Rise of the Fellowship (2013) User Reviews

A little bit of geek and hero in all of us...

[paul_haakonsen · 4/10 · 7 December 2013]

Despite having spent somewhere around 3 years on playing Lord of the Rings Online and about 27 years of playing tabletop Dungeons & Dragons, then this movie wasn't really all that exciting.

There were some nice moments here and there, but in overall, there wasn't much enjoyable material to be found in "Rise of the Fellowship", despite all the references to the Lord of the Rings and also with all the outtakes from Lord of the Rings Online.

The storyline was predictable and basically just trotted ahead in a fairly slow and monotone pace, which really never enthrall or captivates the audience. There weren't any overall coherency in the build up of anything really, nothing lead up to anything climatic, and you knew exactly how the movie would end right from the very beginning.

The acting in the movie was one of the stronger aspects to the movie, as people were doing good enough jobs with their given roles, and thumbs up for that, because they had very little script-wise to work with.

I am sure that there are some fans out there who will find some kind of amusement and entertainment in this movie. However, I didn't really find much of anything in the movie, aside from some good chuckles and memories from back in the day when I spent countless hours playing Lord of the Rings Online. This movie, however, didn't really do anything for me.

If you are a gamer then your money is better spent on the movie "Zero Charisma".

Disappointing Despite its Potential...

[Dshannon-8 · 2 December 2013]

I hadn't heard about this until a friend told me about it, and at first the information and trailers I'd seen had been confusing. was it called RISE OF THE FELLOWSHIP, or FELLOWS HIP? Was it, as the first title (and one of the trailers I'd seen) suggested, an Asylum ripoff of a certain bunch of Middle Earth and Hobbit movies? If so, then the synopsis I'd read, making it a contemporary story about a bunch of gamers playing at Lord of the Rings, was wrong. As it turned out, it was the latter, which I was much more inclined to watch. But I didn't get past the first thirty minutes. The direction and execution of it is very good, adapting the look of Peter Jackson's movies and music to reflect the experiences of the lead characters, reminding me of the D&D episode of NBC's Community, one of their best episodes. But the acting was poor throughout, all Over The Top effusive projection, reminiscent of some bad kid's show (the guy who played the store owner was particularly guilty of this). The writing is a bit too expository (there must be better ways of showing that the lead character has a brother rather than the brother having to pretty much say "I'm your brother"), and the idea of the entire universe being against you might have been more appealing when I was a teenager, but it seems more trite now. In comparison, I preferred the movie Zero Charisma, also about a gamer but not painting him as a paragon of good, and when the world seems against him, there's actually some legitimate reasons for it.

I may return to it and give it another go, but not now.

I wanted to like this movie, but it was just too awful

[patpowers1995 · 2/10 · 30 July 2014]

The script for this movie set me on edge. It reinforced every superficial stereotype about gamers, its characters were extremely shallow, both the heroes and villains, and it used obvious, cheap gimmicks to push the audience's buttons. The bullies were cartoonish stereotypes, the good guys were cartoonish nerds. The notion that the very attractive girl nerd would associate with them was laughable. The acting was also poor, I didn't believe any of the characters at all and had to stop watching because I was cringing too much at it.

This movie was literally disgusting to watch, not because of what occurred to the characters but for the way the movie creators tried to manipulate the audience. It is a totally paint by numbers effort. Do not bother. Watch The Guild on Youtube instead.

If you honestly like this movie, I honestly feel sorry for you.

Geeks dress up

[Leofwine_draca · 1/10 · 16 March 2018]

RISE OF THE FELLOWSHIP is another indie comedy that owes its existence to LORD OF THE RINGS. The central characters are a group of geeks who are into cosplay and the like and who plan to attend a Lord of the Rings-themed convention. As a film, it's packed with the usual unfunny humour and bad acting; it's worthless even for like-minded fans such as myself.

I Expected More

[Rainey-Dawn · 2/10 · 28 April 2021]

I really expected more out of this film than what it is. I was hoping the characters were full on geeks and dressed as The Fellowship. I wanted the group to act more like The Fellowship and quote more from the book/film. Disappointed.

2/10.

