Rating: 
Summary: Everything we expected!
Review: "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" (2001)One of the most anticipated movies of all time, one of the most famous and best books I've ever read, one of the best ensemble casts since Magnolia, one of the best New Zealand directors out there - this movie had a lot going for it. I was careful not to get my hopes up too high with this film because I was afraid I would get so excited I wouldn't like it. No chance of that! This movie was amazing - and that's one of the only words than describe it! The fact that this movie was made in New Zealand worked on a personal level for me because I'm from the country and know how much of a quiet country it is, but it is clear to the world now that my homeplace holds many beautiful sets and secrets. The scenery of the mountains, hills and towers made me appreciate my country more than I could imagine. Thanks for the tribute, Peter Jackson, to Tolkien and to one of the most brilliant places on Earth. On the subject of Peter Jackson, I have to say that there is not another man, director or not, out there like him. Jackson had the courage to bring up the well-known tale of the fellowship of the ring, taking a whole lot of risks and time of his. He wrote, directed, produced and even made an acting cameo in the movie - the man put so much of his heart and effort into this film and it establishes him as finally the best director from New Zealand and one of the best around who ever lived. Okay, on with the movie, this is not a review of New Zealand! The film's design and structure was excellent. The sets were truly magnificent, from the fiery keeps of Mordor to the quiet, beautifully strung-together holes of Hobbiton and the Shire. The special effects were really something else, taking us to a whole new dimension in the visuals and FX stage. The movie is very artistic and perfected to the very last detail, all the effort that was poured into the film has certainly paid off - it looks and feels (in the atmosphere sense of things) fantastic. As for the acting, the cast was really something to treasure. I was looking forward to seeing how the characters turned out. Elijah Wood in his first major leading role is charming and believable as the brave but inexperienced hobbit Frodo. Sean Astin plays along Wood as Samwise Gamgee, Frodo's best friend. Astin is a very heartfelt player and I felt his characters' decisions were worthy and respected the performance and the character. Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd are fantastic and the 2 hobbits who play mostly in the movie for comic relief. Liv Tyler plays Arwen, the brave elf, daughter of Lord Elrond (a cheesy Hugo Weaving). Tyler doesn't have much screen time (in the book she appears for about a half a page) but she was definitely picked correctly, she had the great deep voice for speaking Elvish and the beautiful eyes and face to bring across her character. Viggo Mortensen is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated actors of his generation, he was excellent in A Perfect Murder and even better in this. Ian McKellen brings across the major best performance, though, as the wise and elderly Gandalf. No one could've played Gandalf like McKellen, and I'm still not quite sure why. He just has a certain presence as an actor like nobody else. In smaller roles, Christopher Lee (who reads the Lord of the Rings books once every year) is particularly evil and well cast, Cate Blanchett is stunning yet again (though I felt her scene where she transforms is a little unnecessary), Orlando Bloom is defines cool as the elf archer, Sean Bean is very developed and subtle, John Rhyes-Davies kind of annoyed me but had a good accent and Ian Holm - my personal favourite supporting actor (bar McKellen) - was adorable as the tiny Bilbo and used neat acting techniques. Also Andy Serkis has the perfect voice for Gollum, and Peter Jackson makes a neat cameo as the first creepy person the hobbits come across in Bree. The movie keeps the atmosphere and tense and evil as the fellowship take on their brave journey. The production overall was just fabulous and the swooping camera shots and amazing artistic techniques kept me on the edge of my seat. The script for the movie is also very powerful. The scenes were Frodo (Wood) and Gandalf are just talking and discussing the ring were very subtle, witty and enjoyable. The characters were developed a lot more at the Council of Elrond scene and the characters were introduced nicely and quickly, but the sense of humour never faded, although this is a very seriously written film. The continuous evil creatures the fellowship comes across are very imaginative. You've got orcs, bigger orcs, a brilliant and giant cave troll, a demon with a whiplash, and my personal favourite - the Ringwraiths - past kings who track down the ring for the lord of the ring, Sauron. The Ringwraiths provide more atmospheric touches than anybody or anything in the movie, their black hoods are evil, their voices are whining and creepy, their movements (most scenes with them in are effectively done in slow motion) are scary and quick and damn, even their horses seem evil! I think I've said about enough of this film now - I could go on for days and days, but I'll stop now before I get carried away. If you have not this movie then get out and do so right this minute, it doesn't matter if you have or haven't read the books, the movie will engage you all the same, and probably persuade you to read the books if you haven't already. I conclude this review with a whoop, a clap, a cheer and big BRAVO! for one of the true modern greats. I can't wait for the next two films. MY GRADE: A+
Rating:
Summary: One DVD to Rule Them All. . .
Review: "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" as it was released in theatres was an excellent film by itself, a near-perfect adaption of the first part of J.R.R Tolkien's fantasy epic. Now, it's even better. 30 minutes of deleted scenes have been brought to the visual standard of the rest of the film and have been reincorporated into it, making the whole movie more faithful to the book.
