Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic - Peter Jackson has done it!
Review: I've loved these books from the time I was a preteen and have read them many times since. I despaired of ever seeing them on the big screen because their scope is so immense and their layered meaning so profound. But Peter Jackon has done it! His love for the story must even be more than mine because he actually made the movie(s)and if The Fellowship of the Ring represents the next two, he made them with all the care and love and respect and understanding due this fantastic and wonderful tale. He has created the time and the places of Middle Earth just as if he had captured them from some magical place. And he has done so without their overwhelming the story - the power of the story remains. The actors are perfect - Strider/Aragorn/Viggo Mortensen is just the right mix of self-doubt and self-confidence - a self-examining man carrying the sorrowful legacy of his ancestors and an intense man with tremendous courage who is completely unconscious of his power and greatness - all characteristics which will serve him well when the time comes for him to be king. Frodo/Elijah Wood is the happy intelligent hobbit who is in complete touch with his fears but can draw on inner strengths only Gandolf knows he probably has. And Gandolf/Ian McKellan is perfect. He is the humble man/brilliant immortal wizard - human enough to covet the ring when it is offered, humble enough to fear the ring nevertheless and not take it, and wizard enough to trust his heart and use his tremendous powers for the greater good. His humble wisdom enables him to see and understand the power of the "simple" hobbits. And when he commands the Balrog "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" one becomes aware of his own tremendous power and that he is, indeed, a great wizard. I could go on and on with the actors. Liv Tyler is wonderful as the courageous, insightful, gentle, loyal Arwen - Cate Blanchett is wonderful as the dangerous, powerful, understanding Galadriel. All of the actors have conveyed the characters just as I imagined them to be. And the music is divine. Just as the books include songs and poems, the musical score surrounds the characters and action with the songs and poetic feeling of the books. The lament for Gandalf is beautiful. Any negatives? Oh, I suppose. I missed Tom Bombadil and the giving of the gifts by Galadriel (although I understand they include the giving of the gifts in the extended version coming out in November) but you know what? If they included everything I wanted, this movie would be 6 hours long! And being familiar with the books, I feel they picked exactly the right parts needed to tell the whole story without shirking any of the layers of meaning. This DVD is wonderful. And I CANNOT WAIT for The Two Towers. Or for The Return of the King for that matter. I have watched the DVD at least six times since I received it a week ago - and will watch it even more.
Rating: 
Summary: 4 Stars for the movie. 2 Stars For the DVD.
Review: I would just like to start by saying the movie presented in this edition is splendid looking and sounding.The visuals are still stunningly clear and sound still makes me jump out of my seat. The second DVD on the other hand could have been left out. It is just a blantant marketing ploy trying to convince us to buy the video game, Enya's CD, Two Towers, and the extended version of the movie coming out on DVD in November. The two "In-depth Documentary's" were made for TV before the movie came out, basically for promotional purposes. One of which I had already seen on Sci-Fi. Knowing that an extended version would be released at a later date and already knowing the sub-par material I bought this edition anyway just because it is the only way to get the theatrical version. Knowing what I did i wasn't suprised at how bad the suplemental material was. I would have been happy if they would have put just a commentary and movie on one disc, but then again I love commentaries. As for the movie itself, it is a great action/fantasy/romance movie. If Tolkien could see this his only complaint would probably be more singing and for it to be longer. Its been along time since I've read the book so i'm not sure how much Jackson cut out but other than the noticable exclusion of Farmer Maggot and Tom Bombadil (sp?) it follows Tolkien's story pretty faithfully. I may get stoned by Tolkien and Peter Jackson fans alike for this comment but i would like to see another Lord of the Rings movie trilogy maybe animated. We need a quality animated version of the movie that maybe can be a little more faithful to the spirit of Tolkien. I bought this edition of the DVD on sale for [money] and i don't think i would spend much more than that for DVD without a commentary and a decent documentary. Once again, the movie is a great little escape into fantasy for three hours or so but it is obvious Jackson wants us to buy two different versions of this movie. And being the sucker I am, I probably will buy the extended version in November.
Rating: 
Summary: An incredible movie, but widescreen kills this DVD
Review: The cinematography of this movie in the theater release was incredible. The special effects, especially the early Hobbit celebration and all battle-scenes were a true work of visual art. Sadly, fullscreen format blunts the visual spectacle of the movie. Unseen enemies being shot/stabbed/bludgeoned/etc., grand vistas removed due to lack of space make this movie a visual disappointment. Unbeknowest to me, there is a widescreen DVD out!!! In my home city, all supermarkets (yes I bought my copy at an Albertson's) are selling the fullscreen, not the widescreen. BUY THE WIDESCREEN IF YOU CAN. The acting is superb by all accept for Kate Winslett, who reminds me of Leonard Nimoy doing his Spock routine in a blonde fright wig. Still, if you cannot wait for the release of the November DVD this will satisfy your FOTR jones for the time being. By the way, isn't it incredible that the guy who plays Indiana Jones' assistant (EEEENDEEEE!!!) is the dwarf? Far out! Late. dt
Rating:
Summary: One of the best movies in these times
Review: It's really amazing how it was done, and the results are incredible. The actors are excellent, and Elijah Wood is wonderful for the lead. Of course, the story is good, that's why Tolkien is one of the best writers in history.
The movie lasts three hours but it's worth it. It is about the Hobbits, a group of small people. One of them is Bilbo Baggins, and he's weird. But the weirdest thing is that he's the owner of a very powerful ring, because of all the trips he has done. But the trouble starts when he gives it to his nephew, Frodo Baggins, to destroy it for good.
