All I have to say is that Lord of the Rings is the best movie I've ever seen and the only movies that I can think of right now that can surpass the first part of LOTR is Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. P.S. After a month I'm still ashamed at the Academy for giving A Beautiful Mind best picture over this.

Utterly astounding cinematography, graphics, and amazingly faithful to the books. As for character developement, I wish the few that complain about the movie in this regard would realise that this movie is merely the first segment in a trilogy. Thus the character developement takes place over the ENTIRE series. Not just a single film.

Fantastic movie - best i've seen - I saw it 3 times!

One of the best movies I have ever seen. If you thought the character development was bad, you are obviously not too much of a fan of READING. The books that this movie is based on were amazing, and this film almost lives up to them. All in all I find that the people who write the bad reviews seem to be self important nimrods who have no appreciation for fantasy, and instead hide behind their scorn for a movie based on, pff, CHILDREN'S books.… Expand

The first order of bussiness is to agree with Steve M. Mr Ed.B must not have comprehended this movie well, I believe it portrayed images from the book very well. There is little insight of the characters, however, I wouldn't have wanted the writers to launch off into the entire Lord of the Rings background. In some movies, this is a great quality. Lord of the Rings is about as far from a pretentious movie as Forrest Gump. … Expand

An excellent adaption of the first book of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It was the best movie I've ever seen and without a doubt the best movie of the year. In addition, on the release of the film, the second DVD full of special features was incredible. I was made even more anxious when I viewed the previews of the Special Extended edition of the movie and the Two Towers. Although a person who is not a fan of the books may not appreciate the second release of the movie with extra footage (or, on a second note, be able to understand the plot with one viewing of the movie), I cannot wait for it's release in November. Although it's hard to imagine, the next installment of the trilogy is said to be much better than the first. I am anxiously awaiting the release of the second film which is part of this extraordinary labor of love.… Expand

My fave characters were Legolas and Aragorn by far. I love this movie and can't wait for the next two!

Quite simply one of the greatest films ever made. Slightly better than part two. Now bring on number three!

I'm not a huge fan of the series, but I have to say that this movie was amazing.

An incredible achievement in filmmaking.

LOTR was a spectacular film. This movie is truly the best film ever made in my opinion. I'm still in awe of the characters and the effects were amazingly well done. I have to give this movie a bonus(11/10)Excellent! Masterpiece!

This is the best of three, if you ask me. The strong story more than makes up for the less epic battle scenes. Here the ring is sinister and menacing and the quest to destroy it means something. In addition the story is much stronger and better written than in the sequels.

This might just as well be the the best film ever made. Setting a new standard for motion picture, this is one of those movies that will become a classic, just like Jaws, Psycho and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Except that this one's better. Much better.

The new star wars for the 21st century. One of the most perfect films ever made. Screenplay, Directing, Editing, Costume, Casting, special effects all mold together seamlessly to create an istant masterpeice that is going to imitated for years to come.

The whole series is the best, but the first movie is the most faithful of the bunch. a better fantasy epic than star wars. why roger ebert thinks harry potter and star wars is better is beyond me.

Prolly the greatest movie of alltime. The fellowship was the best of all three lord of the rings movies.

Simply; one of the best films of all time. This is my favorite of the 3 (and the other 2 weren't too shabby). Everything from the acting, to the script, to the action was just superb. Sir Ian McKellen was amazing and I can't wait for his next appearence in "The Hobbit".

Best movie ever!!!

One of the best adventure movies of the decade! It's not scared to be what it wants to be...which is long, audacious and anything but the ordinary adventure film.

This film is a breathtaking, awe inspiring masterpiece of cinema.