That's not all that makes this DVD set better from the original movie and the theatrical edition DVD. There are also four audio commentaries to go along with the film (each the length of the film-- 3 and 1/2 hours) making up a total of 14 hours of audio commentary!
Up next comes two disks worth of special features. The first disk is titled: From Book to Vision, and the second: From Vision to Reality. The first includes 3 hours of documentaries which talk about J.R.R Tolkien himself, the adapting of the script, costumes etc. The second contains 3 and 1/2 hours of documentaries talking about the filming of the movie and the adding of the special effects.
Finally, on each disk there is an half-hour worth of storyboards and filming tests to go through, as well as art galleries on the third disk. All in all, the disk gives you 25 hours worth of enjoyment! Before you buy "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" theatrical DVD, get this one DVD to rule them all. . .
Rating:
Summary: An instant classic!
Review: "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" has got to be the most visually impressive films ever made. With a running time of nearly three hours, director Peter Jackson shows us Tolkien's fantasy world of hobbits, elves, wizards, dwarves, goblins, and much more. The plot? Where to begin? Well, a boring village in the Shire, young hobbit Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood), who has inherited a mysterious ring from his uncle Bilbo (Ian Holm), must embark on a quest to destory the Ring--because if the evil lord Sauron gets his hands on the Ring, he can destory the entire world. Frodo is nearly shoved out the door by the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen), and sets out with his friend Sam (Sean Astin). Soon they team up with two other hobbits, meet a mysterious warrior named Strider (Viggo Mortensen), and get stalked by this freaky Black Riders. They make it to Rivendell, an elf haven, where Lord Elrond (Hugo Weaving) sends a Fellowship of nine to destroy the Ring: Frodo, Sam, the other hobbits Merry (Dominic Monagan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd), Strider, whose real name is Aragorn, another human named Boromir (Sean Bean), elf Legolas (Orlando Bloom), an ugly dwarf named Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), and Gandalf. They travels across mountains, go through these evil mines, fight Orcs and giant fire-demons, and in the closing scene, battle these Orc/man killers called the Uruk-Hai.
Which is not to say that the movie is flawless. I know that this is only the first part of a trilogy, but the ending was really abrupt. The action was going fast and furious....and all of sudden Frodo and Sam walk down a hill and the credits start to roll. All the actors were excellent in their roles, most notably Viggo Mortensen and Sean Bean as flawed humans. Ian McKellen's provided so much great support that I nearly cried out when he was pulled into the Mines of Moria. Director Peter Jackson deserves much credit for his magnum opus, and I had the honor of seeing this in the theaters. All I can say is, I can't wait for the next installment, which will be released in two weeks.
Rating:
Summary: The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring
Review: "The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring" is a brilliant movie by director Peter Jackson! The special effects, art direction, and music(score) were all fantastic! This movie is filled with action, adventure, drama, a little romance, fantasy, and fun. Even though this movie did not perfectly follow the author J.R.R. Tolkiens "The Lord Of The Rings" trilogy books, which I have read, that does not mean that this is a bad movie. I, for one, can actually understand why Peter Jackson, and his crew, cut, added, and changed some parts to it. The actors and actresses did a wonderful job on acting in this movie. They also did a wonderful job on acting like the characters from the books. There are a lot of fantasy characters brought to life, from the books, on this movie such as: the ring-wraiths, the watcher in the water, many orcs, a cave troll, the balrog demon, elves, dwarves, wizards, and hobbits. Peter Jackson chose to direct this movie in New Zealand, which was the perfect country to direct "The Lord Of The Rings" trilogy movies. This movie is the winner of four Oscars(Academy Awards)! Congratulations to director Peter Jackson and his crew! I highly recommend you buy "The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring" movie on VHS or DVD because it is a perfect five star and two thumbs up movie! And this movie is filled of true amazement!
Rating:
Summary: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Review: "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" is a brilliant movie by director Peter Jackson! The special effects, cinematography, and music (score) were all fantastic! This movie is filled with action, adventure, drama, a little romance, fantasy, and fun. Even though this movie did not perfectly follow the author J.R.R. Tolkiens "The Lord of the Rings" book trilogy, which I have read, that does not mean that this is a bad movie. I, for one, can actually understand why Peter Jackson, and his crew, cut, added, and changed some parts to it.
The actors and actresses did a wonderful job on acting in this movie. They also did a wonderful job on acting like the characters from the author J.R.R. Tolkiens 'The Lord of the Rings' book trilogy. There are a lot of fantasy characters brought to life, from the book trilogy, onto this movie such as: the ring-wraiths, the watcher in the water, many orcs, a cave troll, the balrog demon, elves, dwarves, wizards, and hobbits. Peter Jackson chose to direct this movie in New Zealand, which was the perfect country to direct "The Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy. This movie is the winner of four Oscars (Academy Awards)! Congratulations to director Peter Jackson and his crew! I highly recommend you buy "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" movie on VHS or DVD because it is a perfect five star and two thumbs up movie! This movie is also filled with true amazement! 'The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers', which is the sequel to 'The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring', is another brilliant movie by director Peter Jackson which I highly recommend you buy for VHS or DVD when it is released in stores.
