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The Lord of the Rings DVD

A viewer from Longtime Tolkien Fan's Review

Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.

If you have the attention span of a billy goat, then don't see this movie, and certainly don't read Tolkein's series. You will never get it, and your cluelessness about myth and the eternal struggle will disown you like wholesome language off a Dead Kennedy's album. On the other hand, if you like to read, and want to witness a very good enactment of a the best mytho-poetic epic of the 20th century, one that actually does Tolkein justice ( unlike that cartoon abomination in the late 70s), then Pete Jackson's rendition of Tolkien is an absolute must. It is just a shame some people who did see this movie and reviewed it had to leave the grazing comfort of their hillside herd to throw one of their "tin cans" at a movie of such wonderful magnatude. Myth, imagination, magic, fire, homeric wars, demons, alien worlds and beings, incredible special effects, a dreamscape of incredible forces both conscious and unconscious duking it out for the salvation of the world, all the stuff our intuitive selves feed on for daily bread are here, FINALLY brought alive by someone with the skill to do it. Yes, there are minor flaws...no Bombadil, Glorfindel replaced by Arwen, the changed bar room scences at the Pony...but overall, a true lineal descendant worthy of the epic itself. I could go on scene by scene, but others have done this already, and did a good job of it as well. But if you are a myth-lover with even a smattering of poetic sensibility, you will love both this movie and the series. Don't miss either, or you will miss one long fantastic vacation without ever having to leave your seat.

Amazon.com Editorial Review

As the triumphant start of a trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring leaves you begging for more. By necessity, Peter Jackson's ambitious epic compresses J.R.R. Tolkien's classic The Lord of the Rings, but this robust adaptation maintains reverent allegiance to Tolkien's creation, instantly qualifying as one of the greatest fantasy films ever made. At 178 minutes, it's long enough to establish the myriad inhabitants of Middle-earth, the legendary Rings of Power, and the fellowship of hobbits, elves, dwarves, and humans--led by the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and the brave hobbit Frodo (Elijah Wood)--who must battle terrifying forces of evil on their perilous journey to destroy the One Ring in the land of Mordor. Superbly paced, the film is both epic and intimate, offering astonishing special effects and production design while emphasizing the emotional intensity of Frodo's adventure. Ending on a perfect note of heroic loyalty and rich anticipation, this wondrous fantasy continues in The Two Towers (2002).