Fun for the Geek . . . and Hero

[lollygagamabop · 8/10 · 30 July 2013]

This film is unexpected fun for Fellowship of the Ring fans. Four geek FOTR gaming friends team up to overcome adversity and try to win a national gaming championship far from home. The obstacles they encounter along the path mirror the adventures of four little hobbits from Tolkein's classic series. If you are well-versed in the Tolkein classics, you ought to enjoy this tribute film, all in good fun, which references many scenes from the novels that were not included in the recent films. My husband noticed many touches I missed, as he was more knowledgeable about the original, and my memory of my childhood reads was more faded. As it was released originally between the national big screen productions of LOTR and The Hobbit, knowledge of the novels is helpful in appreciating this piece in context, but for most, those movies could be seen first, then this enjoyed as a light relief from their intensity (!).

What I love about this movie: humor; does not take itself too seriously; great allusions & bows to the original; ingenuity & originality; lighting was well done; action shots are believable. The costuming fairly simple-- appropriately.

The Fellows Hip reminded me of the great teen flicks of the 80s--like Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink--with some reminiscent boy/girl romance elements, plus the ultra-geeks-meet-&-compete-with-jocks theme. Lots of memorable lines & strong over-the-top characters. Plus, it's pretty clean, with only a minor drug issue (pot) playing a role in the drama/conflict of the storyline, making this acceptable for a preteen audience. So, it's soft on adult humor/adult topic, and I enjoyed the refreshing nature of that as well.

What rubbed me the wrong way: one miscast fellow. I felt his poor acting frequently detracted from the rest of what I found to be a thoroughly enjoyable film. He kept getting under my skin--kind of hard to overlook, unfortunately.

All in all, this is totally worth a light-hearted weekend viewing for Tolkein fan families. I hope you laugh out loud as much as we did! Now our kids & we enjoy quoting parts of it to each other around the house- -it's that kind of film.

A fun film for gamers and Lord of the Rings films

[ejpostma2 · 8/10 · 14 December 2013]

Rise of the Fellowship is a glorious love letter to both the Lord of the Rings and the world of gaming, with just a touch of John Hughes for seasoning. We are introduced to a quartet of dedicated young geeks who go to school and play Lord of the Rings Online together while trying to avoid the typically abusive jock squad. This and other tropes such as our hero Randall being hopelessly In love with the lead cheerleader will be very familiar to anyone who grew up watching movies in the 1980's. Things take an interesting turn though when a Lord of the Rings Online competition is announced and the jocks attempt to beat the geeks at their own game. They seem to do so but only through the use of trickery and in order to right this wrong, Randall, Stacy, Squirelly and Nate set out on an epic quest for truth, justice and the gamer way. Astute fans of the Lord of the Rings trilogy will notice that Rise of the Fellowship plays homage to many elements from those movies and even crafts its own storyline to roughly follow that of the trilogy. Since this is only one movie and not three, that mechanism leads to certain things getting a bit muddled and hurried at some points but overall, it works. The acting is surprisingly good, especially considering that it is a small independent film, with the standout being the film's director who plays Randall's older brother Stan. The character development is also handled well, with one possible exception. But as that is tied to a significant plot twist others may find it justified. Finally, the film also gets high marks for its sound track and topnotch production values. All of these elements combine to make a film that will be appreciated by many for the light-hearted homage and geek rallying cry that it is. Definitely give it a look!

Wonderful movie!

[leelielou-862-335483 · 10/10 · 5 December 2013]

I've scored this movie 10 out of 10. It's a heartwarming film featuring lovable characters that genuinely made me care about whether everyone would get a happy ending. It's shot beautifully, lit beautifully, some of the 'dream' scenes look magical! The music was great too, it helped create a shire-like atmosphere even while in a high school! Favourite character by far was squirrelly, he was funny throughout, had some of the best lines and the actor gave a great performance. I loved The Lord of the rings and this movie in my opinion is like a love letter to it. Although I think the movie is geared towards lord of the rings fans I believe that even people who haven't seen The Fellowship of the Ring would still enjoy it. As far as I noticed this movie contains no language and is suitable for all, so I recommend checking it out especially if your a hobbit lover!

Surprised by this adventure

[kwk-885-237374 · 9/10 · 31 December 2013]

Online games don't interest me, so I didn't expect to like Rise of the Fellowship. What a pleasant surprise! It's well acted and well written. As a Tolkien fan, I enjoyed the LOTR references, but there are other pleasures. Your kids will enjoy it, too.

Each of the lead actors does a very good job, especially Justin Moe, Jayme Bell, and Cole Matson. Wolf Sherrill's performance as Baba Melvin is a delight.

The sly humor of the script drew me in. These Tolkien fans don't take themselves too seriously in this affectionate play on the LOTR films. It's well paced and has charm. The resolution is neat and satisfying.

