Rating: 
Summary: One of the most amazing films ever made in cinema history!
Review: For once the hype was right. Peter Jackson's first part of the collossal LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy is nothing short of a brilliant masterpiece, with incredible SFX, great characters, and staying true to J.R.R Tolkien's story while altering some of the book's elements to make it more suitable for film.
Deeply rooted in the fantasy genre, Fellowship of the Rings sees a young Hobbit Frodo Baggins inherit a powerful mystical ring from his cousin Bilbo Baggins. The ring, worn by the Dark Lord Sauron, has been passed down through many people until it reaches Bilbo. The mighty wizard Gandalf and a troop of dwarfes, elves and hobbits set out on a journey to destroy the dangerous ring by casting it back into the lava of Mt. Doom. But of course, there are bad guys, in the form of Saruman the White, played with relish by the brilliant Christopher Lee and his army of Orcs and Ringwaiths.
Director Peter Jackson (The Frighteners) has taken Tolkein's story and molded it into the perfect fantasy adventure. Some characters that were ciphers in the novel have been elevated to main characters, and while some purists may be upset over the loss of some characters, Jackson does do service to the story's originality. And the result? In a Hollywood summer of dissapointments, Fellowship was the standout, one of those rare films that come along like THE MATRIX that remind us of why we like movies in the first place. In comparison to that other cinema-changing trilogy known as STAR WARS, this is possibly the biggest competition George has ever come against. This, more than the recent SW prequels, wins out for it's action and acting. The fantastic casting of Christopher Lee, Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood are inspired. It's a sign that the actors have done their job when you stop saying Ian McKellen and start calling him Gandalf. As to wether the next chapter, THE TWO TOWERS will be even better is debatable, but since the whole trilogy was filmed as one big movie, the stunning film-making should continue and for once, an event rare these days, the sequel looks better than this one.In a film as ambitious as this, all the key elements are in place, the masterful storytelling, Jackson's brilliant visionary direction, superb acting (especially Ian McKellen as Gandalf and Elijah Wood as Frodo), incredible visual effects and the wealth of imagination from Tolkien's extraordinary tome. The supporting cast is great too, with John Rhys- Davies as Gimli the dwarf, Sean Bean as Boromir and Orlando Bloom as Legolas. The best facet about the whole thing is that it's so real that you really think that all this happened long ago. And that, more than anything else is a bonifide sign that this is not only one of the greatest cinema acheivements ever, but it's now entered into the cultural zeitgeist. The film takes us where we've never been before, Tolkein's world of Wizards, elves, ringwaiths, orcs and all the other imaginative creatures on display are a thrill to watch. For such a huge scale, the use of CG is of course neccesary, and like STAR WARS, every incredible vista is truly breath-taking and the visuals are incredible, utilising state-of-the-art technology to create entire landscapes, creatures and battles. The most outstanding scene, where our intrepid fellowship travels into the mines of Mordor is a fantastic tour-de-force of incredible movie magic. The seamless blend of FX and amazing cinematography is absolutly breath-taking. Howard Shore's brooding score adds another layer of excellence to the myraid of adventurous escapism. There are problems; the film may not sit well with purists and the ending feels somewhat of an anti- climax after the climactic Mordor, but we all know that the real battles are yet to come. This is a film that takes you far beyond your imagination. What lies ahead for THE TWO TOWERS will no doubt be even more amazing and draw the millions of eager fans out once again to witness the second part to one of the most amazing films ever made. For people who managed to hold off the temptation to but the first DVD release, this platinum series "extended" edition is worth the wait. Discs 1 and 2 have a unique version of LOTR with over 30 minutes of cut footage incorporated into the film and new music scored by Howard Shore. The extended scenes range from breath-taking ( More views of Lothlorien) to perfuctonary (Bilbo's introduction). But for the most part, the added half hour is fascinating stuff for affeciandos, and while the re-instated scenes slow the pace sometimes, it fills in the gaps and makes for an even more fascinating experience. Also included are four feature-length audio commentaries by director and writers, the design team, the production team, and the cast featuring more than 30 participants. Discs 3 and 4 contain some of the most comprehensive extra material ever on DVD. Disc 3 has the doco "From Book to Vision": Adapting the book into a screenplay & planning the film, Designing and building Middle-earth, storyboards to pre-visualization, Weta Workshop visit including creatures and miniatures from the film, an awesome interactive map of Middle-earth tracing the journey of the Fellowship, an interactive map of New Zealand (yay!) highlighting the location scouting process, galleries of art and slideshows with commentaries by the artists, guided tour of the wardrobe department footage from early meetings, moving storyboards and pre-visualization reels.
