Rating: 
Summary: Hate to sound like a doofus, but....
Review: Wow!! I had read and enjoyed the trilogy a couple of times and definitely wanted to see the movie, but was NOT expecting it to be so good! I was overwhelmed, have seen it twice so far, and I never see anything twice! I was expecting a solid expensive effort along the lines of a Jurassic Park - lots of effects, little depth. The book and the depth of the story is kept true - don't pay attention to those sour grapes who can only pick it apart. I noticed Tom Bombadil's absence but didn't miss it.
Rating: 
Summary: so what?
Review: I should admit, first, that I have not read the books, and so I am probably not the audience the film is aimed at, although I do read primarily science fiction and fantasy and have for years. I really wanted to like the movie - went into the theater trying to like it - but I didn't have any emotional ties with the characters at all, and after a while, I frankly stopped caring what happened to them. I don't know why I didn't like it. By all appearances I really should have, but I felt, at the end, that I had seen a movie where nothing happened. No resolution was reached by the characters, there weren't many shifts in the characters' relationships - there weren't any secrets, no real twists - everything was just out there on the table. No suspense at all; they seemed to just be walking around Middle Earth for three hours. I guess you have to have read the books, but I'm really wondering what all the fuss is about
Rating:
Summary: One of The Very Best I Have Ever Seen!!!!!
Review: Been a fan of the trilogy since I first received the books as a Christmas gift from my Dad in 1969. Being an avid reader anyway, I took to the trilogy and its whole world in no time flat!!! As I sat in the movie theater Saturday afternoon before this Christmas, I was astounded by this awesome motion picture version of Tolkien's masterpiece. Peter Jackson has simply done a superb job of bringing this complex world and as many of its characters as were necessary to tell the story to vivid life. What a movie!!!! The cast was uniformly excellent, the screenplay brilliant, and the music and other effects mere perfection. There were several points during the film where I was brought to near tears either by the beauty of the work and/or by the actors. Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortenson, et al. convey such conviction that there are times I felt overwhelmed by their feelings and the situations in which the characters found themselves. I shall not only being going to see this film in the theater again (which I NEVER do), but I shall purchase the DVD of this an each of the subsequent films as soon as they become available. As I have told anyone in my life who will listen, I say GO SEE THIS MOVIE - IT IS TRULY A MARVEL AND THOROUGHLY ENTERTAINING.
Rating:
Summary: The best movie adaptation of a Book I've ever seen
Review: What Amazes me most about this masterpiece is just how much they managed to cover in three hours. Some things had top be left out but the movie flowed well and even with the pace they set they managed to get quiet moments. As a long time fan, I was expecting some disappointments, but this surpassed not only my expectations, but my hopes as well. If you liked the books, you owe it to yourself to check this movie out. I can only hope that others will attempt to reach the standard that this film sets. All reports I've read leads me to believe that LOTR will give this Genre the respect it deserves.
Rating:
Summary: An absolutely fabulous adaptation of a classic
Review: 'The Fellowship of the Ring' just plain took my breath away! It far exceeded my expectations--especially with the crop of books-to-movies that have made it to the big screen in the past 10 years. Considering that a theatrical release is first and foremost expected to earn back the cost of production and marketing, I fully expected most of the storyline to be
lost in bringing this incredible tale to the big screen. You can just imagine my complete surprise at how truly faithful this screen adaptation ended up being. As I re-read this story again I see the wisdom in why certain portions of the novel had to be selectively left out. As one reviewer also noted, leaving out Tom Bombadil did nothing to diminish the story, and yet some liberties with the story were of course inevitable...and although I didn't agree with some of them, they were ultimately (in my opinion) excusable chiefly because of the sheer scope and how truly magificent this epic turned out.Choosing New Zealand was an absolute stroke of genius. Nowhere on earth (today anyway) can you find scenery that could compete with the imaginative brilliance that Tolkien brought to life in his description of Middle Earth. If this country indeed looks like what I saw on the big screen, this is a place I need to visit. I simply cannot say enough about how well this epic was made. From the totally believable image of the Hobbits being so much smaller than most other races to the entrance to Moria which is virtually a clone of the depiction found within the pages of the book, and on rare moments when I could hear conversations between characters that I recalled are word-for-word the same in the novel (I went back and checked just for the fun-of-it). Hands down the best film I have seen this year (if not several) and recommend it highly to any and all fans of these masterful works of fiction. As in all things, there will be those die hard fans who would rather see nothing if not an EXACT replica of the stories (which is impossible for so many reasons that cannot be written here), but for those who can appreciate what
Tolkien wrote, and how a task of placing this image on the big screen is really one major difficult job, will end up not just loving this movie, but also look forward to 'The Two Towers' which comes out December 2002. Kudos to those responsible for
this visual treat. I am thrilled that it was done so well, and
ultimately so faithful. That alone is tribute enough to the memory of Tolkien's fantastic adventures.
