Rating: 
Summary: One of the greatest movies I've seen this year!
Review: I am 15 and I went and saw this on my birthday. Have already read the books 20 times, I was naturally looking forward to seeing this movie. The movie had some very dark and creepy sections, but I liked it very much. I have a few complaints to remark about:1. Saruman's tower, Orthanc, was supposed to be white.
2. I didn't think Lothlorien was so dark a place, the books describe it as being light.
3. The extention of the battle with the cave troll, which I thought was unneeded. However, I had no problems with the extention of Arwen's part or the exclusion of Tom Bombadil. I was thoroughly impressed with Rivendell, Isengard (especially with all the zoom-ins through the forges and canyons), the Shire, Moria, and the short scenes in Mordor. The sepcial effects were magnificent (such as the spectacular fireworks at the beginning) and at some times terrifying (the hideous Balrog, the shrieking Orcs, and he ominous Black Riders). The violence, while being there, was done tastefully and even rhe beheading of the orc was quick. My favorite actor was Wood as Frodo and McKellen did a good job as Gandalf as well. Sean Bean made an excellent Boromir, and Christopher Lee looked just as I imagined Saruman. I give the movie 5 stars and if you enjoy fantasy, go see this, but leave your younger kids at home. I intend to buy the video when it comes out and to see the next two. Way to go, Jackson!
Rating:
Summary: Thank you Peter Jackson
Review: I am 54 years old and have been a Tolkien fan for 38 years, waiting for a movie version of The Lord of the Rings for almost as long. A Tolkien purist would be disappointed with certain omissions/changes, but Peter Jackson has done such a remarkable job of remaining true to the story and presenting an action-packed representation of it that one must forgive those omissions/changes. This is a remarkable movie that keeps the viewer constantly involved. The characters are well-portrayed, particularly Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Gandalf (Ian McKlellan). I will buy the DVD immediately upon its release, can hardly wait until December of this year, and feel that December of 2003 is an eternity away.
Rating:
Summary: Better than the best!
Review: I am a big fan of Harry Potter and looked forward to it for a whole year. When I saw it, I was quite disappointed. The characters didn't seem "there". They didn't seem to have any emotion. I have never read Lord of the Rings, but when I saw the movie, I couldn't get enough of it! The characters seemed so real and full of emotion. Even if it was three hours long, it was fantastic!
Since I saw the movie, twice, I have started to read the book. It seems very true to the book and full of J.R.R. Tolkien's charm. I highly suggest seeing this movie, as you won't regret it!
Rating:
Summary: The Lord of the Rings Rocks!
Review: I am a big fan of Lord of the Rings. This movie is absolutely and without a question going to rock. I can hardly wait. Thank you for your time.
Rating:
Summary: Things DIE HARD Tolkien fans have to realize.
Review: I am a big Tolkien fan, and I consider myself to know a lot about the books. I have listed here several aspects of the movie that the true and DIE HARD Tolien fans need to realize before jumping to conclusions... 1)Tom Bombadil and Farmer Maggot were great but unless you read the book you would have no idea what the significance of these characters are. The telling of these side-stories would have taken another hour or so 2)Glorfindel wasn't THAT important, but ultiamtely Arwen was. She was the internal conflict that was going on within Aragorn, and deserved the right as Elrond's daughter to have a larger role. 3)The lines of Legolas in the book were merely limited to the history of the elves, and non-tolkien fans seeing this epic for the first time, wouldn't understand them without another long drawn out part about them. 4)A movie has to do exactly what it is called, it was to move. People that have read the books and understand the story wouldn't be bored by the long drawn out scenes of the Fellowship admiring the countryside, and walking along the mountains. The wolf scene in the book posed nothing more than a simple encounter, and wouldn't have made sense because people (non-Tolkien knowing) don't understand the way Tolkien portrayed animals as having there own minds and societys. 5)I thought the Moria scene was great and just as long as it needed to be, the Balrog was just as I pictured it in my mind, and Gimli discovering the tomb and his reaction was much more suitable for people that don't understand. 6 and last) Bottom-line, this movie wasn't made to please the Die-Hard Tolkien fan, and thats not a flaw at all. Peter Jackson did an excellent job translating this book into a modern format that people that in live in a society where "Dude Where's My Car" and "Not Another Teen Movie(good god)" (THESE MOVIES *** BAD, WHY DID THEY EVEN COME OUT) are 'good movies.' If you look passed its mishaps and look at the part of the story that was discovered, I think you can see what I mean. Oh and another thing, the person that said Gollum wasn't in the movie enough is stupid, hes actually in the book one time, and in the movie 3 times. I understood his position in the books better after I saw the movie. EP
