Rating: 
Summary: Cinematic Epic Masterpiece
Review: It takes a lot in a film to fully satisfy me. Not many movies do. But one film has captured my imagination beyond all others: The Lord of the Rings, Fellowship of the Rings.Peter Jackson's tremendous dedication to the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien is breathtaking. Jackson, a life long fan of the books, put all his energy into creating an amazingly accurate film version. Filming all three movies at once, and incorporating a cast and crew of thousands, he has crammed in so much detail in this world that for the first time, it really exists. Jackson knows how to adapt the book's difficult scenes into a working film. The pacing is exquisite, lingering long enough on beautiful shots of the New Zealand/Middle Earth countryside, on the faces of the film's perfect cast, to let the emotion and awe of it to sink in. All the actors become their characters, most notably, Ian McKellen. The music is among the best of any epic film, from the delightful joyous hobbit theme to the beautifully haunting Elvish music in Lament for Gandalf. There is not one detail left unattended to in this film, and I am eagerly awaiting the Two Towers and Return of the King. So far, Jackson has surpassed the world's expectations, and here's to him continuing that trend.
Rating: 
Summary: I hesitate to venture any criticisms of this movie...BUT...
Review: First off, I want to say that I enjoyed this movie and found it better than I'd expected, with wonderful special effects and a clear attempt to be faithful to Tolkien's structure and plot. It was clear that this was not just another Hollywood vehicle but a serious effort - from the casting to the script.
Even so, I found some significant shortcomings in the movie. I felt that the book's emotional and spititual essence did not reverberate through this movie. Perhaps this was simply because this was an "introductory" movie, one of only several to follow and the director felt that the plot needed to be emphasized. But I didn't find myself thinking about this movie for days nor did I find that it had an emotional resonance, the kind of resonance that makes you want to see the movie again and again (just as I wanted to re-read the books). There were a few words of wisdom that stood out but, for the most part, it seemed as though emphasis was given to action and adventures at the loss of characterization.
I know there are plenty out there who will disagree with me and I can certainly agree that Hollywood could have done worse. Elijah Wood is a warm and winning Frodo and others in the cast are equally appealing - to a point. But I urge viewers to think carefully about what makes a movie a classic, especially movies which have elements of fantasy. I'd argue that there has to be something enduring, a movie that goes beyond state of the art special effects and spectacle and gives equal weight to Tolkien's words, language and enduring soul. I didn't quite find that depth in this movie.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Movie!
Review: Everybody involved in this movie took it very seriously and we get a mint first L.O.T.R. in the series. Gandalf and Legolis are just about perfect. The battles between Saruman and G.-fantastic. This movie could only have been made in 2001 because the computer work is awesome. I lost the book about 10 years ago and I'm thinking of getting a new one to check against the movie because I'm not so sure I understood the book as well as I thought. The scene in the mines was everything I hoped I'd be. A few minor complaints like the ringwraiths could be a bit tougher and the Boromir episode was a bit long but I'm back into middle earth again thanks to everyone that made such a great movie. Watch it and read the book. You'll love it.
Rating:
Summary: one of the few that can compare with star wars.
Review: I love the movie ,I seen it with my dad and love it too.It has polt so thick if you a large biulding on it .that the biulding would foalt .good thing the only think for one crits don't crew it out like stars wars epoilde 2 which me my dad loved .But woun't go into detial into that .basicly one crits make me quite up set and my review of laest star wars movie proves that.If like love stars wars or even you hated it besuce you are looking for the wrong things .and eivl person and you keep telling your self ever one like me for foulest esouse .I like crewing out our cure .Well this movie keep me at the egae of my seat.And deorector don't mess up .and got perfactly and the fact the book was not form this time.In other words I love it I love it I love it.
Rating:
Summary: Perfection
Review: Nothing more to say. Never been anything like it. Ever. Not even the Original Star Wars comes close. Technically a marvel that can never be matched. A mastery of not only CGI, but aside from that: Also building whole new chapters on old school lense and in camera effects... never before imagined in the history of cinema let alone realized... and all with Technology that's been with us all along! Steeped with adventure, carefully portrayed characters & deep meaning. God Bless Tolkien & Peter Jackson for giving us these gems.
Rating:
Summary: response to Mr. richard d. barszcz's review
Review: It never ceases to amaze me. The wide range of opinions on any given bit of media. The Power of Perception™ is a mind blowing thing. Of course, I would never take issue with anyone's opinion if they simply stated it and left it there. However, my liking for this production apparently entitles me to the description of a member of "a brain dead generation".
This gentleman, Mr. Barszcz, does not care for the acting in this film (my spin on his words will remain gentle). I heartily disagree. Mr. McKellan gives an incredibly vivid performance. His interpretation of a character which is at once a target due to its own life in the imagination of a million rabid fans is accepted easily because of its focus and commitment and color. Mr. Wood gives us a performance which could have so easily slid into a pit of standard acting traps of singular level and dull focus. His own performance shows a slow move in character from that of childlike innocence to reluctant experience with no trace of cliche. Vito Morgensen, I am now convinced, is one of the most underrated contemporary actors in film and on stage. Not to mention, we get a whole host of relative unknowns who provided their audience with charming and three dimensional characterizations. Come to think on it, the schmarmey pitfalls are, for the most part, completely avoided by the entire cast. In fact, my first impression of this film was this: how did they manage all of this with pretty much NO serious weak link in the acting?
