Lord of the Rings, transcending the genre of fantasy films, is brimming with invention and imagination. A must see!

With a virtual pantheon of lovable characters, a legendarily unmistakable score, a mirthful set of special effects, and a truly engrossing story jet-pumped full of classic lore, Peter Jackson's first installment of his "Lord Of The Rings" trilogy makes for a truly indelible and worthwhile filmic escape.

An absolute masterpiece like no other. Peter Jackson has created something of pure brillance. It is brillantly executed, with powerful music, and a story that truly wonderful. Just think this is only the beginning.

Peter Jackson's first awesome fantasy debut in this brilliant masterpiece!

Fellowship it has dazzling visual effects, great action and fantastic performances to spare, and manages to be as visually powerful as it is emotionally. I give this movie 96%.

The film is a prime example of how someone should make a book based film but it does have a few flaws. The first being the acting, It's not all that good, Yes the casting is perfect but I think the dialogue could have been a bit better. What really saves it is that the aciton is so good and it's so well directed, It truly brings Middle Earth to life. Definently worth watching.

If people were only able to watch one movie in their lifetime, it should be this movie. Epic on every single level. P-E-R-F-E-C-T-I-O-N!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Possibly people for a good movie, but for me it is another of those movies fun to hang out.

It was fine. I think it did get a little bit boring and it didnt peak until they got into Moria. From there and til the end of the film it was a lot better. The acting is ok, Sir Ian McKellen was amazing as Gandalf.

I didn't read the book, but this was a very enjoyable movie and the least complicated Lord of the Rings movie. However, did the movie really have to be that long?

It was good but let's face it, it was an hour too long!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The running time is really the only problem though. Everything else in this movie that's good makes up for it. Great special effects, great story, great acting, great combat scenes, and a great script.

The scene where Gandalf fights the Balrog in the mines is easily the worst movie scene of all times. All that money for CGI, and they come up with THAT ?
The problem with that movie is: everthing is meant to be SO meaningful. It is like an actor laughing at his own jokes. The futile attempt to create depth and meaning in each and every single scene completely destroys the movie, and the story.

This is the second time I have seen this cut of the movie and, although it is very long, I must say I have seldom enjoyed a film as much. I will not try to compare the book with the film; I

It's surprising when you find one of these rare epics that still manage to captivate and spellbind over such a long period of time. The visuals were absolutely majestic, yet the story managed to unfold with such grace and never dawdled. The actors proved worthy of the role they played and kept up their spirit throughout. It was also nice to feel a little light-heartedness among the fantasy, drama and suspense that occurred. To be honest, I couldn't really point out what was actually bad about it, because it just looks like one of the best fantasy epics ever made.… Expand

For hardcore fans, Peter Jackson's vision of the Middle-Earth may be a disrespect to the source material, but for me, "The Fellowship of the Ring" is the most faithful adaptation you cold ask of. Many people were bored by its length, but I found the first chapter of the trilogy an epic masterpiece.

I will admit that it could have been a bit shorter, but the Fellowship of the Ring makes up for its length with its astounding visuals, tight performances and direction, compelling dialogue and terrific action sequences.

The Lord of the Rings is a modern day classic, a film series that will live in legend. The first film, The Fellowship of the Ring begins the adventure of Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin and the forming of the fellowship to destroy The One Ring in the fires of Mt Doom. After inherriting a mysterious ring on his uncles 111th birthday, Frodo is warned by the old wizard Gandalf that the ring possesses an evil power that could bring about the rise of the dark lord Sauron to cast shadow over all of middle earth. As the Hobbits travel to Rivendell they begin a fellowship consisting of many different races from across middle earth who will sacrifice their lives to get this ring to Mordor. Peter Jackson has masterfully transferred Middle Earth from page to screen, making it feel real and incredibly lifelike. A film that everyone should watch… Expand

This movie was true to the books. Everything in the movie looked the way I imagined it looking when I read the book long ago when I was a boy. Although, I usually don't like CGI, the CGI in this trilogy is absolutely great. As are the costumes and sets. Gollum is the first CGI character from a serious film that I have liked. It is probably because he was basically a virtual puppet that an actual puppeteer,controlled and they recorded the data points in a computer and then drew the CGI around his movements. Way better than Jar Jar Binks in Start Wars lol!… Expand