Rating:
Summary: A Phenomenal DVD Production
Review: I am a devoted fan of the books ever since I was a kid. And I have one thing to say - spot on! The movie's wonderful, and the extended DVD production is probably the only thing that topped it. The adaptation of the book to the movie was superbly done. You can see that the crew and cast took every aspect of this wonderful novel into the greatest of consideration, and really served us, the fans and viewers, as best they could, which was beyond my greatest expectations. The Fellowship of the Ring was very loyal to the book, while still serving as an admirable film on its own. Two thumbs up. I've never seen any DVD special edition production done before. The amount of dedication and devotion that Peter Jackson's crew put into it is mind blowing. People who love the books and/or love film in general would have a true feast in all of the extra material provided. First of, the film was extended, allowing people to get a deeper view on the story and the characters. I personally think that every added scene was an improvement, and helps us better understand and get into the world and people in it. With this version, you get about 6 hours in additional material: a short documentary on Tolkien and the books, translating the book into script, visualizing the story, actually taking you step by step from designing the vast world which is Middle Earth and showing how the designs later turned into actual set pieces, prosthetics, makeup, wardrobe, miniatures, armor, weapons etc. You could sit for hours and watch it over and over again, while still discovering something new every time. Great attention was given to the documentary of the actual production and shooting - how things went-on on the set. The cast and crew emanate such a feeling of devotion on one hand, and on the other hand you see how great an experience it was for them, even though many of them had to go through a rough time throughout (you'll see the number of hours the four hobbits had to spend in makeup, and you'll know what I mean). Finally, you get an extensive coverage on the post production phase - special effects, music, sound effects, editing etc. In addition to all that, the DVDs include 4 different commentaries, featuring the writers, production team, design team and cast. I loved listening to them all, but most especially to the cast; apart from being enthusiastic - they are all so funny. It's just hours of sitting down, listening to anecdotes and antics pulled on the set. I like just putting it on and laughing with the guys. Wonderful. So if you are both a film buff and like the movie itself, you are guaranteed hours of sheer pleasure. This particular DVD set is the most worn out in my collection.
Rating:
Summary: More than an Epic, it was a Masterpiece
Review: I am a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien's works, and I have been for a while now. It was when I heard the first breath of a movie about this magnificent piece of literature that I read the books. Then re-read them. Then found more about them and read that too. Now, having seen the movie somewhere around 15 times, theatre and DVD, I can tell you with confidence it is one of the greatest movies ever made. It's every second of visual stimulation fills the viewer with majestic awe. It is brilliantly crafted by the talented Peter Jackson into everything I imagined it would be. Very few movies can rival this magical piece of film history, even the classics. It's DVD is even better, with loads of features and things to play with that make the whole experience that much more enjoyable. It is impossible not to respect the whole movie: cast, crew, and everything they endured to make this film, and those that will follow with even more grandeur. The only suitible piece of advice regarding this movie: buy it. Watch it. Study it even. You'll learn to respect all that goes into a movie of this magnitude. And any that say different don't deserve this brilliant hallmark of movie history.
Rating:
Summary: The Bar has Risen
Review: I am a fantasy fan, enjoying such movies like "Star Wars" and "Willow". So obviously I was at FOTR opening day with my advance tickets, having read this wonderful book the previous year. I'm afraid that now I won't be able to enjoy "Star Wars" or "Willow" quite the same way, simply because "Lord of the Rings" has blown them out of the water, and they seem quite dull to me now. There is simply so much to look at, you'd wish you had a camera or could play the movie in slow motion! George Lucas, no doubt, is shaking in his boots now, who no longer takes precedence on epic films. FOTR is the beginning of the greatest fantasy epic I've ever seen, or probably will see. I rejoice as I see the bar has risen severly in Hollywood, and no longer shall we put up with "Battlefield Earth", "The Phantom Menace", or "Dungeons and Dragons". Peter Jackson knows what good filmmaking is about, and filmmakers around the world must rise to occasion to meet the new standard for epic motion pictures.
