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Summary: Scratch that warning to Mac users!
Review: The movie runs just fine on my Mac. It's only a few interactive features that require a PC. By the way, this version is far superior to the theatrical release. Buy it!
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Summary: The Epic Film of Our Time!!!
Review: While I enjoyed and admired last year's theatrical release of The Fellowship of the Ring (partly out of the sheer joy of watching Middle-Earth come to life), I did not think that the film was truly worth all of the critical hosannas heaped upon it - despite its length and visual grandeur, the original release of the film felt wrong: although it was over 3 hours long and hit all the right points, in the rush just to tell the basic story onscreen, it seemed like too much had been left out. I thought Jackson's handling of the action sequences was brilliant, but as far as the slower, quieter sections of the story were concerned, the original cut failed completely for me. The film seemed too short and badly paced, despite its length. However, something unprecedented in film history has happened with the release of the new extended edition of FELLOWSHIP: A good film has been raised to the level of a true masterwork with the addition of @30 mins. worth of new footage. What you see now is practically a different film - a far more significant work of art and a deeper and richer emotional experience. The additions are not just a few scenes here and there - every sequence in the film seems to have been slightly reedited, and - miracle of miracles - the final result is destined to go down in history as one of the great epics ever made. The new material is brilliantly chosen and incorporated: the sequences in the Shire and Lothlorien are double their original length, the very important scene of the Council in Rivendell has been recut so that it actually makes sense, the Moria scene now has the right level of slow build-up and a great deal of previously absent character development and necessary exposition has been added. What was released in the theatres can now be seen as merely the superficial version of the tale: all of the performances have been given a depth and meaning that they did not have before (particularly Boromir, Strider, Gimli and Galadriel) - instead of being sketches, all the characters and their desires are fully fleshed-out. Even more importantly, the new version is far better paced: the film now alternates between slow passages and action sequences, and the action scenes have a far greater impact than they did before because of this. Furthermore, this version of the film makes the viewer feel totally immersed in a rich, complex society at a turning point in its history - the film just seems more real, less cartoonlike, than before. The range of Jackson's vision and attention to detail is astonishing (I particularly love the new scene which features Strider arguing with Haldir in Sindarin Elvish) and gives the whole fantastic story a realism and emotional depth which captures the spirit of the novel. This is now the film that Tolkien's admirers wanted it to be. It has everything - love, war, humour, sorrow, beauty, moral and philosophical depth - that an epic film and a great drama should have. Now that this version has enabled us to see the true brilliance of the film, I have to say that - when completed - the entire tale of The Lord of the Rings as envisioned by Jackson and his cast and crew is going to go down in history as one of the great films of all time! Run, do not walk, to the nearest video store and immerse yourself in this film, because if this is any indication of what we can expect from the 2 remaining movies, you owe it to yourself to see this - a work of art like this film does not come along very often. FELLOWSHIP is only going to get more popular with time - 50 years from now, I think people are going to describe THE LORD OF THE RINGS as the great cinematic epic of this age of the world. Aren't we lucky to be the first generation to see it!
Rating: 
Summary: PROBLEM WITH DVD's
Review: This review pertains to the "The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring (Platinum Series Extended Edition) (2001)" ONLY. I have the two DVD version and thought it was so great (5 star rating) that I ordered the extended edition. This edition will not play on my laptop, which is where I watch DVD movies. When I instert the DVD's (and I tried all four) it spits them back out. I had no trouble with the other version.
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Summary: Awesome DVD...Possibly the best ever released!
Review: The DVD to the "Lord of the Rings" (Platinum Edition) is quite possible the best DVD ever. I received my version of the DVD yesterday, and I was completely blown away by the film (I saw it a number of times in theater). Director Peter Jackson and co. did an excellent job with the release. The film is simply amazing (almost like seeing a new, BETTER film) and the extras are just mind boggling!This is a MUST SEE for any DVD/movie enthusiast. Watch one of the best films of all time in the best DVD format ever released!
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Summary: Magical
Review: Having read the trilogy, It's absolutely the best production, from a book to the big screen I have ever seen. I really believed I was looking at middle earth. The casting was superb, and the acting was at another level. I can't wait for the other two. Thank you.
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Summary: Lord of the DVDs
Review: This DVD set is amazing!! It's great to see the movie with all of the extra footage! I've been watching all the supplementary material that comes with the set and I still haven't watched all of it yet. I have really enjoyed learning how Peter Jackson has got me believing that Elijah Wood is actually half the size of Ian McKellan!! The movie is just so amazing! Not to mention you receive a voucher to see Two Towers for free, you get 3 collectible (foil) trading cards, and a set of bookends of the Argonath. There are 4 DVDs with movie material and information. You also receive a 5th DVD of the National Geopraphic special of Lord of the Rings (I haven't got to that one yet!) This is a definite buy-you'll love it!! The movie is action packed and so well done. The effects out do any other movie I've seen. So many times movies abuse the use of computer effects and end up looking fake and cheesy. Peter Jackson and his crew did an amazing job! And even more amazing is that they show you how they did it in the extra material!! Hope this helps!!