DISC 4 has the doco "From Vision to Reality": Bringing the characters to life, "A day in the life of a hobbit", principal photography: Stories from the set, scale: Creating the illusion of size, galleries of behind-the-scenes photographs and personal cast photos, editorial and visual effects multi-angle progressions and sound design demonstration. One could point out that perhaps there are one too many different releases of LOTR on DVD, but fans love the extra-extra stuff. One of the best, if not THE best DVD releases ever! One wonders what's in store for THE TWO TOWERS DVD...
Rating:
Summary: Best DVD EVER MADE!!!!!!!
Review: For once, a studio got the DVD format. The creators of "The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring" used this format to the best of their ability and brought the viewer INTO Middle Earth, through use of top notch documentaries and behind-the-scenes vignettes. Also, Peter Jackson brought out more of the world of Tolkien's book with over 30 minutes of added footage. So, for anyone who enjoyed the movie or those who didn't see the movie at all (All 1 of you out there, yeah i'm talking to you) then go out and BUY THIS DVD!!! and if you don't have a DVD player for some reason, there is now a reason to have one, other than for The Matrix. So DO IT!!!
Rating:
Summary: They finally did it up right
Review: For once, I'm very pleased at what filmmakers have done in translating a book to movie, especially one that is beloved by so many people. We have a situation here where several things come together in a positive synergy: the state of special effects, the desire to finally bring it to the screen in the epic proportions it deserves, and the money to bring it all together. It was also a brilliant move to shoot all three episodes at once so we don't have to endure as long a wait as the Star Wars endeavors. Practically everyone who is a huge fan of the books will probably be miffed that some of their favorite parts are missing. While understandable, these folks should appreciate that just the first installment is just about three hours, with two more equal installments coming. By the time this thing is done, there will be about nine hours of first-class filmmaking to enjoy. For myself, who read it twenty-five years ago in college, I choose to look at this as a special treat that one should be appreciative of. I'm very impressed that they could tell the basic story as well as they did. Sure, there are a lot of subleties that would make a truly complete filming run over twenty hours, but basically it's about a shrimpy guy that has to drag a ring accross a magical land and throw it in a pit. To create all the different types of creatures, good and bad, who are involved was a monumental effort. Most of my past movies reviews here ride high on cynicism in the way they tend to pull cheap shots just to get your dollars. This time there is no such cynicism. Sure it's gonna make a lot of money, but here is the rare example where the makers of the movie truly seem to love making the story they are telling, and wanted to deliver the best possible product possible. I congratulate them for doing just that.
Rating:
Summary: The DVDs go ever on in The Fellowship of the Ring
Review: For one who's favorite story of all time, is the Lord of the Rings, 30 minutes of added footage, could not go wrong. Well, with one small complaint; no scene with Tom Bombadil. As to the actual added scenes, some do sort of 'jump out' from nowhere.
IOW, the editing could have been a little smoother. But the added scenes do fill in some of story missed in the theatrical version...The sighting of the Wood Elves...more of Gandalf's
fears of Moria...the fight with the Balrog at the Bridge of Khazad Dum (it seemed longer?)...The gifts given to the broken Fellowship by Galadriel...gifts which should become significant
later on in Return of the King.
All in all, the added scenes helped fill in some background and
added to the overall enjoyability of the film.
Rating:
Summary: Buy BOTH editions!!!
Review: For people losing sleep over which version of "The Fellowship of the Rings" they should buy on DVD, (The regular 2-disc set or the Platinum Series 4-disc set) my answer is to get BOTH for these reasons: 1) Each version has different special feaures. The special features of the Platinum Series 4-disc edition DO NOT indlude those on the regular 2-disc edition. So if you buy both editions, you will have 3 DISCS of special features. (There will also be 2 discs worth of commentaries.) 2) If you bought both versions, you would also have 2 different versions of the film. If you wanted to watch the 183 minute theatrical PG-13 rated version, you can put in the discs from the regular set and enjoy. But if you wanted to watch the 208 minute R-rated version with over 30 minutes of additional footage, you could do that as well. This way, you can own both versions of the film. 3) It would add up to a pretty low price... Think about it. [A low price] for a 6 DISCS WORTH OF MATERIAL!!! I have seen other 6 disc sets for over 100 dollars! This is a great bargain. Of course, if you're not nuts about the film, (like I am) buy one of them instead of both. But for Lord of the Rings fans it would be a great collection. Now we just have to wait for "The Two Towers," which hits theatres December 18th, 2002.
Rating:
Summary: The Fellowship of the Ring
Review: For Strider alone this movie gets five stars. The man is keener than a fox. His valor transcends that of Roland, King Charles's nephew. He cuts through the enemy with his sword like a spoon through ice cream when it is warm. The strength of his arm is beyond that of all the foes he faces combined. He does not use a shield; he charges the enemy undaunted; he does not fear death. He almost smiles when Gandolf falls from the ledge, for that did not upset him in the least. He saw heroism in the Wizard's act, thus he smiled. When Frodo fell in the tavern and lost his hold of the Ring, he started; he rose to action; he came to the Hobbit's aid. Such is the man's character. When the Elven princess said to him: I will take Frodo to saftey, not you, he did not argue. He saw in that brave woman's soul she was sincere, that she was right, that she had the faster steed. And when, near the end, his companion with the round shield fell by the arrow, he knelt before him. For, though that man betrayed him, he felt sorrow for his loss; he knew that a good man had died. Such is the man's compassion. This film I recommend.