Wonderful movie. It's really enjoyable.
Rating: 
Summary: A Fantasy World Gone Bad
Review: The Lord of the Rings, to begin,disapointed me very much. Now this could be because i saw it on video and not in theaters, because the theater makes it more enjoyable. For some reason, you cannot get into the action of the movie. It moves WAY to slowly and just dragssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss on & on & on................. You know what I mean (It gets old)
The only reason I gave it 2 stars is because of the bonus disc. That is probably better than the movie itself. Without the bonus disc (on VHS), this movie would get 1/8 th of a star from me. The Two Towers looks much more active and just downright "cool", but I thought the same thing before I saw the first. The only reason I would recommend seing this is to compare it to the book. Its interesting to see what was left out and what changed and so on and so forth. But besides that, spend half the money and get the book. I will continue to to see the next 2 movies, hoping each one will get better.
Rating:
Summary: A bad mix
Review: I would have given this movie four stars if it weren't for the poor mix of music with the voice and sound effects tracks. Through most of the movie I had a difficult time understanding what the actors were saying because the music was too loud. I love the story and I thought the casting was near perfect. The acting is better than most fantasy movies I've seen. The music is very beautiful but it's just too loud.
Rating:
Summary: A Magnificent Movie!
Review: I've read and reread Tolkien's books for many years and have always tried to picture what a movie would look like. Then I saw Ralph Bakshi's appallingly bad cartoon, and when I heard that a live-action film was coming out to cover all three books in succession, I despaired.
Then I saw "Fellowship of the Ring." I sat there mesmerized by the awesome scenery and special effects, and I was thrilled with the way Cook adapted the original novel. The dialogue and exposition were cogent and easy for someone unfamiliar with the books to follow.
I can hardly wait to see "The Two Towers" and "The Return of the King."
Rating: 
Summary: The worst movie you've ever seen was better that this one
Review: Having missed this movie when it was out in the theaters, my husband and I decided to rent the DVD before we puchased it...a smart decision as it turned out. This movie was so terrible that we turned if off after the first hour: the only reason I subjected myself to that much of this drivel is because I love Ian McKellan's acting, regardless of what part he plays. He's the only reason I even gave this movie 1 star--that and because 0 stars is not possible with amazon.com's rating system. Elijah Wood is beyond irritating as Frodo, the villian who forged the ring is utterly impotent, and the Golum character who terrified me when I was a child and first exposed to this story was completely pitiable in this hackneyed version--getting my money back from the video store for this rental was easy; where do I go to demand a refund of my time is what I need to know now.
Rating:
Summary: Stunning! Rent this one, but buy the later version.
Review: Unbelievable production design!! (Repeat first sentence over again for emphasis) This 2-disc set was released to whet our appetites for the upcoming second installment, but the version to BUY is the more in-depth, feature-loaded version due out in November 2002. If you are only a casual fan, then by all means rent this film TODAY. You will be blown away by the gorgeous New Zealand scenery and the seamlessly-blended CGI effects. Director/Co-writer Peter Jackson has brought this epic piece to the screen with a fan's level of respect for the source material. Some elements had to be left behind, naturally, considering the massive scope of the saga. But his obvious respect for the source material shows in the attention to detail, character development,and the steady but unrushed pacing. Not all movie fans will want to shell out $$ for the upcoming definitive version on DVD. This version will do just fine for many of us. It is a beautifully shot film, pleasantly and earnestly acted, and the special effects serve the film well RATHER THAN BEING THE REASON FOR THE FILM (ahem, George Lucas)!! You don't have to be a dyed-in-the-wool Tolkien fan to enjoy this film and appreciate the amount of work that lovingly went into it. But you just might end up becoming one.
Rating:
Summary: Visually Stunning
Review: The first installment of the Lord of the Rings Cinema Trilogy (the novel was not, in fact a trilogy, it was one novel published in three parts) is a Visual triumph. Honestly I had my doubts about director Peter Jackson and his ability to bring my favorite novel to life. Jackson did much to dispell my worries.
The Special Effects were very well done. I felt a chill run down my spine when the Ring Wraiths attacked the Hobbits on Weathertop. I found myself impressed with the depth and detail of Moria and shuddered with the fear inspired by the forces of darkness in the few shots of Mordor.
The cinematograhpy was simply fabulous. Hobbiton was exactly as I pictured it, and this would hold true for every location in Middle Earth. Whether we were looking at the Misty Mountains or the Elven haven of Rivendell, I was quite impressed with the detail and the amount of work which had obviously gone into making this film.
As for the plot and the story itself, this is where it gets tricky. Having been a Tolkien fan for 19 years, I was bound to be disappointed. Missing characters (Bilbo's relatives the Sackville Bagginses and Tom Bombadil to name a few), cut out scenes (the Journey through the Old Forrest) and re-arranged scenes (the scene at the Prancing Pony was edited heavily and to the detriment of the story). The editing of the sequences between the time of Bilbo's party and the discovery of the Ring for what it is leads one who hasn't read the book to think very little time has gone by. However, those of us who have read the novel realize this is far from the truth. In fact almost 20 years go by!
Having said this, I must rate this film 5 stars. Honestly, Jackson did a FANTASTIC job overall. My quibbles with the film are minor and overcome by the films' strong points. Furthermore, unless Jackson opted for a film which was at least 1 hour LONGER than the 3 hour epic we have now there is NO way to get this film 100% right. Purchase this DVD and enjoy the genius of J.R.R. Tolkien as interpreted by the genius of Peter Jackson!
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