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Summary: Great film, but...
Review: I was extremely pleased with this treatment of the classic text. However, if you're enough of a fan of the film to go out and buy it, why not wait until November to get the special release with 30 extra minutes?
Rating: 
Summary: Good Movie!
Review: This movie is good but not flawless. The story at times is kind of hard to understand. It is really long and kind of leaves you hanging at the end. But that just makes you want to see the 2nd one more. I follows the journey of a hobbit named Frodo Baggins and his journey with the fellowship to destroy a magic ring and keep an evil lord from enslaving middle earth. This is definetly a movie you will want to see! Younger kids might be bored by it though.
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Summary: Lord of the Rings: I give it 5 stars!
Review: Lord of the Rings is a fantastic movie. It is full of adventure, friendship, and even a little romance. It is a great fantasy that follows the book very well. You are always on the edge of your seat waiting to see whats next. The only bad thing is that it ends...
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Summary: Peter Jackson must hang out with a man named Oscar
Review: This movie was a really good eye opener to what good movies should really be like. Peter Jackson, Elijah Wood, and Ian McKellen all did their part into bringing this brilliant story to life; along with the rest of the cast and crew. This movie had everthing from violence to comedy. The movie had a good plot( duh it's from the book), great setting, and was well acted. Lord of the Rings is a masterpiece, and the sequel and prequel will no doubt be just as good, or better.
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Summary: One of the Best Movies
Review: This version of Lord of the Rings keeps loyal to the book rather well. I enjoyed this Peter Jackson's vision of Middle-earth. The actors played their chacters well. I loved the special effects, especially the Ring Wraiths call and the Mines of Moria. The fight scenes made you feel like you were right next to Gandalf protecting the Ring-bearer. I believe Tolien would be very proud of the movie.
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Summary: BREATHTAKING
Review: I am considered one of those devotees of Tolkien's book that was [drawn] in by the hype. Yes, I discovered the book only a year ago, but that did not stop me from enjoying the book and the movie. The movie really exceeds all expectations and hype, and it has given me a new mission in life. The mission is to get all those people that have not read the book to read it and persuade all those that have not seen the movie to watch it !!!GET A LIFE ! BUY THE DVD (OR VHS)! RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW !
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Summary: "...Let's pretend you didn't know the story...."
Review: OK, OK--I didn't read the books! Yes, believe it or not, I made it this far in life without knowing a Hobbit from an Orc! That confession out of the way, let me just say I saw the film as someone who neither knew what parts of the book were left out, nor held the epic in reverence as have so many who know the tales by heart. I have to admit, I came out of the theater with many questions. I also have to admit, I enjoyed the film much, much more than I could have ever imagined!
This is the story of a ring which possesses the power to grant not only invisibility, but also immortality, to its wearer. In return however, the 'One Ring' seeks to corrupt any who stand in the way of its powerful force, and is ever bent on returning to its evil and ancient master, who lost in long ago in wars for Middle-earth. From watching "Fellowship of the Ring" I understood how Tolkien's deep religious knowledge played out in a complex tale of good versus evil. In a nutshell, it is the search for redemption and salvation by a fellowship of representatives from all creation. It is the search to free a creation which has fallen under the shadow of a lord of darkness. I appreciated the author's personification of the ill-fated Adam-figure Isildur, who, at the moment of opportunity to forever vanquish the evil influence of the ring, failed to master temptation's enticement. As a result, one man unleashed a force of evil into the world even he could not have imagined. Yet, hope is not lost. Through this man's lineage is a noble and rightful king (Aragorn)--in exile from his homeland, and desirous to join the fellowship and purge evil from Middle Earth. There is marvelous theology for those who know where to find it in "Fellowship of the Ring", and I can now appreciate how Tolkien's student C.S. Lewis was profoundly influenced to write his Christian allegories "The Chronicles of Narnia". What this film does best is to capture the power of evil, and portray its virulence in seeking to dominate everything it touches. Even a good and noble wizard (Saruman the White) is corrupted by the dark side. I winced at the deafening hoof beats of the horses of the Ringwraiths, who do the bidding of the evil and disembodied dark lord Sauron the Deceiver. I sat in amazement at the glimpses of the hellish fires of Mordor and Mount Doom where the ring was forgedâ€"and, where also, the ring can only be destroyed. I bordered on vertigo as the fellowship faced unimaginable terrors and evil in the Mines of Moria, and I marveled at the grace of Arwen Evenstar, who not only saved the life of a hero, but whose selflessness gave up immortality for one she loved. Yes, there is wonderful theology here! But ever creeping through the shadows is the eerie and mysterious Gollum, who will have a most unique roll to play. In summary, it proves true that the less you know about the trilogy, the more you may appreciate this film. It is a tale that will un-nerve you with its sheer volume in places, astound you with its special effects, and in some ways make you wish you'd left the younger kids at home. This is NOT a kid movie. It is a complex, and intricate story of how one of the least, and most innocent of God's creatures (Frodo), attempts to master an evil force that would overcome him, in order to save creation from the darkest evil. It is also the story of friendship and heroism. Good does not win out at the end but neither does evil, and I cannot wait for the “The Two Towersâ€! I am told that as dynamic as this first saga was, the best is yet to come!
Rating:
Summary: A Stunning Movie!
Review: Of all the movies I've seen, this movie tops them all...probably because it is such a great adventure filled with danger and times where even in the darkest hours, light flickers still. The evil is gruesome, but clearly evil and the good side is clearly the good side. The characters from the book come alive on the screen and the story is played really close to the books...with a few minor details. Sacrifice, bravery, and showing the smallest thing can make the biggest changes...you won't even know three hours have gone! A perfectly stunning movie!
