Rating: 
Summary: An epic with a heart
Review: Director Peter Jackson has, with the collaboration of his cast and crew, achieved a spectacular success with "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," the first installment in a promised trilogy of films based on the classic fantasy adventure novels by J.R.R. Tolkien. "Fellowship" takes place in Middle Earth, a fantastic realm peopled by wizards, dwarves, elves, and other beings. All of Middle Earth faces an apocalyptic threat in the reemergence of legendary dark lord Sauron. As evil forces gather, a critical task is entrusted to Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood), of the race of beings known as Hobbits."Fellowship" is a sweeping epic that features awe-inspiring vistas, journeys, and battles. But despite the tremendous scope of Jackson's canvas, he never loses touch with the lives of his characters. And although these characters are beings from the world of fantasy, the emotional core of the film is absolutely real: the film movingly explores such universal concerns as fear, love, friendship, shame, and loyalty. An outstanding cast delivers superb performances. Ian McKellan, who lately has had a string of amazing larger-than-life roles ("Gods and Monsters," "X-Men"), is amazing as the wizard Gandalf: he brings not only power and regal bearing, but also a merry earthiness to his role. Elijah Wood is equally outstanding as Frodo; he brings depth and likability to his role as a sort of "everyman" (or "everyhobbit"?) who rises to, and is ennobled by, the epic quest that is thrust upon him. I won't mention each of the other cast members, but will just say that they also meet this level of excellence, creating a rich and moving tapestry of relationships among their characters. Every element of the film comes together superbly: art direction, cinematography, makeup, visual effects, etc.; I was particularly impressed by Howard Shore's musical score. And one of the film's key themes -- that an unlikely or unexpected person can be a hero -- is compelling. One word of caution, however: "Fellowship" is very much an adult film. Its combination of graphic, "Saving Private Ryan"-style battlefield carnage and "Omen"-style demonic horror may be way too intense for much of the "Harry Potter" fan base. But for adults and mature children, this fantasy epic is an awe-inspiring, emotionally rich journey that you may want to take more than once.
Rating:
Summary: Begone Attack of the Clones! Jackson's in the house...
Review: Director Peter Jackson's absolutely rousing film version of JRR Tolkien's epic fantasy novel - once thought unfilmable by Hollywood producers - is a crowd-pleasing labour of love by an unmistakeable Tolkien fan who (fortunately) also happens to be an accomplished film-maker at the top of his game. The result is a satisfying distillation of the essential spirit and tone of Tolkien's story that amounts to the most definitive film version fans could hope for. The story of the rediscovery of "the one ring - the Ring of Power" and the conflicted efforts of the races of Middle Earth to destroy it before the final resurrection of its evil master, the Dark Lord Sauron, is engrossingly and excitingly told. With liberal dollops of action, adventure, humour and sentiment, Jackson unfolds a tale of unlikely courage, loyalty and friendship that is every bit an instant movie classic. So powerful and influential is his directorial hand that the Lord of the Rings story will in the popular public mind be as indelibly linked to Jackson's brilliant trilogy as it is to Tolkien's source novels. Benefits from repeat viewing - particularly in light of its two sequels (The Two Towers; Return of the King) which shed new light on references, events and characters in this first instalment (thus underlining the intricate detail and advanced planning Jackson must've invested to be able to tell the epic equitably across three instalments). Particularly well-judged performances by Viggo Mortenson and Sean Astin - and a confident, attention-grabbing turn by newcomer Bloom as the lethal bow-wielding elf Legolas.
Rating:
Summary: One ring to rule them all...
Review: Director Peter Jackson, whom for years I felt was very underrated and underappreciated after crafting such films like Dead Alive, Bad Taste, and The Frighteners (all of which proved his power of imagination over budget) managed to bring J.R.R. Tolkien's epic Lord of the Rings saga to the big screen almost flawlessly. Blending top notch CGI animation (most of which blows away anything offered by George Lucas), old camera tricks (to make the actors playing hobbits and dwarves appear smaller than humans and elves), and the beauty of New Zealand as a backdrop, Jackson has brought Tolkien's visionary Middle Earth to life, and old Tolkien fans could not be happier. Elijah Wood (Frodo), Ian McKellen (Gandalf), and Viggo Mortenson (Aragorn) are all fantastic in their roles (Mortenson will become a much bigger star than he already is), and the rest of the all star cast includes Liv Tyler, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davis, Hugo Weaving, Christopher Lee, Sean Bean, Cate Blanchet, and Ian Holm; all of which give quite memorable performances. The action scenes are nicely put together, but sometimes the fight scenes can become a bit blurry and incoherent, but that is only a minor complaint. All in all, even if you've never read the original books by Tolkien, you will find something to love with this first installment of the Lord of the Rings. This will be the Star Wars Trilogy for a new generation, and will be cherished for years to come. This Extended Edition is lightyears beyond the original theatrical version DVD release, but it can be upsetting considering with the looming release of The Two Towers on DVD that a few months later an Extended Edition of that will be released as well. I despise it when different "newer and better" DVD editions are released from the movie studios just for the sake of making more money.