This movie is the beginning of the best trilogy ever and it's so good! It brings humor, sad moments, intense battles and solid performances. Every character can be appreciated because they are all likable. This movie is ridiculously good

Fellowship of the Ring is a fantastic experience. I loved this movie the first time I went into it and enjoyed the living daylight out of it. Every single character seemed to have a fantastic presense on screen Gandalf as a personal favourite was very serious and awesome. I mainly liked gandalf as he is a wizard.. The whole movie is a joy to sit through and I had a smile on my face the entire screentime. I couldn't wait to see more!… Expand

Overall, the Fellowship of the Ring is a good film. It takes book and adapts it well to film with only one scene being done wrong, which is a lot better than the Harry Potter films. The pacing is good. This film needed to be long for the scenes to be fleshed out the way they did. Unlike the Hobbit at no point did I feel like the film was dragging until after Moria but I did not like that bit in the book anyway. I… Expand

I'm coming to rate this movie because I remember when I first saw it in theaters years ago it is the only time while in a movie ever that I wished it wasn't over. It was enthralling and the film is just absolutely incredible. I cannot think of any movie since that I felt that way. Amazing story, great action, lots of different creatures... everything feels so real. You must see this!

My personal favourite of the trilogy. In large part I think due to the score, the strange hypnotic main theme works perfectly and may get stuck in your head. Fans of the books may be disappointed by characters that do not make it to the filmscript, however the adaptation is skilfully done. Because there is room to pace this large work correctly exposition is a joy and not a necessary chore.

This movie in one word: AWESOME. The cast is excellent and the story even so good. I like the story and the film is well directed by Peter Jackson. The creatures are very nice. I love this film a lot. A must see

Although somewhat inconsistent the first installment of the trilogy by Peter J. reach its goal, which is introduced in the magical world of Tolkien,with good characters and a broad cast the film holds the attention in ways never seen, and leaves us eager to see the sequel.

Sin ser fan de la Trilogía ni haber leído los libros, pienso que el producto es notable y necesario revisitar de cuando en cuando. Personajes muy bien definidos. Buenos actores que saltaron a la fama con esta trilogía. Tierra Media creíble. Momentos divertidos como la lucha entre los 2 magos, estando Ian McKellen y Christopher Lee un poco mayores para tantos trotes. Momentos de nerviosismo como cuando atraviesan la Mina de Moria. Quizá demasiado larga, aunque muy recomendable.… Expand

this is one of the best films ever, i love the storyline, the action sequences, the coolness, everything about it, it doesn't have any faults really.

A classic movie.

It's magical, emotional, captivating and epic. The Lord of the Rings is not only a literary classic, but thanks to Peter Jackson, it's now a cinematic classic. 4/4 stars.

A journey like no other, a grand adventure never before filmed, and a movie that is exciting from start to finish, this movie has an undeniable epic sweep that will take you in to the lush atmosphere of Middle Earth.

A great film. When I watched the first 20 min of the film it had me. One great scene after another, great fantasy plot and awesome music. Deserves nothing less than the full score.

I love all of the Lord of the Rings books and movies. Everything about them is absolutely stunning. They are timeless and will be appreciated forever. These will never be redone.

You could easily tell the people that rate the film a 0/10 are either trolling or die hard fans of rival series such as Harry Potter and I pity those shameful morons because this film is excellent and a marvel at its time. When I first watched this film as a kid I have never seen anything like it on movie ever before. It was intense, it was interesting, the soundtrack is excellent and most importantly the ensemble cast was an absolutly perfect. My favourite scene was the council at Rivendell. It is very interesting how each character has their different opinion on the Ring and the best battle sequence was during Moria, of course the Cave Troll made it great. I personally praise the acting of Sean "Boromir Bean, Sean "Samwise" Astin and Ian "Gandalf" Mckellen I thought those 3 stood out because of how dramatic they can act without making a fool of themselves. When the film hit on Dvds and Videos I immediatly bought it along with the other 2 movies in support of the how inspiring and influentional those films were to me.… Expand

Con efectso especiales del mejor nivel, con actuaciones merecedoras de Oscar, con una historia simplemente fantastica y con una perfecta direccion de Peter Jackson , The Fellowship of the Rings logra establecer espectativa a lo que seria la mejor trilogia de todos los timepos.

