Rating: 
Summary: How did they do that ??
Review: That was the first question that rose to my mind, as I saw the different sizes of hobbit, dwarf, elf and human. Yet in real life the actors are the same size.... Astonishing... As a fan of the novels (read it more than 10 times) I went to see the movie as soon as possible. And was not dissappointed. Although the story was slightly different (Arwen was never on that white horse, in the novel it was Glorfindel), the story was well displayed. A large portion was also cut out. As the novels tells, after the ferry they ventured in the old wood, were captured in the Great Old Willow and rescued by Tom Bombadil. After that they were again in trouble at the Barrow Downs, and again saved by Bombadil. After that they came in Bree. But I guess Jackson had to cut out some things, as it would be too long. I never liked the Bombadil chapter anyway. The movie is already 3 hours long. Yet that 3 hours went so fast by, indicates it was a well made movie and I was never bored.
The scenery is great, good actors (I like Saruman), creatures are great (Balrog!). But the best effort for me is the way they scaled the different races to the right size. I know Rhys-Davis who plays Gimli is in fact a large man, but in the movie he is "digitaly" shrinked to a dwarf. You can't see the difference.
Masterpiece. (I'm gonna see it again tonight!)
Rating:
Summary: Movie magic.
Review: As being one of LOTR all time followers from reading these books over and over. I was amazed to see how magnificent this movie turned out. Peter Jackson has outdone himself. Sure the movies strays from the books a bit, as watching the movie I kept wanting to compare the two. About 30 min into the movie I forgot everything that I once knew about LOTR. This movie will pick you up, bring you into its world and makes you forget about everything you once knew. Just as the books did when I first read them. From the acting to the beautiful scenery. Prepare to loose all thoughts and be taking for one of the best stories in the world. Thank you Peter. All I can ask for now is a movie about my next hero...... Drizzt do'Urden
Rating:
Summary: GO SEE IT NOW!
Review: Simply put, the best movie of 2001 in EVERY aspect from acting to action to graphics to story to sound to costume to plot; it's all executed PERFECTLY!!
I can't praise this movie enough (and ironically, I didn't think it was a big deal before I saw it)! Do yourself a favor; GO SEE IT NOW! (And leave the kids at home.... loud noises and semi-violent/scary scenes will give them nightmares.
It's 3 hours longs, but it's worth every second of it. I will preorder this movie on DVD ASAP and highly anticipate the release of the remainder of the series!
Rating:
Summary: Let's Break This Down...
Review: Okay. Now, there are two ways to look at this movie. This is the Fellowship of the Ring, part of a trilogy of movies based on a trilogy of books by one of the most famous authors ever. This is the Fellowship of the Ring, a movie about some outrageous yet still believable characters in a fantasy world, demonstrating that power can be inside even the smallest things. This is the Fellowship of the Ring, a work of cinematic masterpiece in all aspects. I avoided viewing any trailers or sneak peeks at this movie and simply saw it opening night with my friends. I've read the Lord of the Rings series several times in my life, so I'm very familiar with the story (everyone else "just read it a long time ago"). I knew what was happening at all times, I knew exactly what was going to happen, and I knew that this was the perfect vision of Tolkein's work. While watching it, I felt as though I'd seen it before, even though I clearly hadn't. Peter Jackson and New Line have done a beautiful job; the movie is breathtaking and stunning at every turn. I am unable to describe the idyllic beauty and the lushness of the landscapes, the painstaking care which shines through in combat sequences, nor the utter emotions felt during the two most pivotal scenes of the film. I am at a loss for words to describe anything in this movie because I am in total awe of how well it was done. I could not have asked for a more perfect live-action realization of the Fellowship of the Ring, period. As a movie, the Fellowship of the Ring excells in all the same ways, plus some more. I cannot recall having seen better directing than was on display in this film. The acting of the not-so-big names like Viggo Mortensen and Sean Bean is wondrous, in addition to the stellar performances by Sir Ian and Cate Blanchett. Set design and location sites were chosen perfectly. The vivid colors and attention to detail are fabulous and rival those of Akira Kurosawa's. Need I go on? See this movie, for something like this will not come along again for a very long time. Not only is it a fantastic movie if you are a fan of the series (or interested in finding out what all this fuss is about), but it is also a work of art - a thing of beauty witnessed very rarely. I would give this ten stars if I could. "Three rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, nine for Mortal Men doomed to die, one for the Dark Lord on his throne in the Land of Mordor where the shadows lie. One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them in the Land of Mordor where the shadows lie."
Rating:
Summary: What can I say really?
Review: I have totally been anticipating this movie...I loved every minute of it...I have never been to a movie before where the audience is totally mesmerized and quiet throughout the film...the people that went with me also agreed that honestly it has been the best film ever seen...one of my friends only complaints was having to wait until next Dec. to see the rest of the story or at least part of it...I can not say enough about this movie really...the 3 hours it played seemed like 15 mins...and the movie is very cathartic, invoking all kinds of emotions...from humor, sadness, edge-of-your-seat thrills...everything you can imagine...I reccomend even if you have never read the books, see the movie, it is everything you think and more...I definately will be seeing it again...
Rating:
Summary: Totally amazing.
Review: I just got home from "The Fellowship of the Ring" and all I can say is - WOW. What an amazing movie - it completely blew me away. It exceeded all of my expectations by leaps and bounds. Direction, effects, acting, and story are all amazing. I have read the books, and the translation from book to screen is incredible. Peter Jackson and his team capture the essence of the LOTR characters beautifully. In addition to the brilliant story translation from book to movie, Tolkien's wit and humor has also been carried over wonderfully. (Which never happened in the Harry Potter movie). Tolkien fan or not, you should go and see this film.