Rating:
Summary: The Most Wonderful Movie I Have Ever Seen
Review: "The Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring" is a brilliant start for the film trilogy. Every set is perfect. Every detail is polished until every scene shines. If you have read the books, I believe you will find that the sets are just as the books describe them. The Fellowship is played by an extremely talented group of actors and the soundtrack shakes with power. Elijah Wood embraces his role as the small yet brave and noble hobbit Frodo who carries the fate of his company on his shoulders. Ian McKellen is wonderful as the wise old wizard Gandalf who guides Frodo on this dangerous journey. Cate Blanchett is haunting as the mystical queen Galadriel and newcomer Orlando Bloom brings to life his elf character, Legolas. The graphics are absolutely breathtaking and the three hour film flies by. You will find yourself returning to theaters again and again to fully appreciate the best film we have seen in many years, and the unexpected and touching ending will leave you thirsting for the next installment.
Rating:
Summary: The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring
Review: "The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring" is a great and wonderful movie. It is filled with action, adventure, drama, fantasy, a little romance, and fun. Director Peter Jackson, and his crew, have put a lot of work into making the author J.R.R. Tolkiens Middle-earth come to life on the big screen so you have to give them credit. Though this movie did not go perfectly well with J.R.R. Tolkiens "The Lord Of The Rings" trilogy books, which I have read, I do understand why they had to cut, make changes, and add some parts to it. Books and movies are two totally different things and you cannot make a movie go exactly like a book, the audience just would not go for it. The actors and actresses in this movie did very splendid on acting like the characters from the author J.R.R. Tolkiens "The Lord Of The Rings" trilogy books. The special affects and art desine in this movie were terrific. There are a lot of fantasy characters brought to life from the books such as: orcs, the watcher in the water, a cave troll, ringwraiths, the fiery Balrog demon, elves, dwarves, wizards, and hobbits. It is a good thing that they directed all three "Lord Of The Rings" films in New Zealand because the land mass there looks just as the author J.R.R. Tolkien described Middle-earth in the books. "The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring" movie is a wonderful, and yet magnificent, movie directed by Peter Jackson. This is a perfect five star movie that I highly recommend you buy for VHS or DVD.
Rating:
Summary: The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring
Review: "The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring" is a great, yet spectacular, movie. It is filled with action, adventure, drama, fantasy, a little romance, and fun. Director Peter Jackson, and his crew, did a lot of work to make the author J.R.R. Tolkiens "The Lord Of The Rings" trilogy books, which I have read, come to life on the big screen so you have to give them credit. Though this movie does not perfectly follow the books I can understand why they cut, added, and changed some parts to it. Books and movies are two totally diferent things and you cannot make a movie go exactly like a book, the audience just would not go for it. The actors and actresses did a very splendid job on acting like the characters from the author J.R.R. Tolkiens "The Lord Of The Rings" trilogy books. There are a lot of fantasy characters brought to life from the books on this movie such as: ringwraiths, the watcher in the water, orcs, a cave troll, the balrog demon, elves, dwarves, wizards, and hobbits. I am glad this movie was directed in New Zealand because the land mass there looks just like the land mass the author J.R.R. Tolkien describes the land of Middle-Earth in "The Lord Of The Rings" trilogy books. The special effects, art direction, and music score in this movie are very excellent. "The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring" is a great, yet spectacular, five star movie by Peter Jackson. I highly recommend you buy "The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring" on VHS or DVD. This movie is the winner of four Academy Awards! congratulations to director Peter Jackson and his crew!
Rating: 
Summary: Liked It Overall, But Bored in Part
Review: "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" is grandly photographed, stays as true as it reasonably can to the book, and is deliciously presented, but I was bored with some parts. I realize that might come across offensive to those who love or will love the movie. However, I felt as if so many or the fight scenes were re-runs of the previous fight scene, like a video game waiting to happen. Different bad guys, different location, but same battle. I wanted to like this more. The scenes were beautiful... sumptuous, but I had trouble getting past the fight scenses. They seemed unnecessarily violent, and didn't display the wizardry I expected from Gandalf. However, I do recommend "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring." It brings home classic storytelling, and archetypal adventure. I plan to see the other two installments, and I'd love to see more about Bilbo Baggins'. Anthony Trendl
Rating:
Summary: Liked It Overall, But Bored in Part
Review: "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" is grandly photographed, stays as true as it reasonably can to the book, and is deliciously presented... but I was bored with some parts. ... I felt as if so many or the fight scenes were re-runs of the previous fight scene, like a video game waiting to happen. Different bad guys, different location, but same battle. I wanted to like this more. The scenes were beautiful... sumptuous, but I had trouble getting past the fight scenses. They seemed unnecessarily violent, and didn't display the wizardry I expected from Gandalf. However, I do recommend "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring." It brings home classic storytelling, and archetypal adventure. I plan to see the other two installments, and I'd love to see more about Bilbo Baggins'. Great character. Anthony Trendl
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