this is a good movie with a positive message.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Fabulous, but also violent and scary.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 12 and Up
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was written by Nell Minow
Parents need to know that this movie might be overwhelming for younger children who are not familiar with the characters and story. You may want to prepare anyone younger than 12 with some background or encourage them to read the simpler first story in the series, The Hobbit (about Frodo's uncle, Bilbo). Characters are in severe peril and there are intense battle scenes.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about why it is that only Frodo seems immune to the ring's power to corrupt even honorable, wise, and powerful people and the notion that "even the smallest person can change the course of the earth." If you were going to form a fellowship for a grand quest, who would you want to be in it?
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More on The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
What’s the Story?
Our hero, Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood), is a Hobbit on a quest to return a powerful ring to the place where it was created, so it can be destroyed. A great wizard called Gandalf (Ian McKellen) has told him that the ring can be the source of great evil. But of course this makes it highly sought after by all kinds of scary folks, so Frodo is in for more than his share of thrilling and terrifying adventures.
Is It Any Good?
Somewhere, there are future Hollywood directors who will tell magazine feature writers that they first decided to make movies as they watched LORD OF THE RINGS. It's that good. It's that once-to-a-generation, not since Star Wars, transcendent reminder of why we tell stories, why we have imagination, and why we must go on quests to test our spirits and heal the world. And it's a story that invites us into a fully realized world with many different civilizations, all so thoroughly imagined that we don't only believe that they each have complete languages, but that they have dictionaries, histories, mythologies, schools, music, and poetry. Peter Jackson, who directed and co-wrote the script, has created a movie that seems astonishingly inventive and new and at the same time somehow seems as though it always existed inside us. Every detail, from the tiniest plant to the hugest battle, is exactly, satisfyingly right. The bad guys, all thundering hooves and billowing capes, seem to have come from the core of every nightmare since the world began. All three movies in the series were shot at once, so his singular vision can carry us through to the end.
A couple of caveats -- like Harry Potter, Frodo is a character who is more interesting on the page, where we can share his thoughts, than in a movie, where he is primarily called upon to look amazed, scared, or sad. And like Harry Potter, there were benefits to producing a series of films at the same time (continuity, commitment to getting all of the details right), but some drawbacks, too. So, we get glimpses of people who will be important later but now are somewhere between placeholders and distractions.
Movie Details
Studio: New Line Cinema, Director: Peter Jackson
Run time: 208 minutes
Theatrical release: 12/19/2001, DVD release: 11/12/2002
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for peril and violence
Run time: 208 minutes
Theatrical release: 12/19/2001, DVD release: 11/12/2002
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for peril and violence
Our Members Say
See all 71 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
lord of the rings!!!
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I rate this title iffy for age 12 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
Great movie, with a little bit of gore
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I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Great movie!
I love this movie... but unfortunately it is too violent for me to watch straight through. It's also super complicated... no matter how often i watch it I cant remember any of the characters besides Frodo, Gandolf, Bilbo, and Sam... haha thats sad... Wonderfully made, though! beautiful scenery!
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I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
YAWN
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I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
not the best
It was ok, not my favorite movie. the book was a little better i guess.
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I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
the Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Awesome movie for the whole family. Breathtaking settings and stunning effects. Simply remarkable.
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I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
The characters are thin, the story is a mess, the special effects are often flat, and overall it is very boring.
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I rate this title iffy for age 11 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
This is why movies are made
Absolutely amazing EPIC movie. Don't worry about the violence unless you're under 11. This movie captures and intrigues you. By the end of the series I was satisfied. AMAZING
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I rate this title iffy for age 8 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
BEST MOVIE EVER
My personal favorite of the trilogy, this movie is very well done and not needlessly gory like a lot of movies that are being made nowdays. Everything about the movie is top notch and the only thing that is graphic is when an uruk gets his arm and head chopped off by Aragorn during the final fight.
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I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
a good movie positive role modules
i think its a good movie frodo is doing a good thing for middle earth
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I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
perfect for older kids but not for younger
Great movie a couple of scenes had more violence than others but unless you get scared easily it is a great movie
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I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Great for 11+
Best movie ever! Great and honorable role models. It can be a little violent, but not very bloody or gory. My 11 year old sister watched this movie, and she loves it almost as much as I do!
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I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Chock full of good things
The Lord of the Rings is an excellent movie, and book. You will find beloved characters, love, war, destiny, legends, myths, monsters, suspense, power, deceit, mystery... The story plot is great, and the speical effects are wonderful. I watched it when I was a bit too young, so the hideous orcs and chilling Ring-Wraiths terrified me out of my mind. Defineitly not for the faint of heart or the young because of blood and scary monsters and tons of violence. But what makes this movie different is that there is a clear differnce between good and evil; there is love, but it is true love, and not body-related; the characters are lovable and mostly kind, and it will provide many conversations in your family. Excellent!
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I rate this title on for age 11 and give it- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
- Excessive consumerism
all stuff have NO PG 13 rated range I sall be rated PG but never G and nothing rated R
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I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
The beginning of the epitome of modern filmmaking.
Alright, so basically, the Lord of the Rings films are almost universally called some of the best films of all time. I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. If you're looking for a direct book to film translation, however, do not look here. A common misconception about these movies is that since they are excellent, they must follow the books! Right? WRONG. If hardcore fans can see around that, they will find one of the most superior fantasy films ever conjured. Great acting, music, scenery, whatever! Everyone will find something in this movie. I think this film should be okay for kids around 10+. They would be most suited to begin to comprehend the plot and handle the sometimes intense violence (that includes an on-screen beheading, among other things). Overall: Fantastic!
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I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
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Lives in OhioI rate this title on for age 12 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
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I rate this title iffy for age 15 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
Beware of graphic violence and scary scenes
Outstanding film but be warned, there is tons of violence! (Spoilers following) The violent scenes include: a main character getting shot in a river by arrows, drenching the river with blood; Aragorn chopping an orc's head of, splattering his face with blood; Boromir getting slowly shot by arrows, you can hear his painful gasps of breath and the blood dribble from his wounds slowly; Aragorn chops an Uruk's arm off and stabs him, the Uruk pulls the blood stained sword further in him, you can hear the flesh tearing and blood dribbling from his mouth, which Aragorn chops his head off with such force chunks of flesh fly everywhere. Lots of scary scenes, too.
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I rate this title on for age 14 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
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I rate this title off for age 8 and give it
o my god!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
this movie is the best movie ever my best frend saw it when we were ehght and we still are this is the best movie
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Ratings at a Glance
| 75% | of parents say it's too violent |
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