"The Fellowship of the Ring" is a triumph. Despite its lofty and seemingly "unfilmable" source material, it manages to convey the spirit of J.R.R Tolkien's masterwork.

Awesome actors,an amazing director and a genius screenplay.This is a great movie based on a book.Despite that,there's an action scene where gandalf and sauron fight.It don't have good angles.The sound is terrible.The movies of 2001 don't have good sound.But there are 4 movies that it can have great sound: -Amélie -Black Hawk Down -Moulin Rouge! -Pearl Harbor The movie shows a cliffhanger.A cliffhanger is the thing you can note a second part.… Expand

A masterpiece. This movie is a work of Art, and it portrays the great book series with excellence and majesty. It is an all time favorite, and my words fail to describe its magnificence.

A brilliant start to an exceptional franchise. In this movie we begin to unwrap the wonderful yet dangerous world of Middle-Earth, and just like the book, it is presented in a marvelous fashion. Some book adaptions are terrible, and this is the farthest you can get from one of them.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and its sequels are the only fantasy films based on books that have not disappointed me. I know that that isn't really saying much with great disapointments such as the Harry Potter movies, Twilight Saga and Eragon (yeah, I'm young) -Oh, and the Chronicles of Narnia, but this really is worth watching whether you read the books or not. Based on the first two The Lord of the Rings books by J.R.R. Tolkien it is a typical fantasy with elfs, dwarfs, wizards and goblins(called Orcs) but is boosted up to such an epic scale. Peter Jackson and everyone else who worked on this film really knew what they were doing. Now stop reading this rambling of text and go watch the movie. Rent it if you have to. Just don't let this one by you. Umm... Why are you still here?… Expand

An epic beginning, known for its impeccable sound, the script developed, very faithful to the book, good performances, a show well done, as I can say about the soundtrack, direction, costumes, makeup, art direction and visual effects. In short, an excellent movie.

The Fellowship of the Ring was one of the best movies I have ever seen that was made from a book. It is one of those you would want to see again and again. It is based on the book by J.R.R Tolkien, and an amazing cast was selected. Peter Jackson did a fantastic job with the plot, dialogue, characters of Middle Earth. I was astonished by the special effects this movie had to offer, especially a scene with the demon Balrog. I would definitely recommend buying this. Seriously, go out and buy it today!… Expand

A great film and the start of an epic adventure. The characters, story line, special effects are all amazing. One of the best films of all time since "a new hope".

LOTR destroyed my life . Why? Because i will never see such a perfect film ever.This trilogy will hard find its equal

indeed,a fabulous work of art......highly captivating movie .....a great start to a highly acclaimed trilogy of cinema...im anticipating a lot to watch the remaining movies of the trilogy.....

This was a FANTASTIC film based on a FANTASTIC book. It is one of the few book-to-film conversions that I approved of and it was great. The casting was spot-on as well.

Possibly the best movie ever. It feels like your seeing the book, I unfortunetly watched the movie then read the book, such a mistake. Visually stunning. Sir Ian Mckellen was brilliant as Gandalf, this movie is almost flawless. That is why I give it a ten. The fools who rate this movie low should be ashamed!

