What did you think of The Fellowship of the Rings?

It was a great movie, but not the best movie of the year. That belongs to Memento.

 

Eek! I agree with Dehrian. Stuff didn't make sense. It flowed as well as a still lake.

I don't know if I even care seeing part two; it just didn't grab me at all.

 

The problem, in essence, is this:


For those who have not read the books, they are in fact watching just the first little bit in one book. They expect resolution but that is not possible because the three books are in fact one book that has been split into threes.

 

Kessel Runner,

Should, or even could, Peter Jackson have built up the ending so we could expect that Frodo won't destroy the ring in this movie?

Looking back, Frodo's visit to Galadriel may have hinted at that - but I didn't get that from the scene.

Oh, I have not read the books.

 

If he had changed the ending much more he would have really angered the fans of the books. As it is,there is some bleed over to the second book.

I really don't see how that could have been done. The question isn't really about the strength of Frodo's character but the dangers that lie along the road to Mordor.

 

Kessel Runner, I have read the books, and the movie still sucked.

 

and therein lies the dilemma for Jackson. There is no way he could please all fans or all non-fans. He had to appeal to the middle of the bell curve and let go those at the extremes.

 

The only way he could have made a good film is if he said, "Screw them both," and just tried to please himself. I don't think he did that.

 

I thought it was pretty cool. I have never read any of the books, so i can't make a comparison. I would see it again nevertheless.

 

Yeah, it was a good flick. I'm obsessed with the books, and I'm thankful that the movies gave me some visual narrative as far as at least the non-VFX shots go, but in the end all I can really say is; I wish they made 6 films instead of 3. Yes, I know that would have been very hard... if they shot it all at once. I would have had it shooting 2 movies at a time. It would have only taken about 12-15 years. Then we could have had a proper complete narrative of the book. I mean, there was just so much that was cut that it really got to me while I was watching it. For example, all I really, really wanted to see was Pippin doing his impersonation of Bilbos farewell speech. I mean really, is that too much to ask? But no, they changed it all around and made the scene in Bree more difficult than it needed to be, in the book it was much better, and would have taken not much more time.

And then there's the under-developed characters. One thing that really got to me was Gimli never taking back what he said about Lothorien as he did in the book and beginning his friendship with Legolas in the first chapter. Who knows if a friendship will work as well as it would have now that it'll only be begun in the next movie? Oh well. And then there's the fact that Legolas, the most underdeveloped character, was never mentioned being from Mirkwood. They could have at least told us that much, for people who've read The Hobbit. And they could have at least put a couple of establishing shots of the travel between Brandybuck and Bree. That was the worst editing mistake in the movie, they were crossing the Brandybuck river thing, and then the next scene they're in Bree. WTF?

Of course, what most took me by suprise is that TPM bashers are taking in this movie. Fair enough, but how come they're not judging this movie the same way they judged TPM. As soon as I saw the poop joke in Fellowship I thought it was funny, but then strait away I thought "Ha! The TPM bashers are going to rip this movie apart!". Just about every idiotic TPM basher out there mentions Jar Jar stepping in poop offscreen, but none of them mentioned it when they talked about what they loved about LotR and the 2 or 3 things they didn't like. No mention of Jar Jar, I'm sorry I mean Pippin, falling down and going "OH! That was CLOSE!" right in front of a CLOSE UP of crap. Why is it ok to have it in Fellowship but not in TPM? (As it is OK IMO)

 

I am about to reveal a secret that I am rather reluctant to reveal. I'll only reveal it if you all promise not to lynch me.

We have an agreement? Good.

I havn't seen the movie, and don't intend to. You see, I read the Hobbit, and... how do I say this? I... I didn't like it.

//braces self for the end

 

We promise not to lynch you, A_T60, if you'll translate your damn sig. Americans can construct cars and what, but can't build what?

As far as the movie--I was impressed. It varied a little from the book, and my favorite character, Goldberry, was left out, but that had to happen in order to keep us from being in the theater for five hours. I thought the attention to detail, with making the hobbits short and barefoot, etc., was excellent.

 

I read The Hobbit and I thought it was a bit boring, mostly because I'm not fond of Tolkien's writing style. I saw the movie and I loved it. It made me go back to the books and try to appreciate Tolkien's genius even though I still don't really like his writing style.

 

Loved it. Great fun and I wasn't even too upset by what as left out of the books (ok, perhaps 1 or 2 little things.) But overall a nice balance.

Yours SHB JR

 

Great movie. I want to see the DVD version though to see what they had to cut out. There were some places that I wish they had expanded on, but overall a very strong movie.

 

Just saw it again. It did seem a tad slower this time to me. And I was also more aware of how the story wouldn't be as fulfilling without knowing the books/background.


However, with that said, I still think it is an excellent film with obvious passion from the players/creators.

 

i really enjoyed it, but Shrek is still my favorite film of the year.

 

It was pretty good really
Good fun movie. Not the best movie of the year, and not one of my favorites (which really surprises me) but I'm sure I'll like it more after I've seen the next two.

 

it was a very well made movie, my favorite of the year!

 

Love the movie.... can't wait for the next

 

I thought it was cool, and taken up by adventure.

 

Loved it. Best film I have seen for ages. Now I have to wait for The Two Towers.

R.

 

I saw it and thought it was the best movie I have saw.(Or very close to it). I think it's a crime we have to wait another year for The Two Towers and then another for Return Of The King.

 

A great film, but I practically grew up on the book, so that perhaps spoiled me from enjoying the film as much as I might have.

 

Definitely best of the year.