Disclosure: I only watched this because a friend is married to one of the writers. But as I watched, I moved from curiosity to pride. Who cares about 4 teen gamers? You will when you watch this well told tale.

Very Clever

[rmutti-91198 · 8/10 · 24 March 2017]

OK, so it was a low-budget film. I thought it was very clever, with lots of enjoyable LOTR references, and satisfying visual effects. Also the acting was really quite good--certainly every bit as good as Central Intelligence, for example. Don't be put off by catty, negative reviews.

Heartwarming, put-a-smile-on-your-face film

[timmydj-11612 · 10/10 · 3 August 2016]

This movie made me smile, even laugh. Sure there were some stereotypes and some clichéd moments, but they didn't detract from the feel of the film. There are some movies that just give you a happy feeling while you watch them and leave you wanting to go out and kick life's butt, like The Secret Life of Walter Mitty or Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. This, for me, is one of those movies. Is some of the acting a bit over the top? Sure. But I've seen much cornier, stereotyped performances (the bad guys in Mall Cop for instance) and honestly Rise of The Fellows Hip had me caring about the characters from the beginning, unlike a lot of other "great" films.

For reference, I'm eighteen and not a gamer in any sense of the word and I still enjoyed this movie. Family friendly though it may be, it's appeal has a much wider scope and I would recommend it to anyone who appreciates a good, clean, heartwarming story.

Looks better than Max Magician, so there's that?

[NardacBlefscu · 26 July 2015]

Sharing some cinematic DNA with 2002's "Max Magician and the Legend of the Rings", "Rise of the Fellowship" is another Mid-Atlantic lensed, low-budget fantasy epic that lucked into a wide release by being marketed as a quickie "Lord of the Rings" cash-in. "Fellowship" can at least boast the nice professional look of a Syfy or Lifetime original, but past that, "Max Magician" wins out in this dubious race to the top of the Walmart cut-out bin since it actually has some plot and structure-- cliché, simple- minded and predictable though it may be.

"Fellowship", on the other hand, is just a clumsy stringing together of imagery from the "Lord of the Rings" without regard to coherence or meaning; it's like being trapped in an elevator with a foaming-at-the-mouth Peter Jackson ultra-nerd ranting along the lines of "Remember that scene where that thing happened? Wasn't that great? And that other scene where that other thing happened? So awesome! And then that...." Within five minutes of watching this film, you'll seriously consider taking your own life; after ten minutes, your loved ones will be making funeral arrangements.

Normal folks with critical thinking facilities intact will want to steer clear of this but if you're an undiscriminating dork who's a sucker for shameless fan boy pandering, bring a large spoon because you'll want to savor every delicious drop. Bon Appétit!

A Movie Not For Gamers

[Nathboi · 26 June 2022]

THIS MOVIE IS HOT GARBAGE!!!!!

AND NOT A MOVIE FOR GAMERS!!!!

Like seriously how do you think this is the best gamer movie when Scott pilgrim is right there. I hate this movie for anything related to lotr, and they are my fav movie trilogy.

Here's why I don't like the movie ----------------------------

Section 1: THE STORY

The story is clunky and confusing. Like each of the characters go on trip after trip. I hate it so much! And I hope Ron Newcomb can go somewhere and think about what he has done

Section 2: THE CHARACTERS

The characters are the worst, side, and main each character has the worst flaws imaginable. Like squirrelly has an idea to steal the car and then the idea goes wrong and everyone says it was fun makes it the worst things you can do imaginable and, and the villains. Hoho don't get me started. The villains (Who Are The Jocks and Game Store Owner BTW!!!!!) and Pete says nerds ruin the place Even tho he runs a shop for nerds!!!!! God the characters are awful and the actors aren't true gamers so if you wanna make a gamer movie. HAVE TRUE GAMERS AS ACTORS RON!!!!!!!!!!

Section 3: THOSE REFERENCES!!!!!!

The references are all over the place they are everywhere including the god dang script has lines referenced to lotr. I hate it every reference is in your face and say we are a lotr tribute film, even while calling Peter Jackson A Master! God those references need to stop cause they are not apart of the story. Phase 4 Films, and Ron Newcomb and kiss the money goodbye, cause I watched it on Tubi.

-----------------------------

Anyways I don't recommend to people who are gamers,

and lotr fans (like myself) and watch lotr instead cause I will soon after this

0/10 An Abomination That Will Have To Be Murdered!!!