the closed-captioning on the DVD.) With exceptions to Frodo and Gandalf, I found myself equating the character on the screen with the actor's name and not their character's name. These are, in the end, minor trivialities, at least for me. I didn't grow up with these books, and they are not a part of a world countless many have cherished so dearly. I may not be able to quote the book or state, "That happened at night in the book, not during the day!", or "That person didn't do that!", but I can say that whenever a book adaptation is undertaken some liberties will be taken. And even if there were (and I'm sure there were), this final result was indeed a finely crafted work any Tolkien "lover" should be proud of. And if you disagree, just think: The end result could've been a heck of a lot worse... Jackson has a tremendous vision for imagery, character, and direction. The actors, from Sir Ian McKellan, to Elijah Wood, to Cate Blanchett, and right on down the line, couldn't have been more hand-picked, and the most optimal of choices for their respective roles. Everything about this movie says first-rate, devotion, detailed, and endearing. It's a shame Jackson was overlooked for Best Director. He can easily be compared to Spielberg, Lucas, Hitchcock, and others for their inate ability to tell a story and draw us in like nobody else and make us care(!) about the story and it's characters. I look forward to multiple viewings of part 1, and wait with great anticipation for parts 2 & 3. In the meantime, I will most definitely niche out time to become better acquainted with Tolkien's printed world. I doubt I'll be disappointed. And neither will you.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Great Wonders of the World
Review: I received my DVD of the theatrical version of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring yesterday and had to view it immediately. Although watching the film on a 27" TV cannot compare to seeing it in a theater, I came away from the experience convinced that the first film of Peter Jackson's trilogy exceeded all of my expectations.
I have been a fan of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings since I first read it as a college student in the late sixties. I've read it about every other year for the past thirty years and have discovered something new every time. I felt the same way seeing the DVD last evening. The film is so rich in it concept and execution that it can be viewed repeatedly without becoming stale.
As with any fictional work, especially a fantasy, a successful author (or, in this case, filmmaker) must draw the viewer into the imaginary world of the film and make them believe that world and its inhabitants exist. Peter Jackson, along with the cast and production crew have done this magnificently.
I have been waiting for years for the art and technology of filmmaking to reach the point that it could do justice to Tolkien's masterpiece. This film has succeeded in doing so.
Rating:
Summary: Going to Wal-Mart
Review: Wal-Mart has the same price, available now with no shipping. Bye!
Rating:
Summary: Note about anamorphic
Review: Those with PC-based DVD players may have the InterActual software interfere with 16x9 flag information.
Rating: 
Summary: Wait for the EXTENDED VERSION
Review: I have to admit, I was pretty thrilled to open my newly purchased Fellowship of the Ring DVD. But my joy turned to horror when the first thing that I saw in the DVD case was not the DVD itself, but a coupon for a $5 mail in rebate on the Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition coming out in November. I felt like a sucker who just lost to the street gambler at the shell game.
For this, I would like to personally thank George Lucas and Lucasfilm's marketing division for making it popular to rerelease a movie 5 different times, all with different versions (original, THX, special edition, special edition widescreen, and the version that has all the previews of Episode 1.......you know what I'm talking about).
Anyone that likes to get the most bang for the buck should wait for the different version out in November and not waste their money on the "butchered" or "sub-par" movie release edition.
Rating:
Summary: A MUST-OWN!
Review: This is a great DVD for the collection! Not only do you get the film that is, in my opinion, the best ever made, but you also get hours of in-depth special features! Cannot wait to get the Deluxe Edition DVD in November! Movie/DVD Grade: A+
Rating:
Summary: Does the Impossible
Review: You can't make a novel into a film without losing something. Important things from the book are lost. The gentle "Englishness" of the Hobbits is only hinted at. The songs and stories, the love of food, tea, and "Southfarthing leaf" that makes the world of the Shire worth saving is only faintly present. The song and stories of the elves are barely present. I do miss those things. But Jackson would have needed six movies to leave all that in. This film does tell the story quite well. It captures the epic scope of the tale. It has the moral core intact. It is done as rightly as it could be done. It is exciting to experience. I dreaded seeing the first installment. Now I eagerly await "The Two Towers." The Lord of the Rings was written by a man out of the nineteenth century who saw the rise of "industrialized evil" in the bloody twentieth century. To me, it has always seemed a requiem for a happier if poorer life. It also seemed to be about the necessity of that loss when evil rises over the world. Tolkien wrote that he hated allegory, but one cannot see the rise and fall of fascism is Europe and not see the lidless eye. This is a great book made into a different, but still great film. I recommend it heartily. Some notes on the DVD itself: I'm not so attached to special features that I like 2+ disc sets. This is a 2 disc set, with more discs coming in an extended version later this year. This movie cost so much to make, I understand the need to sell the movie more than once, and I hope they do make money -- it should be possible to do a job this well and profit by it. But I could have done with just the movie. Most of the special features were broadcast on TV or available as clips on the web.