Rating:
Summary: STAR WARS is for geeks
Review: Director Peter JENNINGS's absolutely rotting film version of Jp's Tokenn's epic fantasy magazine - once thought unfilmable by Worthington's producers - is a crowd-pleasing labour of love by an unmistakeable hippie fan who (fortunately) also happens to be an accomplished bum dart champion at the top of his game. The result is a satisfying distillation of the essential spirit and tone of Timmy's story that amounts to the most definitive film version fans could hope for. The story of the rediscovery of "the dinosaurs- the Ring of joe" and the conflicted efforts of the races of Middle Earth to destroy it before the final resurrection of its evil master, the Dark Lord Sauron, is engrossingly and excitingly told. With liberal dollops of action, adventure, humour and sentiment, Jackson unfolds a tale of unlikely courage, loyalty and friendship that is every bit an instant movie classic. So powerful and influential is his directorial hand that the Lord of the Rings story will in the popular public mind be as indelibly linked to Jackson's brilliant trilogy as it is to Tolkien's source novels. Benefits from repeat viewing - particularly in light of its two sequels (The Twin Towers; Return of the MOnsters) which shed new light on references, events and characters in this first instalment (thus underlining the intricate detail and advanced planning Jackson must've invested to be able to tell the epic equitably across three instalments). Particularly well-judged performances by Viggo Mortenson and Sean Astin - and a confident, attention-grabbing turn by newcomer Bloom as the lethal bow-wielding elf Legolas
Rating:
Summary: This Director's Cut does shows a Change to the Film.
Review: Director:Peter Jackson added more than 30 Mintues of Additional footage. To make much more sense out of the Novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. This longer version is in the Original Widescreen Aspect Ration in a 2.35:1 Format. Oscar-Winner:Howard Shore (The Fly, Dead Ringers, The Score) recorded new music for this Version. This version fleshes out more of the Characters of:Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Galadriel (Cate Blanchett), Gilmi (John-Rhys Davies) and Bilbo (Ian Holm). Jackson did this Director's Cut for Tolkien`s Fans and for those, Who haven't read the Book yet. DVD has separate commentary tracks by the Filmmakers, Cast (Cast Commentary Track is Entertaining) and the Production Team. The Extended Version in in 2-Disc with Digitally Remastered Sound for the First Time on this Version on DTS 6.1 Expanded Surround Sound. The two another DVD's are Packed with Extras. See this new version and judge for yourself, what Version, you do Prefer. I Prefer Jackson`s new cut for the DVD. Super 35. Grade:A.
Rating: 
Summary: Ah... Well. What did you expect?
Review: Disapointment? Nobody really expected an epic of such power and scope to be faithfully reproduced on screen. So I walked in making an effort to be open-minded. I've worn out one copy of LOTR in hardback and who knows how many in paperback. I'm one of the biggest Tolkien heads around. I wanted this to be stupendous, yet I was doubtful. It turns out I was overly optimistic. Okay, the movies is cheesy, uneven, and disjointed. I doubt that anyone could follow the plot had they not read the book repeatedly. And the characterizations! That was Aragorn? Hardly. Frodo and Sam were acceptable. I liked Gandalf, even though a lot was missing there. But where is the hidden nobility and power of Aragorn? These qualities are not hidden in the movie, they are lost. Elrond was not true to the book, but awesome nonetheless. And what is Borimir? He was not the nobleman Tolkien portrayed. Did anyone figure out what he was? I could go on and on, but the real crime is Lothlorien and Galadriel. Did anyone come away from the movie with the feel that Galadriel is the high queen of the elves who lives in a timeless land of peace and beauty? I guess I missed it. Arwen combined with Glorfindel? I swallowed that one. It was early on in the movie. I truly missed Tom Bombadil. His elimination was saddning. And what happened to the Sword of Elendil?! Then there was Sauron. What was up with that? Sauron is the mysterious, unseen symbol of total evil. I didn't expect to see him in the flesh, much less as a central character. The eye was good. At least at times. I don't think anyone could have produced a physical reality that would resemble to Tolkien's Middle Earth. But the movie was hardly faithful to the spirit. Tolkien's Shire was a fastidiously neat place, a vast parkland that was quite tame and completely gentled to the hand of hobbit kind. The Shire of the movie was true to medivial England perhaps, but it hardly reflected my image of the Shire. Location were portrayed more grandiose than described, such as Rivendell, or too plain, as was the gate of Moria. Moria was fair, but I'd hoped for better. Every place seemed slightly derilict in the movie. I didn't get that from the book. Hmmm... Finally, I'd rather have seen less action and more explanation throughout the movie. Much was left out that was needful to support the later story. Much was left out that was needful to support this story! But instead, we were shown a confusing and unneccessary battle between Gandalf and Saruman, and a silly scene of peril on the stairs leading from the Chamber of Mazarbul. Okay, the whole bit about the Chamber of Mazarbul was silly. I guess I could go on forever. But in closing, if the second installment isn't a significant improvement, I doubt I'll ever see the final installment. I couldn't bear to see the events on the Field of Cormallen mangled the way Lorien was. And they'd better have the Ents right!
