Go read a book, Will. Once in your life. Please?

I started reading the book like 3 years ago, it seemed boring and extremely discriptive for my taste, any way, I thought I was only about magicians and elves and dwarfs, nothing big...I was sooo wrong. I saw the movie and it really involved me into it...it's about honor and pride and friendship and human values that are vanishing right now. Great effects, excellent acting roles, brilliant music...I couln't have asked more.… Expand

By far the most imaginative film I have seen on the big screen since Star Wars was rereleased in 97. I was kind of interested in Hary Potter, seeing as the books were entertaining. But after that dissappointment of that film, I was a little afraid to get excited about Lord of the Rings. They were not my favorite books. But Jackson completely laid to rest any of my fears, showing that he is more than capable of bringing a book to the screen.… Expand

What is all the hoopla about? If you wasted your childhood playing Dungeons & Dragons, this movie is for you. Otherwise, don't bother. The movie does have tremendous special effects and fantastic scenery, some of the best you'll ever see. However, for the most part, this is an incredibly boring film which basically breaks down to a bunch of ho-hum battles with evil creatures (typical plot sequence: guy stabs evil creature with sword, followed by guy shoots evil creature with arrow, etc.). The plot is extremely simple and leads absolutely nowhere, the dialogue is complete drivel, and the characters are one dimensional (at best). If the movie was an hour or two long, it might have been tolerable, but at three hours, it's virtually unbearable, unless your idea of a good time is watching paint dry.… Expand

I have to give a 10+++ (as I watched it already 3 times) for the movie I was expecting for months. I truly remained without breath fot the whole 3 hours and enjoyed every second of it. The myth of the great mind of J.R.R. Tolkien finally came to life with this truly remarkable masterpiece of filmaking. I have never seen such good visuals in my life, and after I have read the books of the Lord of the Rings, I realised how well the whole book was recreated superbly on screen. The scenery is truly spectecular and breathtaking, compliments to Peter Jackson's New Zealand and his great talent. The soundtrack is also marvellous. I hope this film will be rewarded for its greatness. It is a great epic of fantasy and adventure, and without any doubt, one of the or the best film of the year. I do not mind people critsicing harshly the film because I do believe they don't know a damn about the books of Tolkien. Please don't try to compare it to Star Wars, maybe it was written 40 years later!! The Fellowship of the Ring is a dream come true thanks to Tolkien's genius and Peter Jackson's talent. Flawless! Can't wait a year and two to see the other movies, then I guess I have to put myself on dvds!… Expand

The special effects are, of course, good. However, the film is ultimately just an overlong film that is too intense for young children and is, at heart, a simplistic action flick that has little to offer adults.

It could be called "Long of the Rings" (because of the inclusion of all the unused scenes from "The Mummy Returns"), but it is highly entertaining. I cant wait for the next 16 hours....

Much, too much helicopter shots...too much close ups of the ring! Music reminded me of scooby-doo cartoons...it never stopped! Moved waaay too slow for 3 hour movie! ...what the hell is the movie about? Am I the only one that didn't get it!???

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.

This is a great movie! Some say that the actors aren't convincing (e.g. Mr. Steven Rea of the Philadelphia Inquirer calling Wood's Frodo a wuss), but that may be because they had read the trilogy, and have a certain expectation as to how the characters are. I haven't read the books, so to me, it makes sense that Wood's Frodo, who is supposed to be a friendly Hobbit, acts like a wuss. I guess ignorance is bliss. I must say Viggo Mortensen is way cool and perfect for the role, much like Hugh Jackman in X-Men (Aussie Aussie Aussie! Oy Oy Oy!)… Expand

This was more faithful to the book than I had hoped. My fear was that-- as often happens-- little would remain of the original story. This was a superb retelling of a great story. This is a truly great film.

Movie true to form. The movie was believable. The special effects was great. The story left us hanging for the next eposide. The use of the teamwork was great. The movie sticked close to the book

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.

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

It was visually stunning and emotionally empty for me. I had trouble staying awake.

See the movie, yet expect a few things to go unanswered if you haven't read the books. As with all movies crafted from books, it follows the story line as best it can with breathtaking visual effects and heart racing action, however, it lightly skims over the friendship shared by the four Hobbits or the mystical aura of Galadriel.

I haven't read the book yet (I've been... uh... busy) so with nothing to compare it to I think that this movie is amazing. I was kind of annoyed at the whole "comic-relief hobbits" deal but, if that's the whole point of hobbits, then maybe I should be giving the movie a 10. I don't think it is, so I won't.

Good action film but lacks true emotional depth to be rated as a top film for adults.

If the movie was any longer, I would have needed an I.V.

The greatest adventure of all time.. adapted to the movie screen in absolute perfection. It doesn't get any better than this.

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.

