Rating: 
Summary: Skillfully made and well-performed
Review: This first installment of Peter Jackson's adaptation of the Lord of the Rings trilogy is visually impressive, well-acted, and technically accurate. I cannot agree with those who insist the film is truly in the "spirit" that Tolkien intended. More on that in a moment. In terms of the story, the basic thread follows closely to Tolkien - the One Ring has been discovered (in the prequel book "the Hobbit," filmed as an extended flashback), which the bad guys need to rule the world. That it was found by a Hobbit is fortunate, as they are too pure of heart to be immediately subsumed by the power of the Ring. To bring peace and order back to the world, a group of adventurers (the titular Fellowship) sets out to take the ring to the one place it can be destroyed, deep in the heart of the evil one's kingdom.The members of the fellowship are well-acted, especially by some of my old favourites like Ian McKellen (Gandalf), Sean Bean (Boromir), and John Rhys Davies (Gimli). In fact, the entire cast performs their characters as you picture them from reading the book (except Blanchett's Galadrial - see below). The sets and locales are very reminiscent of those described in the book (Rivendell seems a little crowded, but never mind). The climax of Book 1 - Aragorn and the Hobbits battling the Ringwraiths on Weathertop - is the highlight of the film, in its pacing, action, and sheer eariness. Naturally, when adapting a 500 page book, much is lost. Jackson makes the right choices for the most part - Tom Bombadil is gone, as are the Hobbits' journey with the Wood Elves, Frodo's Birthday party, etc. In fact, it's detrimental to the film that Jackson did not cut out more - for example, there was no reason to show the failed crossing/snowstorm on Mt. Caradhras. Further, the movie invests too much time introducing Bilbo and setting up his relationship with Gandalf, at the expense of developing the relationship between Frodo, Merry, and Pippen (the Frodo/Sam relationship is fine). Likewise, the important "interracial" Gimli/Legolas relationship never develops. In my opinion, Jackson makes two more significant errors in terms of the feel/spirit of Tolkien. First is the unfortunate portrayal of Galadriel: the entire Fellowship (even Gimli!) is supposedly taken with her charm, patience, and wisdom. As portrayed in the film, she is aloof and intimidating, certainly not Tolkien's intention. Secondly, Frodo's decision at the end of the film is made with the consent, even encouragement, of Aragorn. This implicitly undermines the courage and independence of Frodo as Tolkien meant it to be - in the book, Aragorn does not know of Frodo's decision, nor even Frodo's fate, which colours much of the action in Book 3 (the first part of "The Two Towers"). This 4-DVD set is truly impressive. I have not listened to all 4 (!) commentaries yet, nor have I managed to wade through all of the 6+ hours of documentary material, covering all aspects of the making of the film. The parts I've seen/heard, however, are very interesting and informative, if occasionally repetative. It is obvious that a great deal of effort has been put into making these films look like Middle Earth, for which I applaud the filmakers. A little more effort in the interrelationships between the characters would have made this film better, but you can't have it all, I guess!
Rating:
Summary: Good but not great.....
Review: This first installment of the ring trilogy will leave you wanting because it's not complete and that's the idea. It's just part one of 3. The basic story taken from the book emcompasses many aspects of the human experience. Greed, temptation, love, loyalty and good versus evil. All the ingrediants for an epic adventure. The action is fast paced as the forces of evil try to ursurp the power of the ring which is entrusted to the modest hobbitt frodo very well played by elijah wood. Most of the movie involves wood and his compatriots running from and fighting evil orcs and the forces of evil. The screenplay is solid and some of the cinematography absolutely breath taking. My reason for not giving a 5 star rating is primarily the acting. While woods and mcclaellan give exellent performances and liv tyler was solid some of the others were poor. The largely american cast seem to not know whether to use an english like accent or their own voice. Some of the computer devised effects are very mediocre reminisent of the mummy returns. Then there is the sound effects where horses make electronically enhanced squealing pig sounds. Still overall this is a fine film that is suitable for most of the family. No foul language, nudity or sexual content and it is a story that teaches friendship and loyalty. The replay value is high which makes fellowship of the rings a movie that can be enjoyed many times over. ...............socks
Rating: 
Summary: The Fellowship of the Ring: Extended Edition
Review: This first, wonderfully executed installment of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy was superb alone by itself. Now, the special edition is what I consider purely excellent, and is almost perfect in every way. This movie is a must have for any Tolkein fan, and will fill you in on the details that were cut out of the theatrical version of this film, not to mention the approx. 8 hours of extras on how the timeless classic was brought to life on film.
Rating:
Summary: A must-have for any LotR fan!
Review: This has got to be one of the best DVD sets there are. To begin, the movie is just amazing. It follows very true to the book and the actors are all superb. I won't go into details about the movie because if you're wanting to buy this DVD set you've probably already seen the movie. This version includes the deleted scenes in the movie, making an even better story than what you saw in the theaters. But the best reason to buy this DVD set is because of the wonderful behind the scenes, extra 2 DVDs worth of commentary. This brings to life the making of the movie, which in itself is truly fascinating. You can see all the time and effort and creativity that went into creating the beautiful epic they've given all of us. It's definitely a labor of love.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best movies I've ever seen
Review: This has got to be one of the best, if not the best movie I've ever. I just recently finished reading the 1st book ok the LOTR trilogy and I couldn't wait to see the movie. Of course they cut a few scenes out and changed stuff a little, but overall they kept very well to the storyline and the CG effects were incredible. I'm definitely going to see it again and reccomend it to everyone.
Rating: 
Summary: Excruciatingly boring!
Review: This has got to be one of the worst movies ever made. I mean, is there even a real story? Even Shrek was better than this, and Shrek was shorter and cuter! This story is heavy and pretentious, and the acting in the movie is simply laughable. It's sad that nowadays most people buy into Hollywood's superficial entertainment that emphasizes special effects over human experience. Just sad.
Rating:
Summary: One word to describe them all - WOW
Review: This has got to be the best movie on earth! The actors, who I'm referring to in the title, are amazing! They play out their parts perfectly. The settings ARE Middle Earth, the special effects blow me away... what I'm trying to say is, if you've been crazy enough to ignore this film, you've made a big mistake!
This is a must see movie!
Rating:
Summary: eljah at his best
Review: this has to be one of elijahs best films ever! he is perfect for the part. the film is the best of the year, if not century!
it really does bring the book to life. and its great, just great!!! and i think elijah wood is the sexiest man in the world!
Rating:
Summary: I don't know yet but it'll be good
Review: This has to be one of the best stories ever told. I was surprised when I heard it was over three and a half hours long but every bit of it was great I reccomend that you preorder it now!
Rating:
Summary: The BEST DVD EVER!!
Review: This has to be the best DVD ever released! Not only is the extended version of the film far superior to the original theatrical release, but the 2 behind the scenes DVD's are outstanding! I am a huge fan of "making of" documentaries and the HOURS and HOURS of background footage are unbelievable. Peter Jackson takes you through every step of the process from beginning to end. Everything from the screenwriting adaptation to the storyboards to computer animation, location shoots and post production. There is so much information that you can't really see it all in just one sitting. And by the end, you really wish that you had been there yourself, but in a way you were there. Kudos to Peter and I can't wait for The Two Towers!
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