Rating: 
Summary: Bored of the Rings
Review: Three hours! Zero character development and even less development of the relationships between the characters. Extremely elaborate setup for something (I guess this is the mystery), 2 1/2 hours of which (at least) was dedicated to the seemingly same dark battles with underexplained evildoers...
Rating: 
Summary: Awsome, Breath-taking, but Violent
Review: Through the whole movie, my heart was pounding. Unlike the Harry Potter movie, it had action the whole time. In the Harry Potter movie, one of the biggest scenes is the troll scene in the girls bathroom, but in "The Lord of the Rings" there are hundreds of troll-like creatures called "Orks". I am 11 and have only read half of "The Hobbit", and I want to now read the whole Triligy, I recomend it, even though it is violent!! Thank You
Rating: 
Summary: Annoying problems!
Review: Thus far I've only looked at the two disks containing the movie, not the two with additional material. But Disk 2 of the movie had two bad spots on it (in Chapters 10 and 14) that caused my DVD player to freeze. In each case I had to jump to the beginning of the next chapter, then spend a lot of time "tinkering" to see how much of the previous chapter I could view. (... If I'd bought it in a store I'd exchange it--but I can't imagine myself looking at the whole movie again any time soon, to check whether a replacement DVD was good! Purchasers shouldn't have to be concerned with such things.)I also have a complaint about the film itself: the end titles are too small to be read on a TV screen.
Rating:
Summary: A Dream Come True
Review: Thus far, I have seen LOTR:FOTR in the theater three times. The first time I saw this movie, I was somewhat disappointed because I kept comparing it to the book and the animated version that came out in 1978. But when I saw it a second time, I found myself appreciating the film on its own merits. I still do have a couple of minor quibbles. I believe they should have shown a couple of quick scenes with Gollum following Frodo and his comrades as they rowed down the Anduin River. This is important for viewers who never read the books, because it would have served to remind them that Gollum is still pursuing them. Instead, we get a brief glimpse of him in the Mines of Moria and then nothing more afterwards. But perhaps such a scene will be included in the expanded DVD version that comes out later this year. My only other gripe is that the scenes leading up to Boromir's attempt to seize the ring should have been truer to the book, with Frodo's companions conflicted over whether to go to Minas Tirith or onward to Mordor. That tension was missing from the movie. But apart from these minor issues, this movie was just about everything I could have hoped for. Some purists object to the exclusion of the Tom Bombadil character from the movie, but as much a fan of the books that I am, I never really understood what purpose his character served and that at best the episode in the Old Forest was mere filler to provide the Hobbits with some adventures. I can hardly wait for the second installment to be released, as well as the expanded edition of FOTR on disc this coming winter.
Rating:
Summary: Be Careful of the Included Software
Review: To access certain so-called exclusive content on the Internet, one has to install the included InterActual player software, which isn't really a DVD player but sort of a "skin" and additional functionality of linking you to web sites. I had it installed and face quite a number of problems. One problem is that my Stargate Ultimate Edition doesn't work properly anymore. It MUST use the InterActual player in order to play the movie from the main menu, cannot be done using the PowerDVD player alone anymore. Even uninstalling InterActual player did not solve the problem. Other problems are system hang (blue screen), error message like "XXXXXXX caused a General Protection Fault" and it also screwed up some other software. This InterActual player is a real nightmare! I am totally disgusted with it and deeply disappointed that such a buggy software should be included to access "exclusive" content. I would advise others to buy the DVD for the sake of the extra 30 min and do not try the InterActual player (some of your other DVDs may not work properly after that) unless you are ready to take on it as a gamble. Don't say I didn't warn you. I am still TOTALLY [ticked]OFF.
Rating:
Summary: Beyond my dreams
Review: To an avid Tolkein fan, the whole idea of a Lord of the Rings movie is a little scary--what if they ruin it (like the 1978 animated disaster)? I was literally in tears for much of this movie, thinking, "This is really it--I never thought I'd actually SEE middle earth!" From the shire to the mines of Moria, the sets and landscapes are beyond stunning. The actors also did a fantastic job, especially with Gandalf and Frodo (the main characters). Whether you are already a Lord of the Rings fan or not, if you love movies that sweep you into a world of epic proportions and grand adventure, this film is sure to please. A warning, though: this is not for anyone under 13 in my opinion. The movie is MORE violent than the book (though I don't think the most graphic parts, such as the gratuitous beheading of a bad guy, add anything at all to the plot or movie experience, and I'm not sure why the director added them). Several violent scenes that are "off-screen" in the book are shown explicitly in the film. Okay, now my complaints: There were two points where important plot points were missed. First, the broken sword is never reforged but appears whole later. Guess we'll see that in the "deleted scenes" portion of the DVD! Second, at the very end (tiny spoiler here) it's not very credible that the company SEES Frodo & Sam slip away and doesn't follow them. In the book, the pretense is that finding Frodo & Sam would be difficult, which would have made perfect sense in the movie if it had been edited differently. As it is, Aragorn just sort of shrugs and says that the whole fellowship thing doesn't matter any more, which just seems out of character and makes no sense at all (unless you've read the book and know more of his reasoning). The whole ending, in fact, was a bit lame, from the poorly timed and unrealistic battle scene (not in the book) to the overly melodramatic and hyperextended shots of teary, glaze-eyed faces. But you can't blame the filmmakers too much, really; it IS a trilogy, and the first book doesn't have much of an ending, either. Nonetheless, overall this will go down in history as one of the greatest fantasy movies of all time, if not THE greatest.