Ned is not the man, he's a childish ponse who thinks he's the entire human race. If you dont care about the character's, it's your fault. If you think the story is immature, you're wrong (how the hell is it immature? someone tell me!) The characters are not weak: the elves are ponses, okay (but you'd think then ned would identify with them!) but then at least two of them is rightful king of the land of men! Not week, is it! Ned needs to get over himself, if he did then he'd see this was a great movie! (by the way, if you come back by having a go at my spellinggrammar then you will know I have won the argument with so little imagination!)… Expand

I just dare Ned to create an entire world only from his own imagination, to developes races, languages, places.. then to write it in a book, to write other books with stories of these stuffs, then I dare him to make a movie of these books in less than 2 years. If he can, then I'll consider his meaningless rate. I would like to see a "six-year-old" doing the work Peter Jackson did. Rating this movie beneath 6 shouldn't be allowed for this movie. I just NEVER seen a movie with such a perfect casting, with incredible music and ambiance, and with such landscape. It just drops the new star wars way behind.… Expand

One of the best movies I've ever seen. But there's one thing I don't get. First, this movie was at a 95, then it was lowered down to a 94, and it's a 93? Personally, I think someone hacked into this website and was so mad that this movie was too good to have a rating, that they decided to lower its score. I get a lump in my throat just thinking about this movie. It had some very emotional moments that made me sob all night. Fantasy is so great. It's too bad that some people just don't appreciate such great imaginations that some brilliant authors (such as J.R.R Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, and Jules Verne) have. … Expand

It's a great film alright. But it's got sod all to do with September the bloody 11th.

Quite simply one of the two or three best fantasy films ever made and one of the best novel to film transitions ever! It restores a genuine sense of WOW to the cinema. What an achievement for all concerned.

Fellowship Of The Ring isn't so much an adaptation as it builds and fleshes out the gray areas of the book. Peter Jackson has outdone himself - visually the movie is stunning, the details warrant repeated viewings, and the dialogue and flow goes over 3 hours without one moment of boredom.

To neone who keeps moaning that its a too long movie......if Jackson had made all three in one go and released all three movies as one...ud just be moaning that it was longer and suggest they split it into 3 movies. i thought the movie wa brilliant, gr8 choice of characters adn brilliant script, sound effects and special effects. if u havent seen it see it......12 out of ten if poss!!!

Fellowship is a really great movie, that is both grand scale action and intimate moments of friendship and love. Against all odds, Jackson has succeeded in bringing a masterpiece to life!

Hey Ned, before saying anything you really MUST make a movie from a book that is over a 1000 pages long and has tens of millions of fans. The goal is to make the movie in an incredibly short time with incredible effects, sound and all the other stuff. After that should you give this movie such a dumb rating. "acting was mediocre" umm, actually all the actors made an amazing job on their characters. the only fact they might seem dull is because there are 9 main characters plus lots of others. I think that even with those 9 characters Jackson made a really good job on describing them. "immature fantasy" - boy aren't you mature. most of things on our lives are really simple, why should we make fuss about that. if you have'nt read the books i suggest you do as well before judging this movie. as you will see it is just an ecranization of the book. the story behind all that is much more complex. It is just like any other thing in this world - looks simple at first but with little more attention put into it, a lot more things come up. Also about six-year-olds: did you tell anything like that to your babysitter at that age? did your story make your babysitter image that rich and beautiful world you were talking about? Battle scenes in this movie are really cool. I went to the premiere and 11 more times after that, and each time when Aragorn finished fighting with an orc the studio was applauding. All the battles in this movie are just as good as those in Black Hawk Down, Gladiator, etc... From the depths of my soul I scream NED DOES NOT WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT!!!!… Expand

WOW... the best movie ever! The Hobbits are just the best in the whole movie! I am really looking forward to the next two videos:)

I can't see how anyone could NOT have liked this. It was brilliantly coordinated and the special effects were done so beautifully. The cast is perfect. Orlando Bloom is absolute eye candy (but that?s not the only thing that makes this movie good). Just go see it, what else is there to say? I'm buying the DVD and seeing the next 2!

Great!!!

