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The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition Collector's Gift Set) Customer Reviews (73 - 75 of 102 Reviews)

A Grand Epic That Falls A Wee Bit Short
With all the hoopla surrounding this film and recommendations from friends that had seen it, I couldn't wait to get in the queue and see what all the fuss was about.

Well, I recently saw that flick and believe that is has its merits, as well as its detractions.

The pluses are many: 1) sweeping panoramic images of lush country sides, snow-capped and treacherous mountains, unearthly and ominous caverns, and majestic and deadly towers; (2) good computer effects that bring life to the words of Tolkein; (3) impressive camera tricks that allow the "Hobbits" to appear very diminutive in relation to the other inhabitants of this mystical world; (4) great performances from Elijah Wood, Ian McKellan, Billy Boyd, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Bean and Ian Holm, (5) a rousing score by Howard Shore, featuring vocals by Enya; and (4) remaining true to the classic novel.

Credit for all the above must be given to director Peter Jackson.

It is also great to see horror film legend Christopher Lee in the plum role of Saruman the white, the wizard that succumbs to the will of the Dark Lord.

On the downside, though, is the pacing that I find to be a little slow. The battle scenes seem to drag on endlessly and are filmed in a style reminiscent of Ridley Scott's "Gladiator" of two years ago. There are also times when the audio is unclear, especially in pivotal moments of significant revelation. The latter could have been the result of a poor sound system at the theater showing the movie. As earlier stated, the computer-generated effects while effective can't hold a candle to the stop-motion and technical wizardry of Ray Harryhausen or even "a cast of thousands" assembled by DeMille.

But, the movie is still worth a look, and upon its release on video, a purchase.

Fantasy Heaven
Tolkien's classic is reborn in a spectacular movie of epic proportions in the start of a trilogy. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings brings Tolkien's beloved literary classic to life with scenes of sheer beauty and darkness. You are invited to view the mystery of the deep caves and the spectacular wide open spaces in New Zealand. Breathtaking!

The special effects are amazing in this movie. There is a dragon that appears from a firework display. How creative. Now, those are what I call fireworks.

At the entrance to the Mines a menacing creature that is a cross between a giant octopus and a squid attacks the Fellowship and threatens their mission. A huge flock of black birds was also completely computer generated. The tower of Orthanc and the fiery mines of Isengard where Saruman is building an Army "worthy of Melkor" seem to be the breeding place of evil.

In this ultimate fantasy land, you meet the inhabitants of Middle-earth. The wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and the hobbit Frodo (Elijah Wood) fight a terrifying war against evil. From the eire screams as the faceless Ring Wraiths approach on their pitch black steeds to the absolute horror of being dragged into hell by a dragon-like demon, this movie displays the threat of evil in a way that makes the mission to destroy the ring even more intense.

The Fellowship of the ring is a band of characters who realize it is their mission to defeat evil. The "Fellowship of the Ring" tries to destroy a powerful ring forged by the Dark Lord Sauron in the first of Mount Doom to control all other rings. He seeks the 'Ruling Ring' as the key to unlimited power, and final domination of Middle-earth. It brings out a fierce hunger for power and definitely has evil intentions.

If ever an object had a mind of its own, the ring does. It wants to make its way back to the original source and it has the power to rule the world. As they struggle towards land of Mordor and do battle with various creatures almost as evil as Sauron.

When Gollum, the pitiful creature first discovers the great Ring (his "Precious") he lives in dark places under the earth possessed by the ring which wants to be found by its original owner. Frodo's uncle Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm) find and then relinquishes the ring to his nephew Frodo and leaves to stay with the Elves. Gandalf advises Frodo to leave with the ring immediately as the evil Ring Wraiths are fast approaching.

As Frodo and his friends escape they plan to meet Gandalf at the Prancing Pony Inn. Frodo also has to recover from the wound inflicted by the Morgul blade of the chief Ringwraith and without assistance he could have changed into one of the faceless creatures.

At the end, the hobbit Frodo (Elijah Wood) did capture my heart (hard to resist those dreamy eyes streaming with tears, enough to bring out the mothering instinct in any woman) when you witness the "promise" scene.

He just seems so deep in thought that you want to know what he is thinking of doing next.

This is a serious war between "good" and "evil." Although, it seems "good" also gains power from magic.

This is definitely a movie to watch in October because it does have some elements of horror. Yes, I look forward to the "Two Towers", mostly for the special effects and to know what happens next.

TheRebeccaReview.com

The Greatest Fantasy Epic Of All Time
I never thought a superb adaptation of Tolkien's "The Lord Of The Rings" would ever appear on the screen. Yet Peter Jackson has accomplished the impossible, offering a splendid adaptation of "Fellowship Of The Ring" which remains true to J. R. R. Tolkien's vision, even if it sacrifices nearly a tenth of the plot. He does an admirable job emphasizing the trials and tribulations awaiting Frodo Baggins and the rest of his company; Elijah Wood is a memorable Frodo Baggins, Orlando Bloom is fine as Legolas, John Rhys-Davis is a splendid Glimli, replete with all of his taciturn manners. Yet along with Elijah Wood, the acting accolades go deservedly to Viggo Mortenson as Strider/Aragorn, and especially, Ian McKellan as Gandalf, who deserves an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor. Other excellent performances include those of Sean Bean as Boromir, Sean Astin as Samwise Gamgee, Christopher Lee as Saruman the Wise, Liv Tyler as Arwen and Cate Blanchett as Galadriel. Yet there isn't one false note shown by any of the actors since they all do admirable jobs bringing the denizens of Middle-earth to life.

Some have criticized raising Arwen's (Liv Tyler) stature as a character in the film, since she is hardly mentioned in the novel. Yet Jackson's instincts are correct, since she will play an important part later in the saga, as Aragorn's (Viggo Mortenson) lover. I also appreciate the film's emphasis on Saruman's (Christopher Lee) treachery, which is only hinted at in the text.

I have seen "Fellowship Of The Ring" twice; it is a sumptuous visual feast for the eyes as well as a nail-biting swashbuckler of a film. It harkens back to the great film epics of the 1930's, 1940's and 1950's, with its own epochal sense of film making. It's been the most enjoyable three hours of film I have seen in a long, long time. Unquestionably, despite Jackson's and his co-writer's liberal adaptation of Tolkien's tale, it remains the finest adaptation of a literary classic I have seen.

The film is graced with an admirable film score by Howard Shore; easily one of our foremost film composers. I sincerely hope it earns an Academy Award nomination for best film score.

I look forward to seeing "Fellowship Of The Ring" several more times before it ends its American theater run. Hopefully, that won't be any time soon.

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