The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring (Full Screen Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: I first read the Ring triology over 30 years ago and have revisited it many times since. I was almost reluctant to see this film because of all the hype - I was afraid it would mar the mental images and visualizations of Tolkein's word I've cherished all this time. It was, therefore, truly amazing and delightful to me to see how beautifully and faithly made this movie is. It's as if Peter Jackson read my mind (and the minds of everyone else I know who has both read the books and seen the film). Everything is exactly as I'd pictured it. Not only that, but my husband (who has never read any Tolkein) became equally entranced by the movie and looks forward to the releaese of "The Two Towers" almost as eagerly as I do! Excellent, excellent movie.

Rating:
Summary: I want to see it again
Review: I first read the trilogy when I was 11 years old and again at about 15. Now I am 18 and am re-reading them. I love these books and wanted the movie to impress me. I was not disappointed. I saw it 2 days after it came out and immediately wanted to see it again, the next day I went, and wanted to see it again. Last night, I was satisfied once more, but still want to see it again. Maybe this sounds fanatical, but I know that I am not alone. I went with some friends that saw it for the first time last night and the first thing that they said was, "it was amazing, lets go again!" I, like everyone else am anxious for the next one to be released, I wish I did not have to wait a year. I think that they did justice to the characters such as the hobbits and the elves, they were as described in the book. All in all, the best movie I have seen in a long time.

Rating:
Summary: A massacre of a classic!!
Review: I first viewed this movie excited to see Tolkien's timeless classic put into live action on screen. Not only were the characters completely off, they removed all the poems and songs that were intrinsic to the nature of the fable. Special effects are very entertaining, but you must realize that nothing quite compares to midget like people singing and dancing gayily to memorized poetry. A shame that this movie was ruined by the short sightedness of the director. And what about Tom Bombadil? Might as well rename this This Lord Really Stinks! THumbs way down to a movie that could have quite possibly become a modern masterpiece. FOR SHAME!!!

Rating:
Summary: An astonishing masterpiece
Review: I first went to see this movie a few days after its release. From the moment I entered the cinema to the moment I left I was entranced by the magic this film created. As I am sure many would agree with me the special effects were superb and the whole film in my opinion did the book justice. Peter Jackson should be proud of this masterpiece and of the cast who portrayed their characters very well. Filled with Hobbits, Orcs, elves and wizards this film has alot to offer people of all ages although younger ones maby should watch it with an adult.There was suspence throughout the whole film, and it left me wanting more so I personally can't wait until the next visit to middle earth.

Rating:
Summary: Long Awaited Release
Review: I for one have been waiting 10 years for this movie, ever since Ifirst read the book. I have also been weary of an unjust productionof this magnificent story. For years I had wished that George Lucasmight take on the task, but after seeing the previews I can honestlysay that it looks extremely promising. The images I have seen greatlyresemble the visions I had created while reading the novel(especiallythe characters of Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Gandalf). I saw thespecial on Fox, and it dissolved any of my doubts-seeing the passionin showing the story, not selling the movie. The scenery andcinematography looks absolutely incredible... --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title

Rating:
Summary: Even better than theater release--Extended best choice!
Review: I forgave much of the necessary artiistic licence of the director because P.Jackson delivered magnificently in the major scenes and cleverly combined original elements that though "invented" maintained many essentials of the original narrative.
The extended DVD(though still not a literal translation of the book) contains many of the moments and subtleties that I so wanted to see in the theater. Though still a compromise relative to the book the additional detail of the extended version adds much more to the story than the extra 20 minutes of footage implies (some additions in places amount to 1/2 to 15 seconds of footage within a scene, yet they contribute much greater depth to the story).
The commentaries provided are fun, fascinating and quite welcome to the acting/filmaking enthusiast. The production-side documentaries and reports are a huge treat--sets, props, costumes, makeup and the insight into everyones dedication show clearly the huge commitment made by the crew and their concern in staying true to the source material as much as possible whilst also translating practically the tale from written word to film faithfully.
There's nothing really wrong with the theater release, but for home viewing even on a small screen the extended version is simply better and more engaging.
I couldn't help but buy the standard version of The Two Towers--tired of waiting--but I have just ordered the extended version of it as based on my experience with FOTR Extd. I know TTT Extended will also be superior to the theater release (and with TTT it ought to be--the editing was a bit choppy).
The extended version is a great value if you want all the extras it provides, and even if you don't, the additional footage is an improvement on the original release and thus worth it.

Rating:
Summary: GENIUS!
Review: I FOUND "THE LORD OF THE RINGS" THE BEST MOVIE I HAD SEEN IN YEARS! MY FRIEND AND I WENT TO SEE "HARRY POTTER" ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE I SAW THE LORD OF THE RINGS AND I SAID THIS MOVIE(HARRY POTTER) WILL MAKE MOVIE OF THE YEAR, BUT I WAS CLEARLY MISTAKEN BECAUSE WHEN I SAW LORD OF THE RINGS I WAS BLOWN AWAY! IM NOT SAYING THAT "HARRY POTTER" ISNT GOOD, ITS BRILLIANT, ITS MORE OF A KIDS MOVIE THAN AN ADULT MOVIE. I THOUGHT THE AMOUNT OF HARD WORK PUT INTO THE LORD OF THE RINGS PAID OFF. THE ACTORS PUT ALOT OF WORK INTO PLAYING THE PART OF THERE CHARACTER'S ALSO. THE SPEICIAL EFFECTS WERE SENSATIONAL. THE MOVIE IS JUST BEYOND WORDS. I'LL END THIS REVIEW BY SAYING CONGADULATIONS TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WERE INVOLED IN THE MAKING OF THIS MOVIE.