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Summary: Great movie making -- but is it a great film?
Review: My initial reaction to the theatrical version of "The Fellowship of the Ring" was not wholly positive. It seemed dramatically thin and episodic, as if scenes were missing. * There was an ineffable "vagueness" that made me feel I was caught in a weird, disturbing dream. (Several friends had a similar reaction.) The extended version corrects these problems, and again demonstrates why the director's initial cut is almost always "right." Restoring elements that do not directly relate to Frodo's quest "opens up" the film and allows it to "breathe" where breath is necessary. It's particularly nice to spend a bit more time with the hobbits at the beginning - the theatrical version moves much too "abruptly" into Frodo's flight. Even if you own the first version, toss it and get the extended edition. (I was lucky - the store where I bought the first version allowed me to return it for a full refund, even though I'd opened the package - which is how I learned about the extended edition. Naughty New Line - naughty, naughty New Line!) There are still some quibbles. The tone of the film is so dark that the few bits of humor seem glaringly out of place. Gimli's crack that "This is one dwarf you don't toss!" is so jarringly anachronistic that I nearly jumped out of my theater seat. Peter Jackson's decision to underplay the material and treat it in a dramatic (rather than melodramatic) fashion leaves John Rhys-Davies and Christopher Lee with their heads above-ground, ready to be mown off, acting-wise. You expect dwarves to be feisty and loud-mouthed, and evil wizards to be melodramatically menacing, but these actors' performances are a little too broad to fit well with the other performances. On the other hand, Ian Holmes' turn as Bilbo is the best in the film, and should have earned him a supporting-actor Oscar nomination. In attempting to give epic scope to Tolkien's vision, what was background on the page became foreground in the movie. The incredibly lavish sets and scenery (all digitally enhanced to visual perfection) tend to diminish the characters and their predicaments. The viewer is more aware of the setting than he ought to be. Peter Jackson should have had a long talk with Robert Zemeckis, who has repeatedly demonstrated how to make films loaded with special effects in which you're never aware of them. Remember Orson Welle's remark that "a movie studio is the best set of trains a boy ever had"? One of the reasons "The Lord of the Rings" was filmed was simply to show that such a huge, incredibly difficult and complex project could be successfully pulled off. What if "The Wizard of Oz" had been given the same treatment? ** Would it still be the classic it is? (If you want a possible answer, see "Return to Oz.") Any great story, poem, or piece of music builds to a payoff - emotional, intellectual, or spiritual. Brunhilde's immolation and the redemption of mankind are not isolated events, but what the preceding 17 hours of another famous ring story are leading up to. The story builds and develops toward that point. The ultimate question about Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" is not whether it's faithful to the book, but whether its parts will fit together to be greater than their sum - that after watching twelve hours of film, the viewer will have arrived at a moral or spiritual place different from where he started. I haven't yet decided whether "The Fellowship of the Ring" is a great motion picture. But it is a magnificent piece of movie making. And for that alone it deserves five stars. * This has nothing to do with being aware of scenes omitted from the novel. It is related to the overall pacing of the film, and to the way scenes relate and "flow" into each other. It's hard to describe, but easy to see. ** It was, for its day. But modern technology makes it possible to film the book almost exactly as written - including all the material MGM - and generations of fans - found unnecessary in the movie. There is a difference between "richness" and "bloat."
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Summary: Works fine on PlayStation 2 (4-disc Extended Edition)
Review: For those with PS2s who have trouble with DVD's: I had absolutely no trouble with any of the four discs in this set. I have watched the first two discs (the movie) with the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, and also with the writers' comments. I have watched most of the extras on the other two discs.
Now if my PS2 could only get through Chocolat...
Rating:
Summary: Masterpiece
Review: There`s almost nothing left to say after all those reviews only one thing.Though many will find that Peter Jackson remove may things from the book one must admit that his version or vision is a masterpiece and bringing to life the friends,fiends and foes of Middle earth to life was the dream of so many readers and fans of Tolkien.Thank you Mr Jackson . Was this review helpful to you?
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Summary: Hairy Who?
Review: Let's get this out of the way really quickly. This movie is the best adaptation of a beloved book into a movie - even better than "Gone with the Wind." Believe me, that movie was highly anticipated at the time and they loved it. What makes "The Fellowship of the Ring" so incredible is that, just in the theatrical release, Peter Jackson told Tolkien's story with economy and the excellent cast brought the characters even more to life than they were in the book. You just can't write visual interaction in a book! The sly looks, the slow dawning of understanding, looks of horror or contempt are suited to a visual medium.
The Extended Version's extra 30 minutes or so, some of which is NOT in the original, all work. My favorite is Frodo and Sam's lines coming out of the pub in Hobbiton! Even the audio commentary can be hilarious! Don't stop listening to it once the credits start rolling. The best line by one of the actors is right near the end. Believe me, just get it. It'll be months before you can even get to all of the bonus features. Enjoy!!
I also have to say that comparing "Lord of the Rings" to "Harry Potter" is like comparing the Beatles to the Monkees.
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