This movie was awsome. They special effects and photography are excellent. I have seen the movie 5 times and I can't wait till it comes to DVD. I also can't wait for the sequels. Ian McKellen gave an extraordinary preformance as Gandalf the Grey and Elijah Wood protrade Frodo Baggins astoundingly. They coundn't have found anyone better. Lord of The Rings rules!!

This movie is terrific! I've never been one for Tolkien, but the movie is outstanding. I've gone back to see it five times.

One of the greatest movies ever made.

I think Peter Jackson did a wonderful job with the movie. It was definitely the best movie I have ever seen.

I loved it, I'd give it an 11 out of 10 if it were possible.

Brilliant!!

Just brilliant. A perfect start for this long awaited trilogy. And I have heard that people complain about "no real ending". Well, just take a look on the world's most popular trilogy Star Wars. Does the first and second have a "real" ending? Nooo...

Awesome, awesome, awesome!

As good an adaptation from book to film as it can get.

Same as the other...Two words Olando Bloom.

This movie was great.

Beautiful film:) imagination actually seems real in Lord Of the Rings. Thank you for an amazing experience, and its only begun!

This is my absolute favorite movie! It deserves a 20/10! Elijah Wood is the best! Whoever gave it a low rating is crazy!!!!

The most magnificent and best high-fantasy film of all time. Not really THE BEST film of all time, but one of the best, and definitely the LORD of its genre. Breathtaking visuals and cinematography, stunning sets and landscapes, beautiful score, flawless acting, I can't wait for the next two films!

This is the most beautiful movie i have ever seen. I can't wait for the next one.

Its in my top 3 favorite movies and i think whoever doesnt like it is an idiot!!!!!!! I've read all the books and they are great!I can't wait to see The Two Towers and The Return of the King.

I've read the book, and the movie was even better than I expected!!!!!

It iz the best film i have eva seen in my whole life and i can't wait 4 the nxt! the scenery iz amazing and every word iz true 2 tolkiens epic book.

There is no question about this being the absolute best movie of all time. It succeeds in everything it does. I admit that seeing the movie before I read book was a mistake, but it didn't stop me from loving this movie! I saw it again after the read and the book, I had a new respect for it. The movie is visually mind-blowing, the acting is the best I've seen in any movie, the story soars above any other, and the movie itself just rocks! It was robbed blind at the Oscars. It should have won everything it was nominated for. The Academy doesn't know what the hell they're doing. What does a movie have to do to get recognized? For crying out loud! The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is (needless to say) unbeatable!… Expand

Amazing....everything about LOTR was amazing and unforgetable....it was so deep and in depth....it was not boring for a second....in all of the 3 hours.

People. People. People. The show was magnificiant and those who give it lower than a 7 say it was the crummiest? You definitely haven't watched the movie, you guys just probably read some what critics say and copy them just to make yourself look proffesional! The movie did have some character developement in it, the point of the whole story is about fighting and war so you have to keep the battle scenes and if you ask why it didn't even have an ending... I suggest you read the book! … Expand

The reason that movies are made in the first place! I would have sat another three hours. One of the few blockbusters where the CGI effects are used to enhance the story, rather than become the thrust of the story.

I'm sick of everyone whining about a lack of character development. Tolkien's stories were always sweeping epics (the Silmarillion crosses the line into myth), not character studies. If they wanted to be even truer to the books they could have included some folk songs. Wouldn't that have pissed people off even more. If you were expecting piercing insight into Frodo's existential sense of dread, you were expecting a different movie and I think that accounts for most of the low ratings. Speaking of which, I've never seen the viewer ratings polarized to this extent - all 10's or 0's.… Expand

This is the best movie in the world!! it has everything u could ask for...it is by far the best!