I am a huge fan of the book and had very high expectations for the film, and I was disappointed. Some scenes Hobbiton, Moria were done very well and I thought Gandalf, Boromir, Legolas and Saruman all came out as believable and true to my reading. However, I found the story and the characters for the most part were left undeveloped to focus on the action, and I also cringed each time Jackson changed the story - which was far too often. Some key shortfalls included the recreating and lack of development of Merry and Pippin, the whirlwind pace through the Bree episode, a weak encounter on weathertop which felt totally choreographed, a blink and you'd miss it pass through Lothlorien and on and on. Also although Frodo is saddled with an immense burden, his constant pitiful expressions become kind of wearing. Oh well, I still give it a 7 for the overall visualizations created and the Moria encounter. If I hadn't been so fond of the book I might have rated it higher.… Expand

An excellent adaptation of JRR Tolkien's LOTR, but has some very key mistakes which lower its score.. I found it a little confusing. First, why do merry and pippen go on the trip? Nowhere in the movie does gandalf or frodo tell them. Another thing that annoyed me was that merry and pippen were just comic relief, and reminded me of episode 1's JAR JAR BINKS... A good movie though.

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

Firstly, I have to qualify as someone who has NOT read the Tolkien books. I went in anticipating a great movie. I have to concede that it wasn't one of the greatest movies ever made, for sure and it does seem long at points. All in all though, it's a nice film.

New Zealand tourist video meets Meatloaf album cover. Stunning fight scenes, but treacly character development and sodden pacing. At least a half hour of the film's runtime must be spent watching Elijah Wood gape wide-eyed at something.

Best movie ever!!!

Very drab and politacally correct untill the slaying starts. Felt a lot like watching Bakshi's lord of the rings.

Wonderful cinamatography, special effects, sets. everything visual is amazing. as is all the acting. but they killed the story. just completely dropped so many things that tolkien empahsized. it would be wonderful if they hadn't called it lord of the rings.

Jackson approaches the film DEATHLY AFRAID that he will bore someone. many scenes from the book are re-imagined for excitement's sake but it makes for an altogether different experience than that conveyed by the original story. also, many of the characters are not only sharply drawn but are altogether caricatures. gandalf and galadriel are good examples of the writers missing the complexity in tolkien's work. though perhaps it is less the inability of the writers than their lack of faith in the audience to 'get it'. also, i'd forgotten how 'gimmicky' jackson could be. i would have much preferred the steady camera and editing of john ford, akira kurosawa or david lean for this series. the quick cuts and cascading dissolves make the film seem a bit less epic and a tad more cheap. but jackson does combat scenes VERY well and nearly all is forgiven once we hit moria. the special effects are great and weta is to be congratulated, especially with the 'actor shrinking' that they seem to do so effortlessly. it's an ok film with many merits, but it's not as 'true' as many say it is to the original and it certainly does not merit all the acclaim (and the near 100% metacritic score) it enjoys.… Expand

So far, this is the only movie I can honestly say has overstepped the bounds of it's hype. What fantasy film could be better than the very series that started it all? Recipe: Take four hobbits, a wizard, elf, king of men, and dwarf. Cast well. Act to golden perfection and add props and special effects to taste. Jackson did all that and more, and cooked up nothing short of a timeless masterpiece! Long-live such moviemaking!… Expand

Put your time and money to better use by buying and reading the book. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but if they tell a different story there is no comparison.

Great spectacle, poor story. The greatest fault of the movie is that is started with a weak script that dooms its effort to bring Tolkien's magic to life. The casting and cinematography are good, as are the battle scenes. However the story departs from Tolkien in all the wrong places--too much setup of the ring, not enough on the hobbits and their relationship. The attempt to glorify Arwen's role by changing her character fall flat, as does the repeated sequences with Saruman and Sauron's eye.… Expand

The best sound, art direction, visual effects, casting and over-all direction in a movie I have ever seen. No other director has put so much thought into a fantasy movie that satisfies so completely. It attacks & woos you at the same time. Jackson's talent, patience and creative genuis has set the bar to the highest it's ever been. It's about time. Hollywood hacks, be envious. Almost 3 hours and people around me sighed at the end because it was over, and then aplauded. An experience I will not soon forget. … Expand

Splendid adaptation of a truly classic 20th century book. It follows that some characters and scenes had to be edited (if not omitted) but the body of the work lies intact. It makes you laugh, cry, and even hope for the people on screen. A brilliant first of three.

Epic! Several amazing and thrilling adventures in one great film! I can't wait for the next one!

Star what? George who? Forget about that washed-up, crazy old man and go see the film that's gonna school him but good... An incredible portrayal of a palpable and furious Evil and the weariness that comes from staying just one step ahead of it.

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.

The spirit is alive in this movie. Would I have done a few things differently, yes. Was it possible to get the entire book into a movie in under 3 hours, no. Most cuts were reasonable. The cast was appropriate (particularly the hobbits and Aragorn). In all, I loved it.

This movie couldn't have been made any better, having chosen the specific flavor they were going for. This said, it's actually multi-flavored: I laughed, cried, gasped - the whole gammut.

I LOVED IT!!!!!!

I cannot even begin to say enough about how fantastic this movie was. Jackson has finally, FINALLY, lent a TON of credibility to this intensely creative genre of film. There are movies that you watch, and there are movies that you EXPERIENCE, and this is truly one that immerses you in the world it delivers and allows you an experience...and these are the best movies of all time.