Rating: 
Summary: Truly Amazing.
Review: As I entered the theater, I was wondering what kind of film it would be. Would it be a Braveheart or Gladiator-style epic? A love story? A SFX show? Or a brutalization of the book?
Thankfully, I was wrong.
The movie IS the Lord of the Rings. The plot follows the book amazingly well, and the deviations are well thought out. The setting is seamlessly placed, and fits all that I had thought. You feel like you are visiting the Shire, Moria, etc. Everyone fits their role well. As another review mentioned, "they ARE their characters. The dialog is true to the spirit, and quite often the words, of the book. The three hours go by quickly due to the excellent pacing of the scenes. I have only one minor complaint, which will probably be rectified by the DVD's deleted scenes section.
I don't care what your taste in movies is, see this one. Soon. You will not be disappointted.
Rating:
Summary: At least watch the movie
Review: As I have been reading these reviews, I noticed that quite a few negative reviews are by people who have not seen the movie! At least watch the movie before posting an opinion about it.Yes, this movie is that good. I am something of a movie freak and have watched pretty much everything that can be found in you local blockbusters...normally this causes me to be a bit harsher with mainstream movies..ie I hated Harry Potter although i loved the books..since I tend to thing about how a scene may have been edited better or whether something causes the story to flow or whether the director was able to get the viewer to sympathize with the characters etc. The storytelling in this movie is in itself breathtaking and astounding. The natural feel Jackson has for conveying what he wants on film is mindbogling..I havnt seen a film this well directed in a long time. Put that together with source material which is considered a modern literary classic and a cast that was put together for its acting ability and not their box office draw and you have one of the best movies ever filmed. There are other things about this movie besides the movie itself that have me bewildered..like the fact that this huge investment which would have broken the studio was launched without proven box office draw in its cast to assure a big opening day..I guess the confidence in the quality of the film was always there. Look for this movie to stay at the top for a long time..even though its having a great opening box office, this is a word of mouth film and its real money will come around over the course of months. I am also surprised at the number of positive female responses to this movie which is based books with an overwhelmingly male following.
Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: As I sat down to see Lord of the Rings, I was skeptical, not being a wizard and warlock kind of guy, but as the story began, and the plot unraveled I became overcome with the sense I was in the movie. The world created by Peter Jackson is so realistic I was expecting the Black Riders to come for me. Jackson created a world that I believe would make Tolkien proud, and I can say that Lord of the Rings is the perfect blend of action, drama, special effects, and just plain creepiness.
Rating:
Summary: One Movie to rule them all
Review: As I sat in the movie theatre, crammed in from both sides by japanese tourists, american kids, and children and adults of all shapes and sizes, i looked around and marveled at the number of people inside the cinema. As the lights darkened, and the film began, the clear, mystical voice of Lady Galadriel filled my head. The magic had started, and it wasn't going to end. I had not read the book before witnessing this movie, but I can safely say that the movie will not only appeal to those who have read the book. Despite being fast-paced, complex and mystical in its own way, people who are not die-hard Tolkein fans will still love this movie. Nor is it a brainless action movie with fight after fight. Moments of sentimentality and tenderness, of power and greatness, and of the power of temptation override this movie, making it an emotional as well as a physical rollercoaster. In particular, Viggo Mortensen, a relatively unknown talent, puts in a stunning and moving performance as the wise, brave and noble human Aragorn, supported by almost equally fine performances from Ian Mckellen as Gandalf and Elijah Wood as the ever-innocent Frodo. Special effects and excellently thought-out moments of suspense and tension pepper this movie and no doubt contribute to the 13 Oscar Nominations this film recently received. Having seen this film, it now steals my number one film spot from Moulin Rouge (another stunning movie). Movies like Harry Potter, which I thought good when seeing it, simply pale in comparison to this epic, moving, and breathtaking journey. I went to Middle Earth and back in two hours 58 minutes. Just for people who don't like long movies; this movie does not seem long at all. When compared with three-hour movies like Pearl Harbour, Titanic and Meet Joe Black, which I swore I would die before being made to sit through again, (even though, as I am at the emotional age of 14, Brad Pitt appealed to me ;) ) it is a positively enlightening experience and most people will notice things the second time round which are very interesting yet peripheral details. It just shows the thought which went into the movie. And for those who didn't like the movie? We all find our magic in different places.
Rating:
Summary: DVD movie better than the original plus exceptional extras!
Review: As many other reviews have been written about The Fellowship of the Ring, this review will focus mainly on the Platinum Series Extended DVD. My only comment on the movie itself will be that while I was underwhelmed during my first viewing of the movie at the IMAX, the DVD extended version is much, much more enjoyable. If you are trying to decide whether to buy the "standard" DVD or VHS version of the movie or spend the extra money and buy the Platinum edition: Go for the Platinum. Some of the most amazing scenes in this movie are the extended and new scenes that were reintegrated into the DVD. For example: "Concerning Hobbits" is a fascinating new scene toward the beginning of the movie that is reminiscent of reading J.R.R. Tolkien's works and provides a very fitting introduction to the movie. It really sets the mood. Extended portions of "The Council of Elrond" and "Lothlorien" were absolutely breathtaking. And "Gilraen's Memorial," a new scene, was also incredible to watch. This DVD comes packed with about 7 hours worth of extras as well. I began to enjoy the movie more and more as I watched the incredible amount of work that went into pre-production and production of this film. From story-boarding to casting, from CGI to visual effects, the extras on Discs 3 and 4 of this series are absolutely riveting. I was most amazed by the extensive use of miniatures and sets in this movie. I figured a movie of this scale would have been predominately CGI, but it was not. It was fascinating to see how all of the sets and miniatures were made. Consequently, this viewer, who had a fairly unenthusiastic first response to LOTR on the big screen, is now "hooked" on the series after experiencing the Platinum series DVD. I would imagine that this DVD would be sheer ecstasy for a die-hard Tolkien fan. Since I enjoyed "The Two Towers" much more than the first installment in this series, I look forward to the Platinum series of that movie most eagerly.