To those 2 guys who say it sux. r u guys out of ur mind!? peter jackson did a wonderful job on packing a 300-page book into 3 hours, tho it could have been 4-5 hours cuz of all those additional details and characters that were not in the movie. the names of characters were made by tolkien and plz, its a fantasy world, they shouldn't be called american names. i'm happy it got as many awards as beautiful mind did. it's just too good! the week after the movie i read the whole trilogy and now i keep getting all the lord of the rings stuff, even dvd tho i don't have a dvd player. boy i can't wait for the next one!!!!… Expand

I fully disagree with "Poopinski", yes her/his name speaks for it self obviously. The 2nd DVD was beyond expectations and was incredible. The film itself made me an obessed LOTR fan. Especially FOTR...the books are also amazing. Peter Jackson couldn't have done better except maybe did not edit out the extra 30 min. which is only available on the extended version. Lord of the Rings totally rock.… Expand

This movie is part one of the best book in the world. J.R.R. Tolkien is the most influential man in all of the fantasy genre. Without his book there would be no beauty in my life. This is because the Lord of the Rings is beautiful in itself. Nicole, whoever you are you can burn in eternal hellfire because of what you have said about the movie, the book and anything pertaining to the best book of all time. I hope your family will realize the error in your ways and abandon you. Next time you have something to say about Lord of the Rings just keep it in your prissy stuckup snobby mouth. Queen of the Damned is nothing compared to the awesome work of poetry that is the Lord of the Rings. If I were able to make my vote above ten I would give the Lord of the Rings over 1 billion, because that is the amount that it has already made in theaters worldwide. Can you tell me how much Queen of the Damned got? Guess what there are also two more movies coming out. Can you say highest grossing trilogy of all time (Even surpassing Star Wars)? You probably don't like Star Wars either ... And don't think for a minute that I like Harry Potter because that is crap, just like you. J.R.R. Tolkien lives on in his books which are the embodiment of all that is right and just and good in the world. Thank you. … Expand

"There are those who live, Frodo, who do not deserve to. There are those who die, that do not deserve to. It is what we do with the time we have that makes the difference." Gandalf. The movie captures the essence of the book in a very genuine way. So much is left out, but what is left in follows the story right to the heart of it. It is really the story of Frodo and Sam. It is the ageless story of the fight between good and evil. It is the story of a loving friendship that prevails against all odds. It is the story of winning, against all odds. It is only a story, but then, isn't all life just a story. If I had the chance to be in the story of Frodo, and the ring, I would pledge to him my sword. Stories are just a thing of the mind. So is life. Michael.… Expand

What can i say about the lord of the rings, everything! It had action, comedy, suspence, and more. Peter Jackson made a great novel an even better. Elijah Wood, Orlando bloom, and more made the move great with their talents. This movie we make u belif that it is true becase of the plot, setting, and the great battle scenes. I've watched this movie atleast 30 times and it is still exiting. IF u haven't seen this movie, then u have not lived. See the movie all ur friends r talking about and see the two suspensful sequels!!!… Expand

This movie was by far the best movie i have EVER seen, and trust me, I have seen A LOT of movies. It pisses me off to see people not like it.. a lot of time, effort and money went into this movie. You dont like the movie eh? The why did it make over $100 million in the first 4 days? Obviously more people like it than don't. Lagolas is so freakin hot. Even if you didnt like the movie.. you have to admit they did good on the cast!… Expand

A great depiction of Tolkien's book. Good acting, imagery, and real emotion make the fantasy believable.

I think it's all right for a person to hate this movie, we can't force someone to like this movie. But, the thing is....ALL OF YOUR FREAKIN' SO-CALLED 'EVIDENCE' THAT 'SUPPORTS' YOUR OPINION! No story? If you think that, you either have bad ears, you think the most entertaining movies are the most boring, or you have VERY LOW intelligance. Some of the story was narrated in the beginning, you dork! No character development? You couldn't see how Frodo looked so happy (before the Ring was given to him) in the Shire, and all of a sudden his face was full of fear and worry when the Ring was given to him, and learned danger would soon be pursuing him? You didn't see this? Maybe you were looking, but you didn't look close enough, or gather up all the clues (EVERY SINGLE ONE) to lead to support your opinion well. I thought this movie was much more enchanting and magical than the second one which was cold, dirty, and polluted (even though it was supposed to be). The sceneries in this one are absolutely gorgeous. The movie even makes you feel like crying at the end. *sniffle* Way to go, FOTR makers!… Expand

Nearly perfect. This movie takes you into middle earth and leaves you begging for the next installment.