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Simply put: One of the greatest movies of all time, and an even better start to the cinematic epic that is the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Amazing visual effects, a gripping story, full of emotion, and a fantastic performance by Ian McKellen as Gandalf, the Fellowship of the Ring is a great open for J.R.R Tolkien's world of Middle Earth. Yes, Tom Bombadil was left out, but when doing adaptations sacrifices must be made, and even though the inclusion of Bombadil would have done nothing other than strengthen the film even more, the film is already a masterpiece.… Expand

**** yeah! This **** cinematic glory, **** Fun and logical, this movie is one of the best adaptations of any book; a true master class for any director that strives to transcend the source material. My fave of the series because it has the least boring CGI battle scenes and negligible portions of Orlando Bloom in proportion to the rest of the cast. Toss on the Jiffy-Pop and treat yourself (to the non-extended theatrical).… Expand

This film starts out slowly but I am okay with this, given the character development that occurs for Gandalf, Frodo, and Sam. I found this film brilliantly directed, but Peter Jackson seemed to be unsure of himself during the first half of the film. The film's second half also had a different, gritty feel compared to the first half, which I both liked and disliked, overall, I found this film to have a strong plot, great action, and one strong scene after another… Expand

I am happy to see the awarness of the community. Reviews of those people who do not understand epicness and quality of this movie from some reason , are found unhelpfull. On the other hand almost everyone agrees with those who give compliments to this movie , peter jackson , and of course great tolkien. I watched whole trilogy many times and i can only say , that it is the greates trilogy ever. By my opinion all three of these movies are best there is in the movie world. If someone hasnt still watched it , chances are slim but , he should watch it right away , not just this one but whole tirlogy. Thank you community.… Expand

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring review

I have always viewed the Lord of the Rings trilogy as the incarnation of the word epic. It is bathed in moments that will pull out a tear rout of even the manliest of men just by a monologue, a part of the soundtrack, a victory in a battle, a moment were friendship shines. It will make you cheer for the main characters and join them in their journey. I could talk about this masterpiece (yes I refer to the trilogy as one experience) all lifelong, so I will do my best to summarize my feeling in these three parts. My username is pablo2896 in IMDB and Pablo22in Metacritic by the way, so you can visit my three reviews.
So let’s get to the first one, the first movie. The Fellowship of the Ring tells the story of a young hobbit who is put in an overwhelming quest to rid his land of evil. And for me this is one aspect that makes me tear up a bit, the fact that one so small can squeeze out so much courage from himself. And this is no other than Elijah Wood´s Frodo Baggins. Elijah does an amazing job acting as the main character. So the movie starts with a prologue explaining the founding of the one ring and how its master was defeated long ago. This clearly shows you what sort of a jaw dropping ride you are going into. It shows the amazing achievement of the special effects and the scale of these films. Then we are introduced to Frodo (Elijah Wood), this hobbit lives a perfect live in The Shire, a town were these hobbits live, eat and smoke weed (yes they even say it in the movie). His uncle Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm) has carried the One Ring for a while, this entity that is consisted of the other half of the soul of Sauron, the evil bad guy. So he leaves it to Frodo who is then given the (almost) impossible task of taking it to the fires of Mt. Doom, the only place it can be destroyed and by doing so, vanquishing evil. And in the mean time Sauron sends his nine wraith to find this ring and kill everybody who goes in their way. Easy, right? Gandalf a powerful wizard, played by no other than Ian McKellen who perfectly portrays you the wisdom, the charm and the power of this conjurer, swears to protect Frodo at all costs in this journey and they take Sam with them, played by Sean Astin (who´s incredible acting and character I will describe in my third review) Frodo’s gardener with them. In their journey they meet some characters like Merry (Dominic Monaghan), Pippin (Billy Boyd) and no other than the badass Aragorn who´s actor Viggo Mortensen plays it amazingly, he is able to make you know he is a badass. So to summarize that part this movie has some of the best character developments I´ve seen in any movie. In the elvish sanctuary Rivendell they form the Fellowship of the Ring, which is consisted by the six characters I mentioned up there and three more, Boromir (a man), Legolas (an elf) and Gimli (a dwarf). Sean Bean, the actor who plays Boromir, does a good job in setting this character´s conflicts and desires for the Ring of power, but it portrays his honor and loyalty also. Legolas and Gimli I thought would be more like filler characters but you feel interest for them and you connect to them immediately. The same can be said for Merry and Pippin. From Rivendell they embark to their destination, Mordor the Land of evil. God, I have to talk about the montage of the Fellowship traveling. It is an epic compilation of amazing landscapes and hair rising soundtrack. This is where I really felt the epicness of the movie. By the way this was pretty much the half of the movie, the buildup. So was it a typical long boring buildup? No, not in its least. They encounter dangers like spying crows sent by Saruman, an evil wizard who sides with Sauron at the beginning of the movie, and a treacherous storm (also sent by Saruman, what a dick) in the middle of a dangerous mountain which forces them to take another path, the Mines of Moria. Gimli explains to them that the dwarves will welcome them in there but he´s WRONG. They get there and the place is a graveyard, a graveyard made from dwarves! So to summarize it they get trapped in there (blame the giant octopus) and now have to get across the dwarven city. Warning: EPICNESS! They soon find out they are not alone, and no other than Pippin (fool of a Took!) wakes up every goblin infesting the mines. This leads to an awesome battle were you are cheering for the Fellowship while it slays goblins and a cave troll! They escape and make a run for the bridge of Khazad Dum with an army of goblins on their backs and an awesome score which is beyond epic. But they realize something else is in those mines. A Balrog. A foe so powerful, only Gandalf can defeat it. They get to the bridge and the wizard faces it. In the most epic moments of the film he takes it down but unfortunately he goes down with it. You feel the loss yourself at this moment, seeing everyone in pain. Ran out of letters! See the rest in IMDB.… Expand

