Rating: 
Summary: Expired date on free movie ticket
Review: I just received my LOTR DVD gift set, and it is just wonderful! I love the added 30 minutes-- it really fleshes out the story, filling in details that were missed in the original theatrical release. The bookends are weighty and I can't wait to watch the National Geographic DVD included with it! My only slight concern is that the box label states there's a free ticket to see "The Two Towers", but the ticket coupon expired at the end of 2002. Don't let this keep you from getting the set, but if you were looking forward to a free screening of "Two Towers", that time has passed.
Rating:
Summary: A non-reader's point of view
Review: I just saw the movie last night(December 28)and I think that in order to be perfectly fair I would have to say that the movie was AMAZING! Anything short of that word would be a falicy. I have never read the books myself, always meaning to but never having the motivation to buy them. I know I could just go to a library but you just can't reason with me. So last night when I walked into the theatre I was expecting to be dazzled. You know, to have surface feelings of how neat it was and how great the characters were portrayed and so on. I never expected to be pulled into the story line the way I was and find myself moving with the characters and relating to them.
There was never a chance to catch a breath either. It kept moving from one wonderful adventure to the next, all the time leaving your mind racing as they tend to do when you know more then the characters inside the movie and you are wondering what will happen.
The characters were spectacular. Each person filled their role so well that to say I didn't enjoy any of them, even the obvious "bad guys" would be unfair. I cried at least three times that I recall throughout that movie because you become so attached to the people on the screen you can't help but be moved when something bad strikes.
For anyone who likes action, this is definitely your movie because the action never stops. For anyone who likes adventure, once again this is the movie that will leave you speechless. For anyone who likes fantasy, mystery or for anyone who just likes movies...go see this one in theatre while you still have the chance. You won't regret it. And if it happens that you never get the chance to see it on the big screen, then take a chance, and buy the dvd. It is WELL worth the money.
Rating:
Summary: A Classic
Review: I just saw this film for the third time (in the theatre). The first time, I thought it was good. The second time, I thought it was absolutely brilliant. The third time, that was reinforced. The only bad thing I can say is that it is only one third of a movie. At the end, I was ready to see the next 6 hours (*The Two Towers* and *Return of the King*).Ultimately, the thing that makes this movie outstanding is not the scenery, the acting, or the special effects, but its humanity. Don't get me wrong. The scenery was breathtaking, particularly the Shire. The acting was impressive, particularly Wood's Frodo and McKellen's Gandalf. The special effects were special, particularly the small height of hobbits. All of these things are ingredients to make a great movie, but a truelly outstanding movie needs more. It needs heart. The Fellowship of the Ring has that. It is an *epic* tale of good and evil, where even the smallest person can make a difference. Of course we know that good will win out in the end, so it could be dismissed as being predictable. That isn't the point. The true power of an epic tale lies not in the result but in the characters that make the journey. My favorite line from the movie is an often overlooked one from Sam: "If I take one more step, it'll be the farthest away from home I've ever been." That line captures Sam perfectly. He is not keen on adventure, but he will do it for Frodo. Similarly, Frodo makes the decision that he will take the Ring, though he does not know the way. Sam and Frodo will not be highly rewarded for their bravery when this journey comes to a close, but they undertake it anyway. These are epic heroes. Other highlights of humanity are Gandalf and Bilbo puffing pipe weed in the Shire, Frodo's face after leaving Moria, and Merry and Pippin's sacrifice that allows Frodo to escape the orcs. It's brilliant how a tale of such humanity actually doesn't contain many humans (not that Aragon or Boromir aren't important and worthy companions). These hobbits, elves, and dwarves are much more alive (and human) than most of what you will see in your average Hollywood blockbuster. It was a real travesty that *A Beautiful Mind* walked away with Best Picture. Though it was more or less a true story, it failed to be as real as *Fellowship of the Ring*'s fantasy.
Rating:
Summary: Far better than I expected
Review: I just saw this movie in the theater and was happily surprised at how good it was. Considering how many ways a live action version of this story could go wrong, director Peter Jackson and his cast do an excellent job. It covers the first book of the trilogy quite well and the visuals/special effects are often stunning. Even at three hours, there are plenty of details and subplots that fall by the wayside (Cate Blanchett has very little to do and Tom Bombadil is missing in action). All in all the film is beautiful to watch and you get a very good idea of the main thrust of the Tolkien novel. I especially enjoyed Sir Ian McKellan as Gandalf and Elijah Wood as Frodo. They do a great job in a very tricky roles, and they add an emotional core to this film that is missing in far too many fantasy films. For once Hollywood did not screw it up.
Rating:
Summary: Lord Of The Movies
Review: I just wanted to start out saying I am getting the theatrical version 'cause I don't really like changed or added scenes in movies. I prefer the theatrical version for myself. And I also reserved it at Suncoast so I'm getting it next Tuesday. And BTW, the first version is the only one which has the ten minute preview of 'The Two Towers' (which I'm really excited to see). If you want the new platinum edition version, go ahead, buy it. I don't care. But I'm still getting the theatrical version.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely The Best!
