Rating: 
Summary: Movie: GREAT! - DVD: Disappointing
Review: Let me say that The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is one of the BEST movies ever made and I am VERY happy to have it on DVD. But beyond the movie itself, the 2 DVD set I just bought was very disappointing. The "extra" features included are nothing but the same interviews and behind-the-scenes footage rehashed nearly a dozen times over the course of four TV features and a dozen or so web-featurettes. By the time I was finished with the nearly two-and-a-half hours of Extra features I was almost sick with boredom from seeing actors and the director make the SAME comments from the SAME interviews nearly half-a-dozen times in each of the different features and many of the featurettes. The Two Towers footage was the only real treat. What upsets me most is that I have to now wait THREE MONTHS in order to BUY THE MOVIE AGAIN! - just to see the additional 1/2 hour of footage not included in the theatrical release (among other extra features - rumored to be more in depth than the ones included here). Because this was such a great movie, I did not want to wait another three months to view it at home. If you can wait another three months to own the definitive version of this excellent movie, then I recommend it. ...
Rating: 
Summary: One of the best motion pictures I've ever seen... period.
Review: Let me start off with an introduction. I love films. I am 28 and I love this medium. I grew up loving the original "Star Wars" trilogy. The orignal trilogy made me feel awe and magic in front of the silver screen. The newer Star Wars films I looked forward to very enthusiastically, that was until I witnessed the first five minutes of Episode 1 a few years back. What a let down. Terrible film. I thought I should give up on the hope that I would ever again feel the awe and magic that the orignal trilogy had made me feel so long ago. I began to think that it only made me feel so great because I was a kid, and I just couln't suspend my disbelief in the movies the way I did back then. Then, all of a sudden "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" is released, and my girlfriend takes me to it for my birthday. I am awestruck. This movie is incredible. Not only that, but I proclaim to her that is is the most amazing movie I have ever seen. This movie single handedly restored my faith in movie studios to fund a film that was worthy of me paying good money to see. I just went to see "The Two Towers" and it is just as incredible. So far, this is hands down the best movie series I have ever witnessed, and this extended edition DVD does its best to satiate the cravings I hold for wanting to know everything about it. Peter Jackson is a genius director who is not afraid to take risks. The film is perfectly cast, and I almost never use the word perfect. I am stunned, and I know that no matter how many times I see this film, I will always hold it in the highest of regards. Another astonishing thing is how poor it makes other Hollywood big-budget films look. Even the renowned Spielberg would have watered this down too much. Anyhow, if you liked the movie, this edition is worth the extra money. The restored sequences are seemless, and only make the movie better. They are not outakes that were made because they were flawed. They were only removed for timing limitations. I now know that I don't have to hope "Star Wars Episode 3" is good. The fact is... I no longer care. I have "The Lord of the Rings!" Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: great dvd movie
Review: Let me tell you. It was a mistake for them to take what they took out of the movie, even if it was close to 4hours long. This special extended version rectifies most of those removal mistakes. Still there are still some things from the book not shown here, but I'm finding it harder to complain. Some things were added that weren't from the book, too. Funny (but true) seeing Frodo and Bilbo hide from the Sackville-Baggins (ahem, Lobelia I presume). Pippin actually has flatulance? I will say no more, but the extended version has some of Tolkien's good humor and more from his clever mind. Can't wait to see Two Towers even more so, now.
Rating:
Summary: Never the less, a great film.
Review: Let start by saying that I never read the Hobbit or the Ring Trilogy, but I understood everything that was going on. .... It is 100% impossible to make a movie that was base off a book and keep it true to form... There several things in this movie that didn't happen in the first book or were slightly changed. (My mother and brother read all of them) Gandlf didn't have time to shout or grab on to a ledge as he was pulled into the abyss. And the climatic battle at the end didn't happen in Fellowship. Rather this film ends were the second book begins with Frodo and Sam running off together. Or when Frodo was stab by the Dark Riders (that what they were called in the 1978 animated movie). They say the movie too long like it's a bad thing? If it anything else was cut out or change it would be less dramatic. Unlike in Episode One, Jackson focus and equal amount of time on the both the effects and the acting, which was beyond words to descript it's greatness, (thank you, Ian Mckellen!) the vast scenery, the atmosphere in the mines, the thundering musical score is beyond anything else that was ever made. Other films Like ... are going to have a rough time at the Oscars, Like Titanic, this film will steal the show. Some say that there is too much violence in this film, YEAH RIGHT! .... If they wanted to have a truly hard hitting emotional impacted, go for the goal and put in the gore! The 1978 movie had more blood in it, and was more darker.
Rating: 
Summary: almost as good as the hype
Review: Let's cut to the chase: this was a good movie as well as a satisfying re-telling of Tolkien's tale. The cinematography was fantastic: the Shire, Rivendale, and Moria (espeically) all came alive. The acting ranged from decent to excellent (particularly Aragorn and Gandolf). Even Liv Tyler actually acted! The battles were great and there were some truly scary parts (my wife was clutching me during the Nazgul scenes).