Rating:
Summary: Rings Reigns For Good Reason
Review: Disclaimer #1: If you hated the movie, for whatever reason, you're not going to enjoy this review. So I suggest you skip it now, as I'm sure hearing yet another fan gush about its incredibility will only make your stomach turn. Disclaimer #2: If you hated the movie and decided to write a review of it anyway, try and keep it clean. And try and include intelligent reasons why you disliked the movie and not childish excuses like 'I don't have a good attention span so this movie bored me'. Unless you've been living under a rock, you should have known you were walking into a 3-hour long fantasy epic. If you don't like fantasy, why did you watch the movie? Disclaimer #3: This review is directed to the open-minded movie fan. I write this on the assumption that you, open-minded fan, need a good reason why you should see/buy this movie. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring... What to say that hasn't already been said? I assume that the open-minded fan at least knows the basis of the plot (Come on: LORD of the RINGS...Obviously fantasy, involving rings, etc.) so I will not summarize the movie plot. You can find that by scrolling up. So why should you take a small chunk of your hard-earned paycheque and/or allowance to buy this movie? I'm assuming, of course, that you haven't seen it yet, or were not overly impressed with the theatrical release. I can't change your mind, or force you to buy the DVD/VHS. These are, after all, merely words on a computer screen. But I can tell you what I would like to hear if I were an open-minded, LOTR-less movie fan. I'd like to read about how magical and colorful the visuals of this movie are. I'd like to read about how the effort with which the cast took to become their characters was clearly represented on the screen. I'd like to read about how special FX were incorporated flawlessly into the film without making it seem burdened. I'd also like to read about how the story--though now considered formulaic as it has been adopted many, many times--never ceases to tug at the heartstrings of the viewer. I would delight in hearing that this movie is incredibly touching and poignant without being sappy or cliched. I'd also be ecsatic to learn that there is no sex, swearing or drugs in this movie and that the violence is not excessive but receives about as much screen time as the Harry Potter movie. As an open-minded, LOTR-less movie fan, last but not least, I'd like to know that, when I watch this movie for the first time-- reserving judgment until the end, keeping my mind open, and allowing myself to "fall into" the movie--I will be rewarded for my three hours by being moved beyond belief in the incredible symbolism and deeper meaning of this film and will be guaranteed a true honoring of the virtues lacking in our society today but are not lacking in the characters of this movie. Yes, dear open-minded, LOTR-less movie fan, I will be shown courage, nobility, honor, loyalty, self-sacrifice and love in ways that I have never seen before. Then, I'd like to know that this movie hurt my heart in a beautiful way and that I am all the richer for having it with me whenever I want to feel that heartache again.
Rating:
Summary: Best sets of any movie EVER - A Visual MASTERPIECE!
Review: Disclaimer: I had not read any J.R.R. Tolkien books or had any preconceived ideas going in to this movie, but I certainly intend to now. I have watched about 150 movies this year (mostly DVD's) and this is without question one of the most impressive movies I've seen this year. The casting, story, sets, sound (effects and score), picture, special effects and acting were all superb. I HIGHLY recommend this film for people who really love movies.
Rating:
Summary: An incredible DVD, worth the wait and worth every penny
Review: Discs 1 and 2: The feature. Holy cow! Too often the addition of deleted scenes does little to improve a DVD. But it's quite incredible the difference 30 minutes makes to Fellowship of the Ring. To me, the movie feels about the right length now. Remember, this is an epic. While Tom Bombadil is still missing, the additions make great improvements in character; Gimli and Galadriel, Merry and Pippin, all get their characters upsized so that they're closer to the scale they were written in the book. While you still don't feel this version of Merry and Pippin are worth fighting orcs for, there's no doubt that this movie has been enhanced by the addition of the 30 minutes. The transfer is incredible, especially the sound. Even without Discs 3 and 4, the extended edition of the film is worth the price. This, to me, is the definitive version of the film. Discs 3-4: The extras.
Exhaustive study of converting the book into vision and vision into film. I've only started looking at all this stuff and it's a little overwhelming. We're not quite at "too much of a good thing" yet, but it's in sight. I can't comment on this stuff too much because I've only seen about a quarter of it. But I'm glad to have it. Can't wait for "The Two Towers"!
Rating: 
Summary: Awful. Horrible. Disgusting. Worst three hours of my life.
Review: Disgusting. Dont really know why so many people like this movie. The orcs are cheesy and I fell asleep a few minutes in. Rather throw twenty dollars into the garbage then buy this DVD.
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