Rating:
Summary: Buy The Extended Edition!!! Not the Theatrical release!!
Review: As much as I enjoyed the Original Movie, ( and ordered the Theatical release as soon as it was available) I would have saved my money and waited for the extended version. Even for those who have not read the books, the extended version fills in MANY gaps. On the other hand even in the abridged form is wonderful in its ability to present J. R. Tolkein's sweeping epic. Still, I plan to wait for the extended version on the next two films. [...]
Rating:
Summary: Stunning, Brilliant, Outstanding - need I say more.
Review: As my title says, best film ever, despite being 3 hours in length, left me wanting to see more. Bring on the next episode.
Rating:
Summary: A movie with a uniquely literary quality
Review: As probably everyone knows, this movie is based on the book by Tolkein. It follows the same plot (with minor changes, undoubtedly) and has the same characters. So at first glance, it might not be surprising that it seems so unusually, wonderfully literary. But this is not your average book-based film.
This movie handles the transition from book to film flawlessly. It has the quick-paced and intelligently complex plot, the large cast of characters (all with incredible depth and completely believable) that would be expected in a fantasy novel. Every character is well developed, and the viewer is never left confused by the omission of details that often occampanies book-based films. Rather, it is as though you are suddenly able to watch the book instead of reading it. With this visual ability comes wonderful acting, incredible New Zealand scenery, engaging cinematography and a sense of complete believability.
You'd be hard pressed to find a movie that even approaches this one, in so many ways.
Rating:
Summary: WOW!!!!!!!
Review: As soon as I logged on, one thing about the page really caught my eye. Out of 600-odd reviews, The Lord of the Rings got 4 and a half stars on average.
HELLO?!?
How this film could have gotten less than five stars is anyone's guess. All of you crazy people who didn't like the film, please get some professional help.
This is one awe-inspiring production. The sets, the costumes, the casting, and the intensity of the story took my breath away. While I was watching, I don't think I blinked once. There are some great performances in this movie, but my favorites had to be Viggo Mortensen, Elijah Wood, and Orlando Bloom. The only actor in the entire film who I thought was out of place was Liv Tyler. I suppose they could have chosen a worse actress, (i.e. Mariah Carey), but Tyler's performance as Arwen didn't exactly want to make me stand up and cheer. Also, I thought that Merry and Pippen needed a little more backgrounding, but aside from that, there is NOTHING that I would change. If you haven't seen it, GO. And if you have, go again.
Rating:
Summary: For the First time, We see Tolkein's vision Realized
Review: As the first movie in the epic Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring is a grand, emotional and rousing film that brought the Fantasy genre to another level. What the books did for bringing Fantasy genre to adults, this movie did for Fantasy genre in movies. Theere is so much t enjoy, awe, and rave about this movie that we could start talking at noon and end at midnight. New Zealand director Peter Jackson has given the movies a sense of unbelievable scope, but also gives us memorable characters that stick with us long after Frodo and Sam make their way into Mordor. For those who don't know the story from the books, Frodo (Elijah Wood) is a hobbit, a small, peace-loving creature who really wants to do with little in the rest of the world, even though he often begs Gandalf (Ian Mckallen) for news of the outside world. But he soons inherits from his uncle a powerful Ring, that was made three thousand years ago by a ruthless being named Sauron, whose one goal was to control all life in Middle-Earth. Now, he has regained enough power to start gathering an army and once again launch an assault on the now dwindled forces of resistance of Middle-Earth. Frodo, along with his faithful friends Sam (Sean Astin), Merry and Pippin, flee to the Elf haven of Rivendell where a Fellowship is made of the dominate races of Middle-Earth. Their mission is to destroy the Ring and end forever the threat of Sauron. Along with that intricate plot, the acting is superb. English vets Ian McKallen and Christopher Lee (Saruman) lead the way with masterful performances and they show off their talents as well groomed and experienced actors. But there are more than just the wisdom: the young actors who portay the hobbits are just wonderful and delightful to watch. Not to mention Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn), Orlando Bloom (Legolas), John Ryes Davis (Gimli), Liv Tyler (Arwen), Hugo Weaving (Elrond) and Cate Blanchet (Galadreil) all give memorable performances. Then they are the matter of the special effects. They are spectacular. From the opening battle sequence on the slopes of Mount Doom, the panorama shots of Hobbiton, the computerized orcs in the halls of Moria and especially the the world Frodo enters when he wears the Ring of Power are wonders of CGI and the massive pre-production that went on before the actual filming began. The oscar for best visual effects went to the right place. One other reason why the movie was such a success was because of the many moods, settings and styles that the film executes with grace and near perfection. We have action in the mountain of Moria; romance in Rivendell; suspence in the chase between Arwen and Frodo and the ominous Ringwraiths; and effective comic relief from Merry and Pippin. Almost anyone can find something to enjoy in this movie. You can find this movie to be one of the best ever made. It is executed so well, the story so well told and the scope so epic that you cannot help but be in awe. Yeah its three hourslond, but it is one you will enjoy without noticing or feeling the time. I seen other movies half as long but they felt slow and insipid. This one movie is not one of them.
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