Rating:
Summary: All hail Peter Jackson
Review: I found myself going to see it the first day, drawn almost against my will - I intended to wait until later. Overall, it was a fantastic and very scary experience, with explosive special effects and fine acting to boot. My favorites include Virgo Mortensen, practically an embodiment of true nobility as Aragorn, and Sean Bean as Boromir - exactly as headstrong and temptation-wracked as I imagined him. McKellen is a perfect Gandalf, powerful and mysterious at once, yet also with a distinct sense of humor ("a wizard is never late, he always arrives when he means to"). Elijah Wood as Frodo is sensitive and expressive with those now-famous eyes, but doesn't get to do much; then again, Frodo's personal epic really begins with "Two Towers". Gimli (the unrecognizable John Rhys-Davies) is mostly comic relief, as are Pippin and Merry (Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan), with some exceptions closer to the end.

Since I couldn't care less about Bombadil and was relieved to see Arwen as a strong female character (so what she wasn't like that in the book, this is better - you can actually see Middle-Earth with your own eyes), I didn't have problems with Jackson's necessary editing of the source material. Besides, with the exception of the prologue, which, by the way, is spectacular, Arwen is the movie's first elf. Seeing her in a white halo, coming to Frodo's rescue, was a revelation for me.

Legolas (Orlando Bloom) is amazing in combat, e.g. impaling an uruk-hai with a thrust of an arrow, then immediately firing it from his bow, and really puts the panache back into being an elf, which is very welcome after the long reign of miserable [attempts] such as AD&D. Jackson made sure he has every bit of elven grace and balance, as well. For example, just as in the book, Legolas treads easily over Caradhras snowdrifts without sinking. Generally, the fight scenes are well-done, my favorite being the skirmish with the cave troll in the depths of Moria, although close-ups are a little abused, so that sometimes it's hard to make out what is what. There aren't any episodes of fine fencing, but a lot of very realistic and inspiring, no-nonsense slashing, albeit almost entirely bloodless. Still, battles are abundant (sometimes even too much so, in my opinion) and impressive. To me, the most memorable moment came when whole broods of orcs began streaming down Moria's walls and pillars, chasing after the Fellowship like a stream of filthy grey roaches. Camera work is unobtrusive, but sure, throughout, and digitally enhanced.

I only have two significant problems with the movie, and the second one is not Jackson's fault. The flaw I do blame him for is the Lorien episode: quite so-so, practically bare of any sense of atmosphere beyond the opening sequence when a glimse of the city is given, as though thrown in to fill in the gaps. Worse, I found Jackson's represenation of Galadriel lacking. She appears cloaked in light, which is repetitive, since Arewen has benefitted from the same effect, and she is never quite coherent, the idea being, apparently, a woman of mystery. Fine by me, but she intones a few too many riddles to be met with anything but annoyance. I imagined her majestic, not addled. The Mirror part had been completely ruined: too fast, leaving out important visions - in certain cases, to avoid revealing too much about the sequels, in others, for reasons unknown: where is Minas Tirith, opposed by Minas Morgul? Would it be so hard to give us a glimpse? Also, by this point we've been introduced to so many special effects that the vision of Galadriel as Dark Queen which follows fails to summon up any thrills.

Which is the general complaint: the movie is rather hard to take. Even knowing the source material, I recommend you leaf through "The Fellowship" before seeing it. While never obscure, the film does refer to places which are not, or barely, shown. Gondor, for instance: at most a second of it is given, but the place is mentioned once in a while, likely to non-fans' confusion. The same goes for Elvish: subtitles are given in all the important cases, which incidentally serves to "authenticate" them, but little tidbits here and there escape understanding, leaving one with a "Damn I should have learned Quenya" feeling.

By the same token, and it's generally a good thing, the picture is crammed with events. There is hardly any breathing space between cliffhangers, all of which are so brilliant and sparkle with special effects as to leave you stupefied and bedazzled by the end of the second hour. By the time Saruman's uruk-hai attack, you've seen the balrog, the Caradhras blizzard and the battle on Weathertop, and it's hard to bring yourself to care. There's just too much of excitement and information to absorb in one sitting. Jackson cannot be blamed for this, though: intensity is a consequence of LOTR's length, and he has translated it from one medium to another better than anyone could hope. The movie is sizzling with beauty and power, hence the difficulty: it's almost too blinding in its brilliance.

Now shoo! Go see it.

Rating:
Summary: Greatest moive ever!
Review: I found the movie quiet enjoyable. The cast did a great job playing Gandalf and Frodo, I was really impressed. If you have already seen the movie then you would definitely enjoy all the extra scenes, I know I did!

Rating:
Summary: The Quintessential Movie Experience
Review: I found this to be the quintessential movie experience for me. That is to say, it satisfies criteria I expect from an 'ultimate movie going experience'.

It abounds in love and/or hope -- the love of companions who have suffered and survived common hardships, comaraderie and brotherhood, love for one's people and home, and especially, eternal love of a man and a woman for each other. All this without gratuitous sex.

It is an epic saga, a grand tale, rather than a merely personal piece of fiction. However, the personal point of view is well maintained throughout so that you care about the main characters very much even tho they are flawed (and therefore believable).

The plot is fanciful, yet it is the timlessness of the whimsy that the universal nature of this story unfolds. With all its fantasy and magick it is the humble, every day kind of guy who must save us all -- a very poignant and timely concept.

While it has powerfully graphic imagery of evil, including violence, it makes for stimulating and fun discussions with older kids. My family loved it and we are all still talking about it days later.

Finally, The Fellowship of the Ring is a truly beautiful movie. I just plain like to look at it and listen to it. We saw it twice and didn't notice the length.

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