I think one word could describe this movie- BEAUTIFUL. Andrew J., I'm sorry you thought the movie was boring, but then again, why should anyone who hasn't seen this movie trust a reviewer who can't even spell "wasn't" right?

Defines the fantasy genre. Possibly the best movie of this type ever made, and benefits from some careful pruning of Tolkien's overly long narrative by Jackson. One unavoidable drawback: my wife had a difficult time following, having never read the book.

This movie was a classic. peter jackson has taken a book and turned it into a masterpiece!

What a magnificent and striking this film is. Masquerading as commercial entertainment, The Fellowship of the Ring sometimes borders on being art, and demonstrates was is possible when a truly brave filmmaker is given a good idea and a large budget. A must see.

Amazing Film.

Well, Ilze S., if you think there's no storyline, maybe you should pay more attention, if you can focus for more than an hour-and-a-half. Although the fight scenes, special effects, and costumes are breathtaking, the heart of the movie is the story, one of the greatest tales of Good and Evil of all time, ever. For that, we can giveTolkien ALL the credit. All in all, this trilogy is a masterpiece, and as a long time fan of the books, they've lived up to ALL of my expectations. (except Tom Bombadil, sadly......maybe they should do a T.V. series spin off!)… Expand

Great movie!

Wonderful, just wonderful.... even 4 years later.

When I watched the lord of the rings for the first time I was either 9 or 10 and I didn't understand a single thing about this movie. I was like why the hell is everybody jumping for this ring. Now many years later the lord of the rings trilogy remains my favorite! Story... If you get the plot then it's a story that's gonna captivate you even after the end of the movie. Kudos to J.R.R.Tolkien for creating such a world and Peter Jackson for filling this world with life. Acting... Every character is special and all the credit goes to the actors. Each and every actor, has carried out their roles with dedication and devotion. No complains. Direction... I'd only say that no other person in this universe could have made lord of the rings other than Peter Jackson. Visuals... The fighting scenes are exhilarating! Visuals are one of the strongest points of this movie. It's not easy for a 3 hour movie to keep you entertained for long but this movie makes you beg for more! These movies are made once in a decade and to not see them is the biggest mistake of your life.… Expand

Had a few minor annoyances, but had the same annoyances with the novels. But in most ways, it's absolutely tremendous, and certainly deserves Best Picture consideration. And as visual spectacle, it's astounding.

I LOVED IT!!!!!!

Possibly the best movie I have ever seen. The sense of magic combined with the powers and subtle differences depicted in each of the many races within the world conjured from the genius of Tolkien is phenomenal. Graphically, technically and emotionally stunning. See it.

A true masterpiece of epic film-making. I was swept away by this film from the very start. Whether it be the intimately emotional character development of the hobbit characters or the sweeping vistas of Middle-Earth (via New Zealand), this film is one of the most breathtaking I've seen since Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. It easily trumps any and every other fantasy film from Excalibur to Dungeons & Dragons and stands with its head held high among even such recent classics as Braveheart and Gladiator, beating out both with its charm and humanity as well as its stirring battle sequences and stunning visual FX. (Gollum is only briefly glimpsed in his 10 or 20 seconds onscreen but is easily 10x better in rendering than the any and all of Jar Jar's renderings in The Phantom Menace.) The emotional resonance of this film left me deeply moved at several points -- to the point of tears at two points -- and is touching in its portrayal of all the characters involved. In short, if you see only one film this holiday season, SEE THIS ONE. It will not disappoint.… Expand

So good I can't help myself. I am reading the book again. Only small problems: moments of disconnect (who is Boromir, where did he come from, and why does he look so much like the other guy?), one or two small plot devices were added unnecessarily to keep the pace frantic (why did we need that thing from 20,000 leagues under the sea). Oh well. Bravo!