Rating:
Summary: Smaller...but still awesome.
Review: That scene at the beginning with the huge armies battling this evil warrior just knocked my socks off when I was in a theater with dts sound. I was most looking forward to seeing that again (along with the scenes of Frodo wearing the ring); only on my small pc dvd system. I knew the DVD would test my sound so I bought an Altec Lansing 251 5.1 sound system a week before this dvd was to arrive and promptly removed that middle speaker making it 4.1 instead. Hated that middle speaker. Testing everything from Star Wars Episode 1 to Pearl Harbor to Godzilla 1998 all DVDs with exceptional sound. I decided that I've had AM radios that sounded better than that little speaker. But with the 4.1 setup and EX sound selected from the dvd sound menu FOTR (like the others mentioned) just sounds like an epic. It's not a movie theater with dts sound but as close as I could get on my budget. Add my 19 inch ViewSonic monitor and I was happy. This will be a dvd I watch on special occations. The picture is definately better than expected. The character closeups are colorful and smooth with no noticable grain on my system. Watching AI: Artificial Intelligence recently I was disappointed that a current movie could be so grainy (Titanic was the same). But FOTR is colorful and vibrant. For sound and picture a solid 5 stars. We get a LOT of short features, 10 minute preview of The Two Towers (part 2 of the LOTR trilogy...am I the only one who is losing sleep waiting for it?), trailers and tv spots, lame EA game preview ("...and players will be so immersed in the game environment they won't be able to tell if they are playing it or watching the movie." Right), Enya's beautiful video, and more. What we don't get is the special extended version with 30 mintues of extra scenes and new music. You'll have to pay extra for it. Will I buy it? Does a hobbit have hairy feet? Be sure to get this widescreen version instead of pan&scan. If you don't believe me then check the net for examples of the difference between the two formats. Quick review of the movie itself. Peter Jackson (the director) obviously knows his "Tolkien" even though you sure have to search the dvd before you see that name printed out (why not TOLKIEN'S The Lord of the Rings right on the front? The man spend years developing this epic). It would be fortunate for us to be able to view this same material done by a modern director who feels that long periods of dialogue without any setpieces (action or special effect) is disasterous in modern moviemaking. Back to back effects with rediculous interactions by male actors who look like underwear models and females who've retired from Beverly Hills 90210. The moments at the elvin city are among my favorite. I was glued to my seat (while others choose this moment to visit the restroom). I found nothing to dislike about FOTR. From the beginning to the end it's my personal most favorite movie replacing my favorite since 1977 Close Encounters. Way ta go Peter Jackson. After the next 2 lets go back and REALLY see how Bilbo got that ring and unleased a very po'd dragon. But please call it J.R.R. TOLKEIN's The Hobbit.
Rating:
Summary: A non-fan converted!
Review: I had read "The Hobbit" in 7th grade, thought is was just okay. In addition, I was put off by Lord of the Rings books. I never saw The Fellowship of the Rings when it was playing in theaters because I was uninterested in what I thought would be a bizarre Dungeons & Dragons-type film. (my favorite movies, for reference: The Natural & Field of Dreams). I saw the FOTR on DVD last night and was blown away. The acting was spotless (even the usually detestable Elijah Wood did a great job), and unlike so many recent films, FOTR doesn't tell its story with the assumption that the viewer is an idiot (read: George Lucas). Much of the drama goes unspoken (the way a film should be), such as (spoiler ahead) Frodo's pained look when Gimli tries to axe the Ring - you can see he has already become attached to it (like his uncle was). Simply awesome. There seems to be layer after layer to this story and I look forward to reading the books. I've been thinking about the film all day and can't wait to see it again. I am almost speechless at how much I enjoyed this flic, and I am not one to get overly excited about movies. Just thought I'd let those put off by the fantasy subject matter know about my little conversion: this film is about more than just Hobbits, Wizards and magic rings... buy it and discover what I mean.
Rating:
Summary: Great film
Review: Terrific film - get it!
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