Rating: 
Summary: Definitely an Epic
Review: This movie may be viewed differently by those who have read the books and are long-standing Tolkien fans and those who have never heard of him. Both groups should enjoy this film, as the story line (thanks to Tolkien) and special effects and casting (thanks to Peter Jackson) are outstanding.
The film is complete enough in itself that non-Tolkien persons who have never read his books should have no trouble following the plot, however, they miss out on the depth and drama of this epic because there is simply no time for character development in this film. This is my one criticism of an otherwise exceptional movie. Without reading the books you will not have an understanding why the characters react and relate with each other in the way they do.
Nevertheless, I would recommend this film to anyone except children under twelve (too much violence in the battle scenes and too many scary characters). Tolkien fans and non-Tolkien fans alike should appreciate this film.
Rating: 
Summary: The Best
Review: I would tell you to read the book before you go see it because you will like it a lot better. It is the best movie i have seen in a very LONG time. It has no cusing and no sex in it. It might be to evil for small kids but other then that is it really good.
Rating:
Summary: This film is awesome..., You must see!!!
Review: I've read the "Lord Of The Rings" Trilogy, & I loved the film
& can't wait for the other releases & for them to come out on video. This is a timeless classic literature & is as much captivating in book form as it is in film. I urge you to read the books & most importantly SEE THE MOVIE, you don't know what you are missing! This may be the last week for the movie & a long wait for "The Two Towers" (comes out in December of this Year) & "Return Of The Kings" in 2003.
Rating:
Summary: This Movie is Excellent!!!!
Review: I loved this movie, from start to finish it was good. For someone like myself that has not read the books the movie was well explained and I did not feel lost. My fav character was the blond elf with the bow. Boy is he pretty!!(WHOA!!) Anyway if you have not seen this movie shame on you!! I have seen it twice and I loved it both times.
Rating:
Summary: A Movie You Got To See
Review: I concider The Lord of the Rings the best movie I've ever seen. It beats out movies like The Matrix, X Men, and Star Wars.
I personally think that the Nazgul scenes were the most exciting scenes during the entire movie. I also think that the scenes with Mordor and the Dark Tower were brilliant and near perfection.
I have recentally seen the movie Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's stone and I dont think that they included enough information in this movie to really expain what is going on. The Lord of the Rings on the other hand was informational enough so that you were never woundering "what the heck is going on".
Thank you for reading my review.
Rating:
Summary: A dream come true....
Review: I've tried to nitpick this movie, as a matter of principle if nothing else, and after four viewings have found that in each and every questionable instance -- be it a detail however small or a deviation from the text however large -- that I agree with and wholeheartedly approve of director Peter Jackson's decision. His interpretation is, in many ways, an "improvement" over the original in the context of acknowledging the perspectives and expectations of a 21st century film audience. I almost (but not quite!) envy those who have not read -- and, like myself, re-read -- the book, as they will experience these wonders with fresh eyes, but, oh, what a joy for them to then go back to the source! I honestly never thought this movie would be made in my lifetime -- it's been 30 years in coming, and I couldn't be more delighted. (Note: I didn't consciously try to "vote" on my own review -- what would be the point? So I'm functionally illiterate when it comes to computers and somehwere along the line hit the wrong button!)
Rating:
Summary: Extravagant Celluloid
Review: Wow. Incredible. Amazing. Mind-blowing. FAN-TAS-TIC....I rarely award five stars to any film but this pretty much takes the cake. I knew when "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" was going to be in theaters. I had, in fact, been counting the days 'til its release since I first heard of it sometime in 2000....for...three hours, I was mesmerized. Wild horses couldn't drag me from my seat. It was everything that I wanted it to be and everything I expected it to be, and to be quite honest, it surpassed my every expectation. Director Peter Jackson has done a fantastic job in conceiving Middle Earth and all it practicalities, right down to the narrowest detail. With the assistance of Frances Walsh and Philippa Boyens, these three men have crafted a satisfying screenplay and were stalwart to Tolkien's story, cutting corners where necessary but the whole remaining truly and utterly complete. Jackson and his enormous assemblage of set designers, graphic artists and various other artistic breeds toiled over a grueling 18-month schedule in the lush landscapes of New Zealand, painstakingly incarnating Tolkien's universe of yore. Middle Earth comes to life with an accuracy rarely seen and many of the author's small details become pertinent, from the sign on Bilbo's gate (No Admittance Except on Party Business) to the architecture of his home (round windows/doors) and the ornate entrance to the Morian Mines. He not only made sure that Tolkien's work would be rendered nearly flawless (Middle Earth historians and elven language coaches were brought in and devoted a generous amount of their time and knowledge) but made movie history in the process: he is the first director in the history of motion pictures to film three major productions simultaneously. Along with Jackson's monumental project came a record-breaking budget...Although it seemed an insurmountable task, Jackson's financial bravado and meticulousness paid off handsomely - The Fellowship of the Ring is a visual extravaganza and will no doubt be eligible for a string of awards once the tallies for Oscar are announced. In the opening of this colossal feature, we stare into a black void as the whispers of an ancient dialect sound with Cate Blanchett providing a translation along with an informative narrative. This five-minute intro is a quickie timeline that sets the tone and pace for the film, following the travails of the dark lord Sauron's ring of power, a ring forged in the volcanic flames of Mt. Doom. Sauron loses this very ring in an arresting battle scene to Isildur, heir to the throne