While I will say this was not the best film I have ever seen, it is absolutely one of the most impressive. Not just for what it is, but for what it avoided being- an overwrought effect fest with criminal writing and hack performances (ala another popular sci fi film series). The effects in Fellowship were spectacular- but not overbearing. They served to create the world of Middle Earth in a way that was believable and that avoided being the focus for the entire film. This film was not ABOUT effects.
Hey. How 'bout that. I liked the film. I am neither stupid nor worthy of pity. I have extensive experience with theater and film (performance and study) and consider myself to be sharply critical. I was prepared to loathe this film. As far as I was concerned, its very existence had already stacked the cards against it. I was most pleasantly surprised. I'll give the credit where it is due and dispense with insulting those who disliked it.
Mr. Barszcz: feel free to be critical of the film. It is your right. It shows arrogance and an overwhelming "superiority", however, to critique those who would enjoy this piece of entertainment.
Rating: 
Summary: The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring
Review: the lack of a DTS sound track on The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring puts it into the "rental" category. wait for the DTS version due out next year before you buy.
Rating:
Summary: The best fantasy film ever...
Review: Why didn't this movie win the Oscar for Best Motion Picture? For an adaptation of a book, this film is perfect. Every little detail was covered and covered extremely well. It once seemed that the size and scale of the books would make it impossible to be adapted into a movie, but Peter Jackson hit every mark right on the nail. In every essence of this, he stayed true to Tolkien's epic visions of fantasy grandeur. The cast was portrayed perfectly. There could have been no better an Aragorn than Viggo Mortensen, none as passionate to play Frodo than Elijah Wood. I loved Sean Bean's performance, he gave his all to the spirit of Boromir, and in the end when he was tempted by the Ring, he was perfect-you could vividly see the turmoil in his eyes, and that is something not often found in an actor. The elves were made up perfectly-even Galadriel, whose portrayal by Cate Blanchet I was not very fond of. I enjoyed the hobbits' role as the comedic effect-they did it well. And Gandalf. Not enough can be said about Gandalf. Ian McKellen's role as the wonderful wizard was better than perfect-Gandalf is one of those roles where you can either do it well, or make a complete fool of yourself. McKellen was definitely the former. The special features on this DVD were something worth mentioning, too. I loved all the little featurettes and 'making-of' programs, which went into great depth of the movie. I was surprised to see the several-minute long featurette about The Two Towers, that gave me a better understanding of it-can't wait to see that one in theatres. I saw this movie four times in theatres and was thrilled to finally be able to watch it in my own home and I can not wait to get the four-disc collector's edition, it is sure to be as good as this one.
Rating:
Summary: Words for those who loved the books
Review: This movie is a wonderful experience, as well as an excellent adaptation of the book. YES, there are differences, but I feel that they are justified because of the change in storytelling mechanism. Face it, Gandalf explaining about Saruman's treachery is dull in a movie, as faithful as that may be to the book. Here are some insights into the story that I never got from repeated readings of FoTR: - The horror of the deforestation of Isengard. (Did Tolkien have some sort of anti-technology bias, or what?) - A real understanding of why Aragorn was reluctant to be king; because Isildur was such a huge screw-up and he didn't think he could do better! (And face it, a Ranger walking around with only the supplies on his back would be STUPID to carry around the shards of Narsil. They BELONG in Rivendell in a museum. Thanks for fixing Tolkien's mistake.) - The politics of the Fellowship; how Elrond had to placate a lot of factions. - How tempting the ring is. You can hear it *whispering* to people all the time... creepy. - Arwen getting real stuff to do instead of being some sort of trophy wife. Though I hated that she stole Frodo's defiance at the ford. Some things I didn't like at all: - Frodo was a lot more valiant than that. I hated the many, many reaction shots of him just looking stricken. - I really missed Gimli-Legolas interaction. I wonder if they've jettisoned that plotline entirely. - Galadriel. Ugh. I think they should have let the actress do that scene herself, with lighting changes much like Galdalf's menacing of Bilbo. - Galadriel. She is VERY important. She narrates the opening. Yet we don't see interactions between her and Gimli, or her and Sam, that have deep meaning for later. This movie is far more than special effects. It helps you focus on the major themes of the book, rather than being distracted by Tolkien's language or flood of background detail. Try to clear your mind and focus on essentials, and take another look.
Rating:
Summary: How Can You Not Like This Movie!?
Review: After hearing all the hype of this movie and how great it was, I decided to buy it the day it came out(which I rarely do). That night I watched one of the best movies ever filmed. How can people not like this? The story, characters, acting, and special effects are supurb. Trust me, get this DVD right now. Or wait and get the special extended version out November 12. Which ever one to buy is for you to decide, just get the movie.
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