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Summary: Capturing the Spirit of Tolkien
Review: Synopsis: In the land of Middle Earth, a hobbit named Frodo Baggins comes to possess a magical, vastly powerful gold ring. Centuries before, the ring was the possession of the Dark Lord Sauron, an evil sorcerer whose spirit still inhabits his fastness of Mordor. If reunited with his ring, Sauron will once again have the means to enslave the world. Frodo, gentle representative of a peaceful and timid people, must find a way to convey the ring to Mount Doom - the heart of Sauron's kingdom - for destruction. Along the way he will be beset by the savage and remorseless emissaries of the Dark Lord. Aiding Frodo in his quest are eight representatives of the free peoples of Middle Earth: an elf, a dwarf, two men, three other hobbits, and the wizard Gandalf. The Fellowship of the Ring tells the story of the first leg of the quest. When I arrived at 11:30 a.m. on December 19th for the local cineplex's first public showing of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the guy who ripped my ticket made it clear that he thought it pretty strange for someone to show up an hour early for a weekday matinee. I told him that, given that I'd been waiting a quarter century to see this movie, arriving an hour early to assure a good seat wasn't all that hard to understand. I've been a Tolkien fan for quite a long time and have read and re-read the books to the point where I could probably quote (at least) short passages of them unaided. I don't know if that nets out to a plus or a minus in qualifying me to review the movie. But I thought you should know. First, a few words about The Fellowship of the Ring as a book adaptation. While leaving the story overall remarkably intact, the filmmakers omitted a few scenes from Tolkien's epic (Tom Bombadil and the Barrow Wights are gone, for instance), conflated some other events and characters, and generally tightened the action in order to fit it comfortably within the movie's roughly three hour running time. Those changes will doubtless outrage extremists among the Tolkien True Believers; I heard one such individual harrumphing that director Jackson had turned the book into "just a long chase scene." In fact, the changes not only make The Fellowship of the Ring a better movie, they actually improve upon the story. Here's one notable example. In the book, an elf named Glorfindel has an exciting but brief role in events, and then is essentially unheard of throughout the rest of the saga. Jackson and co-writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens have taken Glorfindel's part and given it to Arwen, an elf princess who occupies an important place in Tolkien's Middle Earth but appears rarely before the trilogy's final installment. The change at once helps unify the action of the books, makes Arwen a far more interesting character, and adds tension to the film's action by contrasting the elf maid's seeming delicacy with the malevolent might of her evil pursuers. How does The Fellowship of the Ring stand on its own as a movie? All in all, magnificently. Visually the film is a tour de force, combining sweeping, majestic vistas with lovingly detailed sets and costumes, and enhancing its stunning New Zealand outdoor shots with monumental CGI effects. Decades ago C. S. Lewis, in describing the appeal of the Icelandic sagas that inspired both his and Tolkien's work, talked about their ineffable "northern-ness": a spirit that is compact of the land, the climate, the old religions and languages and worldview of Northern Europe. Somehow, with his crisp, blue-skied landscapes and stony ruins, Jackson manages to capture that Nordic geist. Without it, this movie would not have worked. And the director uses his genius for composition and color to reinforce the themes of the story. Some images of the One Ring remain indelibly in the mind a week after seeing the movie: a close-up shot of Boromir examing the ring, spellbound, against a backdrop of azure sky and white snow; a scene of council delegates arguing with increasing violence - all reflected in the smooth, seemingly innocuous surface of the ring; and over and over, the ring lying in silent menace in an outstretched palm. Jackson never lets you forget this golden artifact, whose power ultimately motivates the action of the entire trilogy. The Fellowship of the Ring scores big in nearly every area, including the performances. Ian McKellan is superb as the wizard Gandalf, the backbone of the fellowship. He combines warmth, irascibility, intelligence, solicitude, and righteous menace - moving seamlessly from one to the next. Elijah Wood and Sean Astin are perfectly cast as the main hobbit characters Frodo and Sam, respectively. Frodo's vulnerability and sensitivity are balanced (as they are in the books) by Sam's sturdy optimism and simplicity. Among the other parts - and there are a lot of them - Sean Bean is notable as the troubled warrior-prince Boromir, Billy Boyd shines as Frodo's impish cousin Pippin, and Ian Holm gives depth and tragedy to the old hobbit Bilbo Baggins. The film makes a few missteps. A wizardly slugfest between Gandalf and the traitorous Saruman doesn't work particularly well, especially when Gandalf appears for all the world to be break dancing under the command of Saruman's magic staff. Some sound effects become irritating after too much repetition. The most tragic shortcoming is the music; this movie and the story it's based on demand a truly transcendent, imaginative score. Instead we get some undistinguished Enya and generally overwrought orchestral work by Howard Shore. But those are quibbles. The Fellowship of the Ring is a triumph. If the two remaining movies live up to the promise of the first, The Lord of the Rings should take its place with multipart works like The Godfather and Star Wars among the greatest film sagas ever made.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful...
Review: Obviously I haven't seen the video yet, but the movie was amazing. It was longer than I thought, but they told the stories of each person. It was almost like you became part of their world for a few hours. Wonderfully weaved story to last the ages. The creative minds behind the making of this movie should be praised loudly. I eagerly await the next installment to this magical story. I hope you enjoy this movie as much as I.
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