Rating:
Summary: Comparisons to the radio adaptation
Review: To anyone who knows the BBC Radio adaptation of LOTR, the choices that Peter Jackson has made in his screenplay are not altogether new - the ommission of meeting the elves in the Shire Woods, Tom Bombadil, etc. In many ways the film seems to borrow from the same narrative decisions made in the excellent radio series. For the trivia hunters among you, Ian Holm (who pays Bilbo in the film) plays Frodo in the radio series - and a more heart-wrenching charcterisation you will never find. Although I found the acting suitable to the demands of the screenplay, I found that due to the immense visual demands of the movie, certain elements of vocal characterision were somewhat lacking - especially in Sam, Elrond and Legolas.
The outstanding acting in the movie comes from Sir Ian Mc Kellan. Wandering-Wizard-meets-Lost-Father_Figure could easily become a pastiche of such archetypal gigures in Film and literature, he did a miraculous job of making Gandalf both familiar and freshly absorbing. Of course, the role had to go to an old English thesp (Sir Michael Horden for the BBC adaptation) but McKellam has a dry wit in his face and a twinkle in his eye that are perfect.
The first questionable change from the novel comes when it is not made clear that Galadriel carries one of th three rings made for the elves (or, that ELrong carries another). When Galadriel says that she and will fade away, it cannot be clear to a first time viewer/reader that the destruction of the Ring may mean the end of the elves power in Middle Earth. The may have ramifications for the Grey Havens chapter of the final book.
The second questionable change comes when Aragorn gives Frodo his blessing to go into Mordor alone. While this perhaps presents an opportunity to show a more vulnerable, sympathetic side to Aragorn, it comes at the expense of the development of Frodo's character. Aragorn's character had his chance to show more 'pathos' in the added scenes with Liv Tyler. When Frodo decides to go alone, and then Sam joins him, it irrevocable separates his heart and mind from the rest of the fellowship. By having Aragorn speak to him as he leaves, the screenplay lessens the impact of Frodo's terrifying decision. It also means that the decision that Aragorn makes to track the Orcs is made for him - he in turn becomes less decisive. Maybe a minor point. But given the excellence of the other cuts and changes, I felt this was one event that should have been translated intact to the screen. The radio series running at 13 hours. With the immense visual resources committed to what will probably be a 9 hours film, there can be little excuse for leaving out one line of text that may clarify a later event (the elves' rings, Frodo's decision to go alone, the detail of Gimli's family having returned to Moria but then having been 'lost')
On a broad conceptual framework, the cuts and changes are admirable. In only a few places do the smaller details of text leave somehting to be desired.
Rating:
Summary: The Greatest Film Ever Made
Review: To bad the Academy Awards didin't realize this is really the greatest film of the year, and in truth the greatest film of all time. Forget the childish and boring Harry Potter and the childish and fake Star Wars, this movie is the reason to own a DVD player. I can't wait for THE TWO TOWERS and THE RETURN OF THE KING because they will make THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING look dumb (okay maybe not). It will be nice to see more human characters like Faramir and Eowyn and more battles, but for the moment this is number 1. From the classic battle on the Bridge of Khazad-dum to the awesome Galadriel scaring Frodo, right to Argonath to Amon Hem this is pure perfection. I am glad this movie was made in New Zealand beacuse it shows how fake and recycled Hollywood movies are. There is no one-liners in this like other action movies, no Hollywood actors only looking for fame and money, no fake good guys named John Steel or Jack Power armed with only a 9mm saving the blonde bimbo while single-handedly fighting off all of the criminals in L.A., and best of all no Jar Jar Binks. I recommend this movie for anyone and especially for people sick of Hollywood. If you are a Die Hard, Pearl Harbor, Western or comedy fan you should avoid a real film.
Rating: 
Summary: The Movie is just wonderful.
Review: To be easy on the reader of this review...
PRO: Great movie with a brilliant cast, marvelous special effects (I'd say better than that Star Wars: EP II, sterile look...) I mean the whole nine yards!!! It has a the drama and the action and the basic story straigh.
CON: It's not perfect. Here's why...
1) Legolas doesnt have two knives.
2) Legolas has long boots.
3) Where is Tom Bombadil.
4) Wizard Battle???
5) Where is Glorefindel.
6) Where are Galadriel's gifts.
7) My god, whats with the moth.
8) Geez, where is Glamdring's glow???
9) Cmon, where is Fatty Bolger.
10)Gandalf is suppose to solve the goddam riddle.
11)Theres more...
My final word: Wow. That
Hmmmmm. mmmmmm. The movie is a must-see. The reason is that it stands on its own cinematic prowess, and it does a good job!!!
Rating:
Summary: Fellowship of the Ring: Transports one to Middle Earth
Review: To date I've seen the film 5 times with various members of my family. It has been years since we have been captivated by a film to the degree we are with this one. Yes, my family all have read Lord of the Rings (I have even read the entire trilogy out loud to my wife). We had very high expectations for Jackson's effort and we're afraid we might be disappointed. We were not disappointed and loved every minute of it. I think he has done a masterful job of intepreting (selecting and editing)the book to work as a film. The acting is convincing (I was particularly taken with Gandalf, Boromir and Frodo). The production is excellent, and we can't wait for the DVD and the next installment.
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