Its been a while since I read the book, but from what I remember, the movie misses out a few things. But it doesn't matter! This is the perfect fantasy movie. It may be a bit clichéd at times, but that is expected. Watching it for the second (or maybe third) time, I realize how perfect this is, and how every other movie of this genre tries to live up to the bar set so high by this movie.… Expand

A fantastic and magical voyage to the unique world created by Tolkien. I think this is the best movie they could have done with this novel; they have captured the atmosphere excellently, and you can see this concretely at the beginning of the film, in The Shire (if I just could live there...). The interpretations are very good, except of Elijah Wood... he doesn't do it bad, but I never liked him at all. Great movie, highly recommended to the people that likes this... magical and mystical stuff.… Expand

A epic adventure masterpiece. I had to watch several times to understand some of the dialogue but when I do understand, it is wonderful well done. I have never read the books but when I was in a bookstore, soon after viewing the movie at the cinemas, I bought the novel.

This film is my favorite of all time. I usually never give a 10, but I'll make an exception with this masterpiece. All three LOTR movies are excellent, but this one is the best.

probably one of the best fantasy movies out there,with epic effects,a well made story and the movie followed the book well(although they did leave one epic scene out).The music added to the move was brilliant and perfectly matched with the film.Overall 10/10

The first installment of the classic series the Lord Of The Rings was cinematically beautiful and awe inspiring. The battle scenes were very enjoyable. The creatures of Tolkien's world were well portrayed and believable. I would have chosen someone other than Elijah Wood to portray Froto, but Wood played his part well. Fabulous movie and left most viewers awaiting more.

This is the movie that started the mother of all movie trilogies. Filmmaking will never be the same. Visually stunning, emotionally riveting, and dramatically inspiring.

A great start to a great trilogy. Never bores you. Despite all the mythicism surrounding him, Frodo is a character almost anybody can relate to. The battles are great, but Moria's where it really shines. Scenery is great. Start here and work you way through. It only gets better.

This is my favourite movie of all Time & by saying so i don't need to give any details or reasons.

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

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

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....

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.

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!???

Very GOOD!!, this movie depicts everything which one would expect in this type of genre. The acting is splended, the lighting is great, the fights and of course the plot is fantastic. Definitely one to see, and it leaves you wanting more & more & more.....

Cool!

Ick! They should atl east give the ending a little bit of 'ending'. It's extremely long-winded. But I do have to give it credit for its amazing effects (and that's the only best bit about the movie).

There was such a diverse opinion in either you loved or hated it, that I decided to see it for myself. Without question a terribly overrated flick that only children would like.

Original, exciting, riveting and entertaining...brings the book to life...all tha actors, music, special effects, and scenery were brilliant! Truly, a totally mad movie. Couldn't be betta!