Rating: 
Summary: Tolkien would roll over in his grave
Review: My overriding impression was: Evil beasts that were gross beyond the need to be gross, too much violence, not enough story. Long seconds spent in close-ups on Elijah Woods eyes does not a movie make. Frodo ceases to be a character as soon as the quest begins and becomes a "face". The same lack of dimension is true for each character in the movie. When Frodo says that he wishes the ring had never come to him, I wanted to jump up and shout "Same here!". There is little substance to any of the characters and little character development. The third hour of this film dragged on interminably. The only reason I stayed was in the hope that some of the personality exhibited in the Shire would be evident again. It wasn't. The abruptness of the ending was so unnatural that my thought was that in the editing room someone said "I'm tired. It's late. Let's just stop here." A total disappointment!
Rating:
Summary: Great Book, Great Movie
Review: This is the first time a movie has captured the essence and accurately portrayed the story, characters, and places of a great book. The fantasy was truly brought to life and made me feel like I was in the story. An exceptional experience!
Rating: 
Summary: Typical Hollywood Treatment
Review: Even the very best of intentions do not ensure greatness. This movie is quite a success because it will do well at the box office, but for those of us who truly cherish this story and these characters, it can only be a disappointment. I realize that a movie cannot include each and every aspect of a book, but for the sake of brevity too much was lost and/or misrepresented. Many reviewers are not concerned with the massive changes of the story from The Shire to Rivendell, including Galdalf's unexplained absence which caused Frodo to set out on his own, the absence of the house at Crickhollow, Sam's "Conspiracy" with Merry and Pippen, The Old Forest/Tom Bombadill and the Barrow Downs. For me, these events represent the development of the relationships and the characters of the four hobbits, and the exclusion of these events leaves them shallow. The LOTR is SO much about the characters. We never really get a sense of Sam's devotion to Frodo until the end of this movie. Sam is such a HUGE part of the entire trilogy - perhaps the most important character - and for him to lack such depth on film is just a crime. We also miss Merry's maturity, leadership and his support of Frodo. Instead, he and Pippen are little more than idiots who just happen to get swept along in the adventure. Does Arwens expanded role serve any real purpose besides adding a bigger female character? Is anyone else tired of Hollywood's need to put a love story at the center of every movie? Yes, Tolkien wrote about it, but it's not a significant enough event to dedicate a scene where she and Aragorn are standing in the dark professing their love and devotion to one another...not to mention we miss Frodo's defiance of the Ringwraiths at the Ford - another important character aspect. It's a good thing that Arwen was there to invoke the river against the Ringwraiths and add the form of horses to it. It would be a shame for Gandalf to take credit for that all to himself, wouldn't it?! As for Gandalf's rescue from Orthanc, I guess we must just assume that the Great Eagle was called by the "moth" who was actually Radagast the Brown? There's also a lot of talk about the scenery and the effects and there certainly is a lot of "eye candy" but just not much substance. I'll stop there, but let me just end by saying that this is not a bad movie on it's own merit, but it should be made clear that this is a movie BASED on The Lord of the Rings / Fellowship of the Ring and should not be confused with the real deal. I hope I haven't blown my chances to date Liv Tyler...
Rating:
Summary: Beyond expectations
Review: The movie went beyond expectations. I really felt the characters came to life. I felt for the fellowship more than ever, the loyalty, common motive, good versus evil. I can not wait to see it again.
Rating:
Summary: Movie of the Year!!!! A Must See for All!!!!
Review: I must admit. I have never heard of the Lord of the Rings before the previews started airing on television. I went to go see this movie with my girlfriend Naomi, and we were both blown away. This movie is fantastic. It has been a long time since I really enjoyed a movie such as this one. I can honestly say we were glued to the seats for three hours. The storyline is excellent!!The graphics are marvelous and the actors did a magnificent job. This movie definately gets my pick for movie of the year!!
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