Review: I just watched the DVD today after buying it and I must say it is like watching a new Lord of the Rings all over again. With the new scenes streams in with the movie it flowed so well and was just as enjoyable as when I saw it in theaters. This DVD is packed with a bunch of commentaries and interviews and behind the scenes and the making of stuff I don't know when I'll finish it! I absolutely recommend it for the price, (Money), and you get a free movie ticket to see the new Lord of the Rings coming out on December the 18th!
Rating: 
Summary: Audio Problems?
Review: I just watched this DVD for the first time and I don't know if it's my DVD player or what, but I noticed that several times during the film I experienced distinct distortion in the audio specifically resulting in a warped like sound that also fluctuated in volume. Considering that the movie is about 3 hours long and I remember approximately 3 or 4 times this happened, it didn't completely ruin the experience, but it did diminish it. I experienced no video problems to correspond so I know the disc is not physically damaged. It is either the way the sound was compressed and recorded or the way my DVD player reads it. I believe it to be the former. I enjoyed the movie better watching it at home instead of the theater mainly because of the comfort factor of watching a long movie. What prevents this film from receiving a higher rating is the lack of a good flow and a definite sense that the movie is too long. Even in the comfort of my own home, about 2/3 the way through the film I was checking the clock and waiting for the movie to be over. The dialogue is excessive and there is too much down time between key plot scenes. I can only imagine what the collectors edition will be like with 35 more minutes added. Since it is impossible in a 3 hour movie to be true to the book, the movie should have tried to be more faithful to the spirit of the book. I don't think that scenes had to be cut entirely, just shortened. I do look forward to the next film. There is no doubt that The Fellowship of the Ring sets the stage for the next two installments which are hopefully more engaging than the first.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Compatible With Windows XP
Review: I know I may be in the minority but I watch DVD's on my computer.
And I was highly disappointed when I discovered that this will not work on Windows XP even though the specs for this product say
that it should. I have done some research and have found out that I am not the only person with this problem. I know the movie is fantastic but I can not recommend this for XP users.
Rating:
Summary: WHAT A FILM.! Great entertainment and very engrossing!!!
Review: I know I wrote about this before, but I have to again with the release of this special edition of it. I don't know what to say except to paraphrase my review's headlinge. This is a great film, there has not been a fantasy film in history as grand and ambitious as this one, and so brilliantly executed. I only read the book The Lord Of The Rings once so far but I may do it again someday. Yes, there are things missing from the novel. That doesn't matter here though. The film manages to retain the grand epic spirit of Tolkien's work and conveys it greatly to the viewer. Thanks to beautiful photography and top knotch special effects that are among the best ever seen in film, if not THE absolute best ever on film, New Zealand is literally and beautifully transformed into Middle Earth, and every inhabitant of it is convincingly presented by an excellent cast of actors and actresses. And what a bunch we have. Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monagahn and Billy Boyd play Frodo, Samwise Gamgee, Merrry and Pippin, four Hobbitts with a love for life thrust into an amazing and perilous adventure. Aiding them with power and wisdom are Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn/Strider) and Gandalf (Sir Ian McKellan) both excellent in their roles. Bringing a feminine and regal touch are Liv Tyler (Surprisingly good as Arwen) and Cate Blanchett (an absolutely regal and elegant Galadriel) On the other side we have the incomparable Christopher Lee (Saruman The White) as the perfectly dignified, powerful and utterly ruthless personification of evil. These and the other actors and actresses make you feel as though you are not just watching a film but watching part of the history of an ancient world. The RingWraiths are utterly chilling in particular. THe adventure and action, when it is present, is intense and thrilling to watch. The emotion is genuine and heart-tugging throghout the film. The world of Middle Earth on film here is breathtaking, aided n tugging at the heart strings by an EXCELLENT musical score by Howard Shore. He has rightfully earned a place beside John Williams, James Horner and Jerry Goldsmith as one of the best movie composers of our time. The use of choirs in the score is utterly POWERFUL whether they do an ominous chilling chant or a heartbreaking lamentation. The score moves effortlessly from intimate and happy to adventurous and heroic to heartbreakingly sad and beautiful and back again. All in all I feel quite sure that this film and the entire trilogy based on The Lord Of The Rings, will do and HAS done for fantasy films what the Star Wars movies have done for science fiction and adventure movies. Like the book that it is based on, this film and this trilogy of films is and will be an instant classic. The extra footage in this new extended special DVD edition gives more background and character development, adding things back in that were cut out of the original film release and making scenes that were already great even better than they were before. If you get a chance to see this, go ahead and pick it up and take the wonderful trip back to Middle Earth. You may wish that you never had to leave. If The Two Towers an Return Of The King are as good as The Fellowship Of The Ring, (They should be) then this will go down in history as the greatest and most ambitious film trilogy ever made.
Rating:
Summary: WAY OVER-RATED
Review: I know I'm gonna catch flack for this but come on, i could have read all three books and the hobbit before the movie ended. It was poorly done, and Wood's performance was less then entertaining. However, not the worst movie i've seen, but not nearly deserving of being called a masterpiecce. I give it three stars because of how the plot changes speed to frequntly, the ... acting, and Elijah woods poor job. Good effects though and sendoff of the characters. also good job with bringing the mosters to life (make-up/costumes). Overall very disappointing.
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