Rating:
Summary: More Than I Could Have Imagined
Review: For the first time, I think I have truly seen a movie that lived up to that over-used phrase,"beyond imagination," and I am speaking as one who has loved and re-read Tolkien's trilogy for 35 years. I just saw the movie for the sixth time (which will not by any means be my last!), and I was as swept up in it as if I was seeing it for the first time. If anything, just as the book does, it moves you more deeply each time. I would see it over and over just for Elijah Wood's performance. He isn't just the perfect Frodo; he is a Frodo beyond my wildest dreams, his performance touching and graceful and heart-felt and with that touch of "almost-Elvish beauty" that Tolkien describes. And Sam! I would not have thought they could find an actor in these cynical days to play that selfless love for his master that pulls them both through to the end, but they did. Not just between Sam and Frodo, but between almost any two characters, there are scenes that would have alone been worth the price of admission, scenes that even (dare I say it?) improve upon Tolkien, as in the breaking of the Fellowship. Boromir is a nobler and more tragic figure than he ever was in the book, and his death is heart-rending. Arwen's saving of Frodo, though not in the book, provides the first of many scenes that moved me to tears - and continue to move me, no matter how many times I see this movie. I don't have space to write about Gandalf, or Aragorn, or Legolas... but they are perfect, as is the scenery, the seamless special effects, the score. I cannot wait to see the two sequels, knowing that the material is in the hands of artists who have proven they cannot possibly disappoint me.
Rating:
Summary: FOTR- A Success or a Failure?
Review: For those of us who read the books and loved them, there will be a few dissapointments. Arwen Evenstar really should not have had such a big part; and some find it a great offense that she took Glorifindels place when rescuing Frodo! Others feel that the movie is quite incomplete without the whole Old Forest/Tom Bombadil/Barrow Downs ordeal. And, the whole account at the beginning of the movie regarding the history of the ring is not quite accurate when compared to the book. However, we must remember that trying to capture the true essence of J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, is virtually impossible. If you wish to experience the enchantment the books offer, and the magical spell that the books cast, I would suggest reading the books themselves! It is crazy to expect one who does not know the mind of Tolkien to portray his thoughts quite accurately. I really do feel that an excellent job was done in capturing the characters looks and personalities! Also, the scenes were quite amazing! If you are concerned with the movie sticking to every detail in the books, you will not like the movie! However, if you wish to experience just a taste of Tolkien's world come alive, then this is the movie for you!
Rating:
Summary: DIFFERENT EXTRAS--Not the same as original edition
Review: For those of you only planning to buy one version of Lord of the Rings, you should know this: The extras included with the original, "Theatrical" version (the 2-disk set) are NOT in the extended, collector's edition set. Each has its own amazing set of extras. For a die-hard LOTR nut (like me), it's well worth it to by BOTH.
Rating: 
Summary: Different then I expected
Review: For those of you wondering if this movie is true to the book, it is...sorta. While some scenes seem to come straight off the pages, others have been deleted. I assume due to time constraints. (I mean the thing is already 3 hrs long!) But the addition of one scene early one didn't sit well with me. The idea of hobbits who have just left home for the first time in their lives attacking a Dark Rider makes me wonder why the h*** it is there in the first place. It doesn't move along the plot, describe the setting or the characters! Other things to look out for are little inconsistencies with the text. Gandalf's sword not glowing, Aragorn fighting where he didn't, Aragorn not having his broken sword, the letter at Bree is missing, etc. Saruman is brought in early and the mistery of Gandalf's disappearance is resolved early on. Which I don't mind too much. Movie goers are more impatient than book readers. Some key lines are taken out. Especially the poetry and songs. I think that without them the story becomes much darker, almost nightmarish. Yes, the whole "all that is gold does not glitter" is gone. As it has in the movie. In the Mines of Moria, the saddness over the loss of a civilization is hardly felt. May I say that I LOVED the movie despite it's faults. The movie has gotten me to reread the trilogy something I've been meaning to do for a long time. I think this is the best movie redition of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings ever and that is the best fantasy film I have seen in a long time. It is a good primer for someone interested in Tolkien's world who does not want to spent a long time reading. Or of the initiated who wants to gain back the feeling he/she had when he/she first read the trilogy. I'd recommend it to everyone, except for children who are not mature enough to understand it and will kick the seat in front of them throughout the movie despite correction. ^_^
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