Rating:
Summary: Truly Amazing.
Review: As I entered the theater, I was wondering what kind of film it would be. Would it be a Braveheart or Gladiator-style epic? A love story? A SFX show? Or a brutalization of the book?
Thankfully, I was wrong.
The movie IS the Lord of the Rings. The plot follows the book amazingly well, and the deviations are well thought out. The setting is seamlessly placed, and fits all that I had thought. You feel like you are visiting the Shire, Moria, etc. Everyone fits their role well. As another review mentioned, "they ARE their characters. The dialog is true to the spirit, and quite often the words, of the book. The three hours go by quickly due to the excellent pacing of the scenes. I have only one minor complaint, which will probably be rectified by the DVD's deleted scenes section.
I don't care what your taste in movies is, see this one. Soon. You will not be disappointted.
Rating:
Summary: Simply Wonderful
Review: I entered the theater to see "Fellowship of the Ring" with mixed emotions. On one hand, I was very afraid that one of the most beloved tales of my childhood was about to be turned into tasteles, vulgar, Hollywood pap (a feeling that was reinforced by the relentless marketing). On the other hand, I was excited that many of my most blissful moments of day-dreaming in school (to the eternal detriment of my grades) were about to become big screen realities. It brings me great pleasure, utter joy and some surprise to report that my first feeling was completely unfounded. Put simply, "Fellowship of the Rings" is simply wonderful. I sat for three hours, mezmorized by what was happening on the screen, many times thinking, "this was exactly how I imagined it", or, "that is better than how I imagined it (particularly with regards to the orcs)", or, "they could not have gotten anyone better to play that role". I want to express my gratitude towards director Peter Jackson for taking an immensely difficult story and rendering it with such love and care. It is quite obvious that, unlike so many directors of movies inspired by books, he absolutely loves the material and wishes to remain faithful to the intentions of the author. At the same time, however, he displayed the wisdom to recognize that not all of Tolkien's prose, nor plot devices, would translate well to film, and the courage to alter his own work accordingly. Jackson's courageous decision to take some liberties, adding here or cutting there, with Tolkien's masterwork was critical in making the "Fellowship of the Ring" soar. For example, as much as I love "The Fellowship of the Ring", I was very happy to see that Jackson completely dispensed with all the pages devoted to Frodo and the hobbits' stay with Tom Bombadil. As a young child, my first attempt to read "The Lord of the Rings" foundered mightily in Tom's house. Had Jackson decided to linger at Bombdadil's house himself, I suspect that the film may have foundered a bit as well, as Bombadil contributes very little to the overall plot. Inevitably, some of Jacksons' decisions on what to add or cut will not sit well with some of Tolkien's more ardent fans. They will inevitably generate some hate mail. But the lack of this artistic courage is something much more frightening to contemplate. The unwillingess to cross an author for the sake of one's film is what, in my view, rendered "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" sterile and humorless. I could go on for hours about how great this film is, but I recommend that you see it for yourself. I think the vast majority of people, whether Tolkien afficionados or not, will recognize its greatness, and will come to think of it as a classic and a true film achievement.
Rating:
Summary: I can't wait to see it again.
Review: I think this is a true classic. I can't wait to see it again. It was better than I hoped. They got it right, couldn't have been better. Sauron himself was incredible. It's like they went inside my head and brought it to life. You will not be disappointed. There is so much to it that I can see going to the movies a couple more times and still enjoying it. Tell everyone you know to go see it NOW. I can't wait for the second part. Thank god they filmed them all at the same time. If the next two are this good we are all lucky people. What a great movie!!! Go see it and you'll see what I'm talking about. The fight scenes were awesome, the acting was impressive, the scenery was dreamy, and after three hours all I wanted was for it to go on...
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful depiction of Tolkien's work
Review: Having just seen the film, I can highly recommend this movie to all fans of Tolkien and fantasy films alike. The film remained highly true to both the books and illustrations of Tolkien, while taking some artistic license for the sake of viewability (but not much). Visually, almost all of the film is stunning, majestic, and highly memorable. It also helps bring certain elements of the books to life that I personally had overlooked or forgotten (for example, the transformation of Saruman's tower from majestic to horrific through the destruction of the terrain and smelting). Casting for Lord of the Rings was excellent. Christopher Lee as Saruman was a brilliant selection, as were those cast for other major parts including the Hobbits (especially Frodo), Gandalf, Gimli, and Legolas. There were some elements missing from the books that probably should have been in the movie. One of which is the exchange between Strider and the Innkeeper (who only remembers his name because people shout it at him all day long). Another element that seems to be missing is the change in attitudes between Gimli and Legolas as they go from being natural enemies to the most unusual of friends through the trials they face in the fellowship of the Ringbearer. This element seems sadly overlooked. Other elements that were written out were probably due to time constraints and are wholly understandable (after all, the film is three hours). Families may be intimidated to take small children, as this is a rather long story. Some of the gore is unsuitable for younger viewers (including, but not limited to, intense scenes, violent swordfights including decapitations, and horrific elements that could give children nightmares). Older children will enjoy this film, and the depiction of a struggle of good against evil is not marred by the use of adult language or sexual scenes, making this film relatively tame, considering its PG-13 rating. Visually, this film is more in the classification of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," as opposed to "Star Wars: Phantom Menace" (which is what everyone apparently wants to compare it to). It lacks the speed and pace of a Star Wars movie and is much more in keeping with the feel of epic, sweeping fantasy (like "Crouching Tiger"). One nice comment is that the film does NOT use either Bullet Time photography or martial arts (something that has become quite popular since the advent of The Matrix); the movie is true to the period depicted. Definitely recommended.
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