Rating: 
Summary: The Lord of the Rings DVD: Part 1
Review: I am a huge fan of the Lord of the Rings and this DVD is definitely a great one. The DVD transfer is just beautiful, and looks exactly like Middle Earth should. The 5.1 surround sounds great espicially with a woofer.
Moving on to the extras they are average, good, but really nothing in comparison to the Extended Edition coming out in November. There are 3 in depth making of documetaries, which are really good except that some of the imformation keeps on getting repeated over and over again. There are thirteen (very short) featurettes definitely not as long as the featurettes on the Star Wars: Episode 1 DVD, but it gives quite a bit of imformation that wasn't in the documentaries, including information of the Wetheartop filming, and interviews with several of the actors.
However some of the best features are the previews of what's coming. There's a preiview of the EA Two Towers game coming in the fall. There is a ten minute preview of The Two Towers, I'm telling you that movie is going to be great. And then there is a preview for the Special Extended DVD coming in November. It's going to be a four disc DVD set, with the first two discs holding the Extended Ediion of the movie making it three hours and a half instead of just 3 hours, and two whole discs of amazing supplimental matireal and it looks like it will be much more in depth then what's on disc two of this DVD. So here's my advice- get both. This regular DVD is the only way of getting the theatrical version of the movie and these extras on disc 2. But when the commercials say that this is the one DVD to rule them all- don't beleive them.
Rating: 
Summary: Not perfect, but still good
Review: I am a HUGE fan of Tolkien's books, and not a big movie fan, so I was pretty dubious when I heard about this project. However, once I actually got around to watching the film (when it came out on VHS) I was pleased, though not ecstatic. The main problem with the movie is that too much time and emphasis was spent on the action, and not enough on the subtler aspects of the story--characterization, the vast historical/mythological background, etc. The most glaring example is the Lothlorien episode. Galadriel is terribly underdeveloped as a character, and unless my memory fails me no mention is made of the Ring of Power that she bears. Thus when her far-too-flashy temptation arrives we don't understand her thought processes or the significance of her choice. Nor should she be so shaken up at the end. The actress (Cate Blanchett) could have played the part well if they'd let her. Taking a chunk of time out of the overextended and not-so-believable battle with the Moria-orcs and using it to develop Galadriel would have helped. Gandalf's encounter with Saruman was far too flashy--and his leap from the top of Orthanc was too Luke-Skywalker-ish. This sort of thing makes the tirades of some Tolkien lovers understandable.
I liked many aspects of the movie, however. The moral quality of the original was strongly adhered to--and by moral I don't mean the absence of sexual references and licentious characters, but the choices the characters must make when faced with the One Ring. This aspect of the story could be summed up in Jesus' words, "What shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" The movie adheres faithfully to Tolkien's sense of right and wrong. Also they did a good job of creating lines that sum up ideas brought out more gradually in the book. Gandalf's line, "There is only one Lord of the Rings, and he makes no allies", was right on target.
About the actors. Ian McKellan was phenomenal as Gandalf, and Elijah Wood was perfect for Frodo. Cate Blanchett could have been good as Galadriel if they'd let her, though Liv Tyler was pretty boring as an unneccessarily prominent Arwen. The hobbits were all pretty decent. The real blot was the portrayal of Elrond (by an actor much too ugly for an elf--and a descendant of Luthien at that!!!). Elrond should be austere, but also sad, patient, and full of quiet wisdom. This dude is just crabby.
The special effects were stunning in many cases, Isengard being very notable--also the Balrog, suitably overwhelming, and in great contrast to the hopelessly brave little wizard who faces him. But the thing that made the greatest impression on me was the music. The music, the music, the MUSIC!!! It was tremendous, powerful, moving, seemed to have been composed for the book. For me it almost redeems any departures from the spirit of Tolkien. The Fellowship theme would have done credit to Wagner or Mahler, and the opening theme is just heartbreakingly beautiful.
Oh, and the scene of Boromir's death was very, very moving (partly because of that music!). All in all, a fairly satisfying and very impressive experience. As a friend and fellow Tolkien-freak told me, "Not perfect--but still good!"
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