Rating: 
Summary: Greatest Movie of All Time!
Review: The perfect movie!!!!
It is sticks to
the lines of the book
so close as a movie could
to try to be like
the book... Lord of the rings
takes its
time and makes it the best movie i've seen last year
Rating:
Summary: Incredibly well-done
Review: The Platinum Edition of The Fellowship of the Ring is absolutely outstanding and definitely worth the money. Here's why:1) The extra 25+ minutes of movie footage adds depth and texture to the story as a whole without making it FEEL longer. The added scenes and segments are seamlessly interwoven with the movie as a whole and are largely comprised of small segments that augment a scene or chapter of the overall story. There is more detail about the hobbits' lives in the Shire, a large section added to the Lorien chapter, and more development of the Fellowship's characters before their journey. Indeed, Jackson and Ian McKellen continue to demonstrate with their work that they were completely robbed at Oscar time. The full run time is more than 3 hours, 20 minutes but the movie is logically split between the first 2 DVDs of the 4-DVD set so that it is easy to view in two sittings (although that is blasphemous in some quarters). Overall, the added scenes make a very good movie MUCH better and further display the excellent direction, cinematography and attention to detail that made the theatrical movie release so good. 2) The DVD extras are very good. The A&E-Biography style Tolkien piece is interesting and pays suitable homage to the author. There are also heretofore unseen interviews with the actors and crew including descriptions of how Peter Jackson put together the movie, how the cast worked together, how the cast members essentially related to each other outside of work as they would while in character (like Liv Tyler being a real princess by making Orlando Bloom drive her in New Zealand because she couldn't stand driving on the left side of the road), etc. 3) The insight into the film process -- there is a fine piece on how the director started the film project from concept to the go-ahead from New Line to do three films at once (with credit to Miramax for sheparding the project along for a bit); there is also an outstanding piece on the hobbit doubles -- four small-statured people who dressed as each of the hobbit characters and doubled for them (this was especially useful for eye-level acting so the regular sized characters could affect a natural eye-level for the hobbit actors who were shrunken through editting and camera tricks) and the interesting relationships of the doubles to their primaries. Highly recommended, and unquestionably worth the extra money.
Rating:
Summary: A new standard for film AND DVD.
Review: The Platinum Series Extended Edition DVD of the Fellowship of the Rings sets a new standard for fantasy filmmakers, novel-to-script adaptations, and DVD content. Enough ink (magnetic and otherwise) has been spilled over what a great adaptation Peter Jackson and crew have created that I don't need to praise the movie any more. Jackson goes the extra mile with this DVD by providing over 30 minutes of scenes, both new ones and extensions of others that address more of the book's story and flesh out character depth. Boromir in particular is given more screentime, and his actions and motivations are both ominous and noble. The extension of the Council of Elrond and the Gifting scene also add a great deal more meaning to each scene. I don't know about you, but I would gladly watch the extended version in the theatre. Maybe they'll re-release it, that would rule. Where this DVD really shines is in the two discs full of behind-the-scenes info. In extremely thorough fashion, these discs address the books and their author, going into his motivations and influences and his personality, all of which shaped the Lord of the Rings into the story that so many people love. Next, they address the long journey of a live-action LotR movie from concept to reality, as well as the difficulty of adapting the books to film and the near-constant script updates that occurred during the filming. The most stunning aspect of the special features is the massive effort this movie required and got out of the special effects and art direction teams, from renowned Tolkien Artists John Howe and Alan Lee to the young and talented designers at Weta in New Zealand. The scope of their vision is of course reflected in the beauty of the film itself, but being able to see how it came to be and the sheer volume of work these people (many of them young kids working to make a name for themselves) undertook successfully makes one appreciate the film all that much more. The actors are all quite articulate and fun to watch as well, and many of their anecdotes are laugh-out-loud funny (such as Sean "Sam Gamgee" Astin playing Air Traffic Control on a windy NZ peak). We get to see a little bit of everything that it took to make the movies, and we get to see that the actors had as great a time doing it as we did watching it. In all, if you liked the movie, I cannot recommend this DVD version highly enough. The extra footage alone is worth the price of admission, but the special features almost feel like stealing with the amount of content they provide to you. Thanks, Peter, we're already waiting for the Two Towers DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Corrections, please
Review: The previous review was quite nice, and I agree with its sentiments, but as a Tolkien AND Peter Jackson fan I must point out that there are a couple of mistakes. We do indeed see Lobelia Sackville-Baggins in the extended edition (who do you think Frodo and Bilbo are hiding from at the party? *g*), and Tolkien's poems and songs are quoted throughout. "The road goes ever on and on," Gandalf sings as he arrives in Hobbiton, "down from the door where it began..." Bilbo sings the same song when he leaves Bag End. Wonderful touch. And of course Aragorn in the extended edition sings part of the lay of Luthien.
Composer Howard Shore has said he made a point of including Tolkien's works in his sound track: Hence we get Dwarvish singing/chanting in Moria; we hear the Elvish lament for Gandalf in Lorien; and all the songs are inspired by Tolkien's text, if not direct quotes, even down to the chorus heard during the departure of Boromir, which sings Faramir's words, "I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness... nor the warrior for his glory... I love only what they defend..." Ah, the wonderful things you learn from the commentaries! *g*
Yes, a wonderful DVD, filled with lovely moments for the Tolkien fan.