Absolutely terrible film with no character development at all. Probably will score big with pre-teens but insults the intelligence of adults. Same scene repeated over and over. Childrens story and childish film.

This is one of my favorite movies I don't see how anyone could not like it! Who would be so crazy as to give it a 1 or 0?

Best.. Movie... Ever! The people who "hate" it are just backlashing against the overwhelmingly positive response to this work of art! Much better than A Beautiful Mind, and MUCH MUCH better than Moulin Rouge!

Yes, I believe this movie to be excellant. It certainly will go down in the history books as one of the greatest films of all time. It is a different kind of film than "Citizen Kane", but no less important to cinema. That is why there are so many types of film genres. Those out there who have given this movie a rating of 1 or 0 are really just being spoiled sports. O.K., so you didn't like the story or the acting, fine. That's a matter of taste, but this is a film, which means that the story and acting are just a part of it's entirety. Set design, musical score, cinematography, etc.. are also important factors that must be acknowledged when reviewing a film. This movie was and is an excellantly crafted piece of cinema. In my opinion it seemlessly merged the technical aspects with the creative ones. I loved the story, directing, cinematography, acting, special effects, etc.. If you don't agree about the acting or story, well as much as I may dissagree with you that's fine, however it is unjust to give this film such a low rating when it obviously was so well made from a production stand point. It is only fair to acknowledge it's achievements where they are undeniable, regardless of personal preferences.… Expand

Yes, the movie did seem to drag at points and the charachters may have been underdeveloped, however, it is made from a FIVE HUNDRED PAGE book. It is excellent for what it is, a brilliant recreation of a classic novel. I also feel sorry for you stupid idiots who have to go and repeat word for word what other people say. You piss us all of so please stop.

Let me just put it this way...I walked into the movie half an hour late and it was STILL too long!

It was the best movie i have ever seen. i have bought all of the lord of the rings movies gear and i cant wait untill the lord of the rings the two towers comes out, but i know how it ends now because i just finished the books yesterday.

Best movie ever!!!

Hollywood trash. Please read the books and never watch this garbage. At least they didn't ruin Tom Bombadil's image.

The best film I have ever seen.

The ratio of green to red ratings r around 7 : 3.. tats enough to watch tis movie, story is simple enough, not much use of a brain here to figure it out.

One of the more over-rated films of the 21st century that owes it's success more to nostalgia than to taste.

Extraordinary. Wondrous to behold.

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

How can people even begin to call this film boring? Obviously Will's idea of fun is deciding which shade of grey to wear that particular day. This film is amazing, great story, great adaptation, great performances, music and scenery! OK so it has some faults, but being boring is certainly not one of them.

When I saw this movie I didn't get all I expected... I got more than I expected. This movie clearly earned the academy awards it won, if not it should have won more. I love the fight scenes and most of the characters. The visual effects were stunning, I liked the work on the Balrog the most. As for the costumes: excellent. As for the soundtrack, a definite must buy for music-lovers. As for those who have given it less than satisfactory ratings you clearly have poor taste in movies, the patience of kindergarteners, and a lack of appreciation of good movies. Yes the movie is long, big whoop, the book was even longer. All we got was half the book put into three hours, plus the beginning of "The Two Towers" but more was intended but didn't make the final cut. The ending. Ever hear of a "cliffhanger"? no, wait, you don't know what a cliffhanger is cause you're too busy whining over the fact you can't appreciate good movies because of your poor taste. Endings like that are left open to make the audience come back for more. As for character development, who cares? This is THE FIRST PART of the trilogy. All they did was introduce the basic 8 to 9 characters of the story. Jackson has indicated that there will be development in the next one as each character is going on their own adventures, especially where Aragorn is concerned. To those who missed out, I, like the majority of the reviewers, recommend this film.… Expand

