Rating: 
Summary: A Must See
Review: I have seen this movie three times now, and still feel swept away by the experience. The movie encaptulates my own images of Tolkien's work, and it does a great service to the spirit of the trilogy. The interplay between characters and the careful development of the main players in the story make this an epic that touches the heart. Simply a fantastic experience, and one that I am looking forward to repeating again.
Rating:
Summary: Everything works out...
Review: I have seen this movie twice, and am planning a third viewing (and I've only ever seen three movies in the theater twice before in my life). But I feel that it's pressing to address some of the complaints people have with it.1.) the length: Sorry, there's nothing to do about it. Tolkein wrote well over 1000 pages of story, leading to another thousand's worth of "history," (people write encyclopediae on Middle-Earth and still barely begin to touch it) and even with huge editing it still makes for a long story. 2.) repetive shots/slow motion: these I'll grant also. The ring-in-palm shots got a bit weary during my second viewing. But they can still convey the necessary drama. As for slow motion... also a bit overdone, in battles, but every time the movie starts it (except for Frod's leap onto the ferry), I'm so drawn into the battle that I don't notice or care unless I purposefully detach myself. And as for the repetition of Frodo getting beaten up/nearly killed/whatnot, well, Tolkein wrote it that way too. 3.) Changes from the book: I vote that nearly all of them were necessary, and a lengthy debate on the merits of their placement or removal can be carried on elsewhere. Book and Film are two entirely separate media, and I think this movie is as good an adaptation of a literary epic as can be put together. 4.) Character development: again, there's only so much you can do with what you're given. Merry, Pippin, Legolas, and Gimli--fascinating characters, all--don't get to come into their own in the first book, and therefore neither in the first movie. Look for drastic improvements in all four (I hope!) in the next two films. Also for Aragorn (Strider), and Boromir, via his family. Now, as for the merits of the film: they are beautiful and numerous, whether or not you've ever laid a hand on one of J.R.R. Tolkein's books. Of the 5 non-me people with whom I have seen the movie so far, two had read the books, one was planning to, and two showed no interest (and, for that matter, both have very low tolerances for fantasy). And, except for having to go to the bathroom during the third hour, and the occasional rump falling asleep, all 5 loved it and will go with me to the opening screening of "The Two Towers" in a year. And knowing that you're only seeing the first third of the story, it seems to me that expecting everything to be told in this movie is a bit short-sighted. There are, after all, six hours of story left to come. As for me? Yes, I had read the books before. Twice, actually: once, several years ago, and I didn't get it, and ocne this summer, in preparation for the movie, and I still didn't get it. I thought they were good, but not the Epic Masterpiece people made them out to be. After I saw the movie? I ran right home and broke them out. I read hem all again, and now I'm heading out to buy the other Tolkein books about Middle-Earth, "The Silmarillion" and the "Unfinished Tales" among them, even though I know they're impossible to read, because suddenly I realise the story is JUST THAT GOOD, even if the telling is occasionally difficult. I've listened to the soundtrack nearly every day since I bought it, which was December 20, the day after the movie opened. I'm suddenly half-obsessive about something I could barely force myself to try to like before. The telling, from book to movie, will differ, and the interpretations among viewers and readers, but no matter what, the story is one worth hearing.
Rating:
Summary: Go see the Lord of the Rings!!!
Review: I have seen this video twice. It is the best video in the world.
I highly recommend to go see this video. It is full of action and suspense. The characters are really great. This video will really keep you on your toes. I rate this video the ruler of them all! And I give it 5 whole stars and more! [....]
Rating:
Summary: Buy this version!
Review: I have the theatrical version and this version and withtin the first five minutes you'll realize that this is the definitive version to watch!
Rating:
Summary: The BEST movies of our lifetime
Review: I have to admit that the 1st time I saw this movie I thought it was a 3 hour waste of my time and kicked my self for paying for the ticket and told everyone I knew how bad this movie was. Then when the 2nd movie came I watched it on DVD (with a good surround system) and I hated it too. But my girlfriend who had never seen the movies wanted to see em. I tryed to convence her that they sucked but she wanted to see em regardless. Seeing the 1st movie again I more easily recongnized the plot and something meraculous happened. It was like a light had been turned on and I understood why everyone loved these movies. Needless to say I watched the 1st two movies (the 3rd had not yet been released) over and over again and fell in love with them. When Gandolof said "You SHALL NOT PAASSSSSSS!!!" it brought me a new meaning of chill bumbs :D The music which accompanies the movies is powerful and brillant and I would recommend the soundtrack as well. For all the people that just thought these movies are boring...I believe they should give them another chance. When recently seeing the last movie I was teary eyed in the end and wished that it would never end. I can't recommend this or any of the other movies highly enough.
Rating:
Summary: Much Better Than The Theatrical Release
Review: I have to admit that when I first saw the movie I thought it was just good. After seeing the extended edition, I would have to say
this is one of the best movies I've seen. The extended version brings some of the characters more to life. One of my favorite addition was the dwarf's words to the elf queen, very deep considering the animosity between the elves and dwarves. This is the ultimate story of good and evil and how good must always keep on guard for the weaknesses they have. There are so many things to learn from this movie. This is not just an action flick, but a life lesson. I am currently reading the book and yes the movie takes certain liberties with the story but he never loses what's at the heart of book. The movie runs about three and a half hours and this may be a bit long for some but since the movie spans two discs you you can watch it over two nights.
Rating: 
Summary: Wait for the EXTENDED VERSION
Review: I have to admit, I was pretty thrilled to open my newly purchased Fellowship of the Ring DVD. But my joy turned to horror when the first thing that I saw in the DVD case was not the DVD itself, but a coupon for a $5 mail in rebate on the Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition coming out in November. I felt like a sucker who just lost to the street gambler at the shell game.