So why not 5 stars? Well, there are some issues. Not the "it wasn't faithful to the book" issues. Those complainers are just plain foolish. It's a movie. They HAD to make changes. While I missed some characters, I found a lot of the choices the filmmakers made to be quite interesting, and some of them worked quite well. But I do think the movie dragged a trifle in places; a lot of exposition and traveling and a little too much worshipful music tended to make thing seem a little tedious at times. Don't shoot me, just a little, and only a times. I also think, pardoxically, the battle scenes were a little too frenetic. Edits were so fast I often had a hard time figuring what exactly was happening (although the fast edits did keep me tense in my seat). These pacing issues keep the movie from being 5 stars for me, but it's still darn good. Some of the scenes, well, I don't want to spoil anything, but there are some killer scenes. Sauron vs. Gandalf: awesome. Nuff said.
Rating:
Summary: Hairy Who?
Review: Let's get this out of the way really quickly. This movie is the best adaptation of a beloved book into a movie - even better than "Gone with the Wind." Believe me, that movie was highly anticipated at the time and they loved it. What makes "The Fellowship of the Ring" so incredible is that, just in the theatrical release, Peter Jackson told Tolkien's story with economy and the excellent cast brought the characters even more to life than they were in the book. You just can't write visual interaction in a book! The sly looks, the slow dawning of understanding, looks of horror or contempt are suited to a visual medium.
The Extended Version's extra 30 minutes or so, some of which is NOT in the original, all work. My favorite is Frodo and Sam's lines coming out of the pub in Hobbiton! Even the audio commentary can be hilarious! Don't stop listening to it once the credits start rolling. The best line by one of the actors is right near the end. Believe me, just get it. It'll be months before you can even get to all of the bonus features. Enjoy!!
I also have to say that comparing "Lord of the Rings" to "Harry Potter" is like comparing the Beatles to the Monkees.
Rating:
Summary: A perfect example of what a DVD set ought to be!!
Review: Let's start with the fact that the 'extended' version is a big improvement on what other DVDs try to do with 'deleted' / 'extended' scenes. Instead of having them as an 'extra feature' that is shown separately from the actual film, seeing these scenes in context (as a part of the whole movie) makes them (and the movie) richer, and their nuances much clearer. I can't even complain that the production company hadn't advertised in advance that the extended version would be out a few months after the theatrical one - because they had. Except for the commentaries (which I'll get to in a moment), the extra features are just perfect, and should be an example and an insparation to other films. Instead of the usual behind the scenes "blah blahs" (or "featuretes") and theatrical trailers, we get a full account of how the movie was created - from the adaption of the book to a script to finding the actors, the work on the film itself (or rather - the films), and so on. This is done so thoroughly that no matter what interests you in the process of making this film, you will easily find it on this DVD set because of the well organized menus. As for the commentaries, the casts' and Peter Jackson and co.'s were the most interesting. The only thing I didn't like was the fact that the cast hadn't been given the chance to do it as a group (except for the hobbits, who commented together, and their group dynamics & discussions were fun and interesting). Viggo Mortensen's commentary about Aragorn was also sorely missed.
Rating:
Summary: PLATINUM EDITION WORTH THE MONEY!
Review: Like all the rest of you, I bought this DVD when it first came out. The original release was just as the movie.
Now, Peter Jackson has released the Platinum Edition with much added footage. Especially, The Shire part of the film has much added to it; and we really get to know those characters better. I bought it even though I had the original in both wide and full screen, and am not sorry in the least. You also get 2 discs full of extras on just about everything in the film, plus a National Geographic DVD on LOTR's New Zeeland. I just have to add that you get a beautiful collectors' box; but even better, you get actual stone statue bookends of the human kings of old from the ismus the group paddled through on their quest.
You wont go wrong buying this.
Rating:
Summary: A thrilling movie!
Review: Like many good action adventure stories, the hero is an unsuspecting one. He finds himself with a monumental and very dangerous task to fulfill. Here the hobbit, Frodo (played by Elijah Woods) has the job of destroying a seemingly innocent-looking ring that is responsible for evil and the destruction to all mankind and other living beings. Along Frodo's journey, he meets all kind of foes and a fellowship of interested parties form to protect and help him complete his mission. All the characters are convincing and the film is filled with a lot of suspense. It opens with a gripping scene of battle against Lord Sauron, who wants to control that world, and his army. The movie is visually pleasing with beautiful and dark scenery - from the hobbits' village (The Shire) to the other places that Frodo crosses during his quest. At the end of the movie, the viewer is left wanting to immediately see the second part and then the third part of the trilogy. Since the continuing film versions of the trilogy are still in the making, one will have to do with watching this first part again. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings will inspire you to read the book if you haven't done so before or re-read it if you already have. Fafa Demasio
Rating:
Summary: Who could have predicted it would be so good?
Review: Like many lovers of Tolkiens Lord of the Rings I felt a feeling of almost ownership of the story. Although I looked forward to it, I almost dreaded it being filmed. I fully expected a big budget epic of Lord of the Rings to be a typical "Hollywood" style rendering of a beloved tale complete with shortcuts changes in storyline etc. What a nice surprise to see a fine film instead. True to the storyline and to Tolkien in spirit the film cuts and changes only what it needs to in order to tell the tale on screne. Elijah Wood does a fine job as Frodo Baggins. Ian McClellan IS Gandalf on the screen as far as I am concerned, while the casting is well done throughout. What is especially endearing is the attention to detail throughout the film. Little things such as shields, clothing, furniture are all done in such a manner that it seems indigenous to the culture of Middle-Earth. It's also a great benefit that most of the film was done in one filming and edited into three movies. The continuity should be much better than in other sequels. If you're a fan of the books you'll love this. If you've never read a page of Tolkien you'll love it also. Great film and I can't wait for the Two Towers!
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