Forget the fantasy clichés you've been snickering at: the flimsy plots, the names like Zrhkyn, the maidens in cleavage-enhancing breastplates. This is fantasy at its best, the way it was meant to be before the tacky airbrushed book and album covers of the 1970's gave it a bad name. Little Frodo Baggins races through a truly imaginative landscape fraught with magic and peril to destroy a ring with dark powers before the evil Lord Sauron can get a hold of it, and grows up along the way. Elijah Wood does a good job with Frodo's transformation from young hayseed to warrior. Standouts also include Ian Holm as Bilbo and Ian McKellen as Gandalf, along with familiar faces like Hugo Weaving (from Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) and Liv Tyler for a dash of female interest in an otherwise very boyish adventure. True, the plot is condensed, but in ways that make sense. The effects are very good, the scenery is gorgeous, and there is plenty of pulse-racing action. It's not all good looks either: every emotion seems sincere. Simply put, this epic beats the pants off anything ever dreamed up by George Lucas. If you never see another fantasy or sci-fi flick, you should see this one.… Expand

A masterpiece!!!

Wake up people...the emperor isn't wearing any clothes! It's a truly great movie, the Star Wars of our generation, not a crap overrated blah! No-one'll think the less of you if you admit it, don't you worry! 'Course, at 170 minutes, it'll bore the crap out of you if you're not much into Tolkien...but that's your fault, nimrod, not the film's. Oh, and how DARE you insinuate that Tolkien is evidence of the dumbing-down of Western Culture? Jesus H Christ, a film is made, the themes don't appeal to your mindset, and it's the end of the damn universe? Get the hell out of here!… Expand

The best film out there! No nudity or sex or cussing make this movie great and true to it's Christian values (the author of the books, Tolkien, was Christian). I have finished reading the first two books in time for the first two movies. I hope the second film takes home more oscars than the first one.

A truly brilliant masterpiece. A great adaptation of the book that results in a gripping and impressive adventure. The film itself is, I have to admit, a bit too long!

An epic fantasy film of the kind I've never seen and doubt I will ever see again.

Rating movies is a subjective thing, but only to a point. Anybody who rates this movie lower than 7 is simply seeking attention, and should not be taken seriously. Sort of like the guy who walks into a museum, looks at a Van Gogh, and says "my kid could do that with finger paints." Whatever. If you get your jollies by bashing a movie that 90+ percent of the population thinks is something close to a cinematic masterpiece, then you're a bit demented, don't you think?… Expand

Rapture!

Out of this world - I loved it!

One of the coolest 2001 movies, yet, the saddest of all movies, I was drowning in tears the very first time I saw this movie. Even with almost all of us in the audience crying, this was as cool as Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone and Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas!

I loved the movie. It surpassed my expectations.

This was one of the best movies I have ever seen. Everything was great!!

I rated this movie when it came out in theaters at only a 7. After seeing the extended version on DVD, I give it a 9. The extra footage helped capture more of the true story because it developed the characters more.

Legolas is hot. and this movie is awesome.

Wow...splendid stuff. I read the book first and then saw the movie, and was completely blown away. An epic story made into an epic movie. And frankly speaking, the first book was actually very dull, compared to the next two books. So, hoping that the next two movies will top this one.

Will be remembered in 100 years.

Totally unpredictable, fascinating, enthralling, chiling, refreshing, and just all out spectacular!

Absoulute thriller! It had comedy, tradity, it made me cry and mad me laugh. It was honestly the best movie of all time. The actors and actresses brought depth and feeling to every part in the movie. I loved this movie so much I rate it a 10 and above.

It's wonderful!!! The magic is real! And big thanx to PJ!