Like a round of torture at the hands of a narcoleptic Torquemada, this movie not only broke my will to live, but did so at far greater length than was necessary. The cinematography was good (hence the 1) and the acting was mediocre. The plot, however, equal parts immature fantasy and mawkish tripe, was terrible. The story was like something a six-year-old would tell his babysitter. The characters were dull, leaving me at best utterly uninterested in what would happen to them, or more often hoping that they would get killed off just to momentarily alleviate my boredom. The battle scenes were both ridiculous and tedious. I haven't read the book, and now realize that I'm a better, more cultured man for it. This Tolkien rubbish is prime evidence of the dumbing-down of Western culture. The movie is an abomination and an abortion! If you want solid, deliberate character development, watch a Werner Herzog film. If you're a masochist, watch this cinematic atrocity.… Expand

As I was watching the movie, StarWars were on my mind almost all the time. There is battle of good against evil, there are three parts (well, I mean Episodes 4, 5 and 6) many strange creatures, magic etc. And, here is what I think. All three episodes of StarWars have ends and are independent wholes. First part of LOTR definitely does not have one and this is my main complaint. Maybe they wanted to force us to buy and read the book? I won?t buy the book!!! StarWars are faster, and much more interesting. And music, music in StarWars is much much better. In LOTR it is boring and unrecognizable. … Expand

Man, was this movie great. It seemed to have everything I liked in it. And, even though it wasn't as faithful, it seemed to capture the spirit and magic of the book better than "Harry Potter" could. I just don't get the people who gave it bad reviews. One person said the movie was too violent. Geez! What were they expecting? A happy little fairy tale? No. The thing about "Lord of the Rings" is that it takes fantasy elements seriously. One said it was too scary and violent for children. Eh, HELLO! Did you, or did you not notice the PG-13 rating?! And that's a parental guidance opinion for crying out loud... One of my favorite things about this movie was Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin. They were just so...well, cute! Another thing I savored about this movie (and book) was the dark story.... so suspenseful, breathtaking, I LOVE it!… 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.

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

It's a very special movie. The movie is very good.

The people who gave this movie a 6 or lower, well, I pity him/her. One person complained there was no character development. HELLO! It happened little by little. Only, sadly, some people didn't put any thought into it to see it. I mean, I can see where a person would say this about Aragorn, but when you think about him HARD you'll see his character. He of course, is an extremely skilled warrior, but he also uses his brain, and his heart. But for the most part, you could definitely see character development. The hobbits are another thing as well. Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin in paticular. Frodo is someone we can emphasize with. When he is responsible for the ring, you can tell he's very nervous and scared about this, we'd be the same. Sam, is very loyal, and is easily frightened. Merry and Pippin are both very alike. Both of them a have to take a minute to see what's going on. Someone complained the movie would've been better if it had nudity and sex. I pity that person. That is what makes a movie BAD. And if it had that, that practiacally be betraying the beauty of the book. And the most popular, was that someone said it was a childish plot. PLEASE. Do you think a child could write a story this thorough? Definetly not. Unless the child had an I.Q. of 199. That's another story. And whoever said this was for nerdy people only well, that person must have poor interests, because many non-nerds have loved this movie. I can't believe that proffessor hated it. Either that was someone pretending to be a proffessor, or it was one of the most unlikable proffessors of all time. This movie was quite moving too, especially at the end (someone please hand me a box of kleenex!) See this one!… 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

Ok - I've read all the users' reviews... About halfway through the film I kept looking at my watch wondering when this thing would end. Or maybe when it would start. Having no prior knowledge of the story, I expected a traditional movie - meaning a plot, and that usually includes some sort of ending. I didn't know it was merely part 1 of 3. Scene after scene I kept thinking how ridiculous it was that despite all odds, the hero always overcame those incredible odds to be triumphant. It's a shame the best actor/character was the only one to perish in all the fighting. On the way home from the theater I would have rated this movie a 5, only for its excellent cinematography and Ian McKellen's performance. But after digesting it more, I appreciated it more too, and would have to upgrade my rating. But viewers should be forewarned. If you want to lose yourself in a fantasy world, go ahead and enjoy the movie. But if you want to see a good action movie, you'll be disappointed.… Expand

This was the greatest movie I ever saw. I can hardly wait until it is on VHS.

Looks fantastic but sorely lacking in magic and narrative coherence.

What else can I say? Great film. Can't wait for the upcoming sequels.