For this, I would like to personally thank George Lucas and Lucasfilm's marketing division for making it popular to rerelease a movie 5 different times, all with different versions (original, THX, special edition, special edition widescreen, and the version that has all the previews of Episode 1.......you know what I'm talking about).
Anyone that likes to get the most bang for the buck should wait for the different version out in November and not waste their money on the "butchered" or "sub-par" movie release edition.
Rating:
Summary: And the Best Picture Award for 2001 goes to....
Review: I have to admit, I was REALLY worried about this movie. I've read the trilogy innumerable times since I first discovered it in 1981, and I suffered through both the Ralph Baskhi adaptation and the Rankin-Bass version of Return of the King. After these two travesties, I was starting to think that no one could bring Tolkein to the screen without butchering it. But, I went to see it at a midnight movie on the day it premiered. I was absolutely BLOWN AWAY by the movie! Peter Jackson has done what I thought was impossible. After seeing it, I had only one worry - would people who had never read the books, or who hadn't read them for a long time, be able to understand what was going on? But, my fears have been put to rest. My brother-in-law, who has never read the books at all, was able to follow and understand the film with no problem. The first ten minutes or so of the film are devoted to explaining the "backstory" behind the Ring, and why it is so dangerous. Elijah Wood is well cast as Frodo Baggins, the "young" hobbit who must bear the Ring from his home in the Shire all the way across Middle-Earth to Mount Doom, in the very heart of the realm of the evil Dark Lord Sauron. This is the only place where the Ring can be destroyed, by casting it into the flame in which it was originally made. Sean Astin is his fellow hobbit and loyal companion, Sam Gamgee, another piece of brilliant casting. Ian McKellen is destined to be known forever as Gandalf the Grey, much as Alec Guiness will forever be Obi-Wan Kenobi. Christopher Lee is also great as the fallen wizard Saruman the White, in a role significantly expanded from the book (and very well done, I might add). But, the single best casting job, in my opinion, has to be Ian Holm as Bilbo Baggins. He turns in a dark, creepy, almost sinister performance as the old hobbit who was in posession of the evil Ring for 60 years. Even though he manages to leave the Ring to Frodo early in the film, his craving for it and its evil power is VERY evident. Just an absolutely stunning performance from a truly great actor. The special effects are unbelivable. New Zealand was the perfect place to film. The shots of Rivendell, Lothlorien, and Moria are all excellent. The Shire is well done, and Bag End looks every bit as luxurious as the book makes it out to be. I loved Jackson's interpretation of Isengard and Orthanc, and I also liked the intruiging hints of Minas Tirith, Barad-Dur, and Mount Doom, all of which I look forward to seeing in more detail.
The action and battle scenes are excellent, especially the shots of Sauron taking swings against human and Elven warriors with his great mace early in the film. The evil Orcs are suitable revolting and disgusting, and the few glimpses we get of Gollum are chilling. The Balrog must be seen to be believed. There are some parts of the book that are not in the film, mainly the sequence in the Old Forest, Tom Bombadil, and the Barrow-Downs. It's a good bit, but in the final analysis, nonessential. I had no problem with the expansion of the roles of Arwen and Saruman. Arwen simply fills in for a minor character for a few extra minutes of screen time, and Saruman's role really isn't anything new. It is simply that we actually SEE Saruman doing things that are only talked about in the book. It's impossible to take a 500+ page novel and make a movie, even one three hours long, that includes everything faithfully. It's just not possible, nor is it good movie-making. Print and film are two different mediums, and things that work well in one do not always do so in another. Peter Jackson has done a fantastic job. Filming Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and Return of the King was absolutely the right thing to do. The books all take place immediately after each other, and this way, the movies are assured of visual continuity. Just as Tolkein considered the LOTR "trilogy" to be one novel, so too will these movies form three parts of one long film that can be watched back-to-back with no continuity gaps. When these films have all been released, I think Peter Jackson will deserve to be placed in the first rank of modern cinema. Steven Spielberg or George Lucas couldn't have done any better, and that is high praise indeed.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome movie!
Review: I have to admit, I've never read any of the LOTR books. Now that I've seen the first movie, I think I will start them soon. The first time I watched the movie, I couldn't understand most of it. The second time I watched it, I really liked it! The costumes are nice and the scenery is beautiful. The actors who played the characters were perfect for their parts. My favorite characters would have to be Legolas and Arwen. Another thing I *really* liked about the movie was the music. I especially like the ending title, 'May It Be' sung by Enya.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: I have to admit, the first time I saw this movie, I hated it. I rented it, and simply could not finish it. When The Two Towers came out in theaters, I dismissed the series as "boring", and didn't bother watching it at the time. Finally, only a few weeks ago, I decided to try watching The Two Towers. It was incredible, I sat through the whole thing, mesmerised by its epic scale. It better explained some of the more confising aspects of Fellowship of the Ring, and watching Fellowship a second time, I definetely enjoyed it. I went to the theater the next day and watched Return of the King. I am absolutely hooked on the series now. I have started to read Fellowship, and so far, it is excellent. Fellowship of the Ring requires patience, a lot of people I have talked to didn't understand it the first time. But the characters grow on you, and you get immersed in the story. A personal favorite in these movies is the character Sam, played by Sean Astin; he gives an incredible performance. Since I have seen all three movies, and because the movies tell one single story, it is hard to rate Fellowship all by itself. All I can say is that it is an excellent start to an incredible, imaginative story. The special effects are excellent, and the New Zealand landscape (where the movies were shot) is breathtaking. Every actor plays their part very well. See this movie, along with the other in the series, they are excellent.
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