of Gondor. Isildur is consumed by the ring's energy the moment he touches it and instead of surrendering it to Mt. Doom's hellish heat to vanquish its power once and for all, he turns on his heel and claims it as his own. Because of the ring's self-exuding impiety, Isildur is slaughtered by a barrage of orcs and dumped into the river, the ring lost to all for the next 2500 years. A reclusive creature named Gollom becomes the ring's next possessor, half-wittingly stumbling upon it while digging in the dirt. His "precious" remains with him for the next 500 years and then finally comes into the keeping of a halfling named Bilbo Baggins (Holm), Sauron's infused power now consuming a new host. For 60 years, Bilbo (Holm) tells no one of his remarkable discovery until Gandalf the Grey (McKellan) arrives at the Shire to attend his 111th birthday bash. Gandalf warns him of the ring's profound influence and Bilbo relinquishes his prize to his nephew Frodo (Wood), journeying to the elven city of Rivendell to find peace in his old age. Frodo is now strapped with the task of destroying the ring permanently and he alone must make the journey, casting the object of Sauron's culminated evil into its fiery chasm. Quite a heavy story - one that left many fans skeptical as to whether or not Jackson could do the author's extensive saga justice converting it to film. Some sneered that Tolkien's legacy was being marred by the ostentatious nature of Hollywood...Even a random fan argued that if other films were to be made from Tolkien's books...that "only the British should ever attempt it". Well, it came close - LOTR has an Australian director and a number of British actors (McKellen, Weaving, Bloom, Monaghan, etc.)....In spite of these naysayers, I will not present my own argument, for I would be wasting my breath - I'd much rather praise the film and besides, there are so many people who have already voiced my opinion far better than I can....I was more than eager to see the story go from paper to celluloid. Fantasy enthusiasts who haven't read the books will love every minute; Jackson's presentation of events sweeps the viewer away into a whole other world. The versatile topography of New Zealand coupled with state-of-the-art visual effects (armies of orcs, elves and humans were created with a high-tech program called MASSIVE) make the terrain and atmosphere of Middle Earth and all its precincts that much more believable. To further enchant, FOTR offers superlative and intricate opuses from composer Howard Shore, the man responsible for the original scores to "Silence of the Lambs" and "M. Butterfly" (among many others). Shore has created a beautiful and resonant soundscape of strings, woodwinds and chorals, lending a rich and harmonizing texture to the film's magical aura. I was surprised to learn that while perusing the CD booklet for the soundtrack that Elizabeth Fraser (formerly of Cocteau Twins) lends her pipes to two verses sung entirely in Tolkien's elvish patois (she can be heard during "Lothlorien"). As for performances, it's obvious who the centerpieces are. Elijah Wood and Ian McKellen are arresting, fleshing out their characters and making them seem more real than the rest. Wood's baby blues get many a close-up, enhancing their clarity and color. He is the embodiment of the childish and innocent Frodo, manufacturing many a tear and furrowed brow to translate Frodo's fear of a seemingly insuperable task. McKellen, who is wonderful no matter what part he plays, is a casting dream-come-true as Gandalf, the wise and tempered counterpart to Frodo's naïveté. Sean Astin is perfect as Sam, Frodo's eager but somewhat gullible companion and Cate Blanchett impresses as the ethereal Lady of the Wood, Galadriel....
Rating:
Summary: More on the sword of Elendil
Review: First of all - the movie was great. I only have one comment;
When reading this as a teen, of great importance is the sword of Elendil. Although you show the shards of Narsil, you do not mention that the sword is re-forged in Rivendell (unless I missed something while busy with my popcorn). From the chapter "The Ring Goes South" ...."The Sword of Elendil was forged anew by Elvish smiths, and on its blade was traced a device of seven stars set between the cresent Moon and the rayed Sun, and about them was written many runes; for Aragorn son of Arathorn was going to war upon the marches of Mordor. Very bright was that sword when it was made whole again; the light of the sun shone redly in it, and the light of the moon shone cold, and its edge was hard and keen. And Aragorn gave it a new name and called it Anduril, Flame of the West."
What I would love to see........
If perhaps there is a recap of Fellowship of the Rings... a scene where the elvish smiths are reforging the sword...and then the sword coming forth on the screen while the above passage is read...where the design on the sword is seen and the new name are made clear to the audience. ANDURIL !!
Rating: 
Summary: Spectacularly mundane
Review: This movie was one of the most prodigious wastes of time and money I've had the misfortune of suffering in my 28 years of earthly existence. It was way too slow moving, and the pacing was way off, with trivial scenes being dragged out interminably while important sequences were rushed unceremoniously through. The scenes between Gandalf and Saruman were a joke (hey look, Saruman is putting good ol' Gandalf through a blender, lookit him spin !). And that fire monster (Balrog was it ?) looked like a ridiculous cross between the computer generated Malebolgia in Spawn and the devil-dogs in Ghostbusters. And don't even get me started on the way Cate Blanchett's character looked during her "evil" transformation. She looked less lifelike than the obviously computer generated characters in Final Fantasy, for crying out loud ! I'll admit the scenery was pretty in a few scenes. But even then the camerawork left a lot to be desired. And what's up with that laughable Scottish score during the later part of the movie. I began to fear that I was watching another Highlander sequel, then started to wish I was, because bad as those were, they couldn't come close to how bad this movie was.
Rating:
Summary: Haven't read the book, but plan to
Review: I loved this film. The thing that I can tell when i love a film is when I feel jealous when other people have seen it. It's like, "How dare you see this film, it's my world!" I didn't want the film to end. Some more picky people might have spotted some minor flaws, but I thought it had a nice blend of romance, comedy and a good deal of action.
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