Rating:
Summary: The extended version creates a problem
Review: The problem is that it's so much better, I deeply regretted ever seeing the theatrical version, which I still recall when watching this version, a distraction which breaks the movie "spell". It would be like seeing a Miyazaki film first with the English soundtrack (Save your mind! Don't ever do it!) I applied that to "The Two Towers", purposely not seeing it in the theatre, nor will I buy the initial version of the DVD, since I don't want to make that mistake again. That assumes, of course, that there will be an extended version, but I'm willing to wait to make sure. Better still, the producers should avoid the two-step "teaser" release of the first movie and go straight to the boxed set. A repeat of the first marketing effort might be seen as an attempt to gouge, though personally I can understand the need to have both versions available. The rest of the material on the disks? Very interesting, quite impressive, but something you watch once and never again of course.
Rating: 
Summary: What they DIDN'T put in
Review: The production of the first of the trilogy is a beautiful piece of work, and I admire the producers for having the courage to film all three parts so that the story is delivered over a short time (unlike George Lucas, whose promises will never be kept--a great loss to all the fans of the original series who waited so long and got so little).A serious flaw in the production is the ignoring of the material in The Hobbit that explains so much. We have already had a peek at the Golum, whose "precious" is a critical element. I hope that before getting to deeply into this film--great as it is, that the really interested viewer will take the time to find out what Bilbo did, and how his adventure is a vital part of a real understanding what is happening. I don't know if the TV version of the Hobbit is available, but it is well worth seeing.
Rating:
Summary: good reviews...nerds stop talking
Review: The purpose of the movie was not to take every line from the book (a masterpiece) and put it on screen. It is to translate it into a story that can be well received by an audience who has not read the books. When people write screenplays for movies they ALWAYS consider that everyone watching is starting off with 0 knowledge of the story, so there are no holes in the plot. Lord of the Rings was an all around great movie. The nerds throwing themselves at these boards about how 'the bow elrond uses was green!' and crap like that need to review it as a movie, not a recreation of the book for you to read and say 'nahh the original was SOO much better'. The truth is, there has never been a movie better than a book, ever. It just doesn't happen. Those who are such fascinated twits about a certain book always walk into the movie with such high expectations that of course they are going to be dissapointed. They need to take it for what it is: an interpretation. This movie will have you entertained the whole way through. Many years ago I read all of the books, and everything in the movie re-activated my memories from how good the books were. I have seen it twice I liked it so much. Elrond was my favorite character by far, as he was in the books also. For those of you who like archers, near the end you see how great an elf can be in battle, when he uses his bow so quickly and accurately that you are left salivating saying 'soooo freaking sweeeet.' I loved the movie, most people will. As with Episode 1, you will have the guys with no lives who actually try to live vicariously through the books and movies and have nothing to do but complain, as if the brilliant minds who create these movies are morons and ye who sit in your rooms getting fatter and dumber could create such more masterful pieces of art. Shut up, and write movie reviews, nothing else. Stupid nerds; everyone hates them, eh? HEHE Anyways, the movie is great, I loved it, everyone I was with loved it, everyone I have spoken to has loved it. Anyone who doesnt like it because the books were 'better' need to state some actual MOVIE gripes if they want to do review it.
Rating:
Summary: Part 2 now!!
Review: The question that everybody has been asking himself is finally solved. Yes it is excellent, both for the fans as for the "soon to be fans". However it is in by means perfect, the fans will cringe at the tought of removing the slower scenes (the big part between the Shire and Bree lasts about 5 minutes!) and, more disturbing to me, the change in little details that could well have rested the same (for example: Merry & Pippin trowing rocks in the lake by Moria instead of Boromir). However, the good outweighs the bad by far, the story evolves a lot faster than in the book and keeps you pinned to your seat for 3 short hours.
The casting is probably the best since Marlon Brando was picked for Don Corleone. Best example of this is of course Gandalf as Ian McKellen or was it the other way round... but all actors are up to their tasks even the dreaded performance of Liv Tyler was filled with a nuance we were perhaps not so used to.
Another plus is that finally characters are allowed to speak their own language, about time I would say, the erie beauty of the Elvish only adds to the atmosphere the entire movie is filled with.
I can be very short about the special effects, it's there, it the best ever and Elijah Wood is 3 foot 4 in real life.
So get out and see this thing because if you don't, you'll miss the best fantasy flick ever and probably the best film of 2001 (Not to much competion, I admit but even in the best of years this one would stand out, BIG time)
Rating:
Summary: DEFINENTLY THE BEST THIS YEAR.
Review: The reason I give this movie five stars is because I was entertained by it. Since I have never read any of the books I didn't know what to expect, and I was nicely surprised. This movie includes, adventure, excitement, BREATH TAKING SPEACLE AFFECTS! and cool fight scenes. Not to mention I think the acters did really well, and the music is AWSOME! I havent seen any-thing quite like it. Watch this movie, you wont regret it.
Rating:
Summary: Best Movie Of This Year
Review: The recent Lord of The Rings left me breathless. I can't wait til' next year when The Two Towers is released, let alone when The Fellowship comes out on video. I recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen it, and hey, if you've already seen it, go see it again. I've seen it about 8 times now and I'm always surprised. Yes, a few characters were left out, but it doesn't take away from the movie. ENJOY.
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