Review of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) by Stevenf — 30 Sep 2013

It's strange and quite gut-wrenching to think that as I review this, the first part of arguably one of the best trilogies to grace cinema was released 12 years ago, but it's fascinating at how much there has been since then, yet this trilogy has withstood the test of countless blockbusters and attempts at recreating it fantastical adventures. Peter Jackson brings to life the vision that author J.R.R. Tolkien envisioned in his fantastic books, full of heart, colourful characters and magical elements that set it heads above the competition, truly an adventure like no other. While much of the film shows the advancements of computer-generated magnificence, it possesses a very human touch from its ensemble cast and riveting stories that each of them tell, the biggest of course being that of Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood), a hobbit who lead a simple way of life in the Shire, a quiet and peaceful place for those quite content with the easier but finer things in life, but as our story goes, Frodos uncle, Bilbo, holds a secret that changes the tone for the foreseeable future, as an evil is coming and Frodo holds the power to stop it, various events lead to Frodo and his other Hobbit friends Sam, Pippin and Merry (Sam Astin, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan) setting out to destroy the ring in the place it was forged, the fiery Mount Doom. But as mentioned, there is more than this story being told, we meet shadowy ranger Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) who is certainly more than meets the eye, while we also have a hawk-eyed elf called Legolas (Orlando Bloom), the outspoken but proud Boromir (Sean Bean) and a hot-tempered dwarf called Gimli (John Rys-Davies). The ring itself is a tempting power, a power that can entice and corrupt at any given moment, Ian McKellan plays an ageing wizard called Gandalf the Grey, who knows exactly what this ring is capable of, but is willing to guide this Fellowship until the end. This first entry combines everything into a near flawless film, fantasy, story-driven, violent, epic emotional and touching where it matters most, we don't have a perfect fellowship of individuals here, we have foes, untrustworthy acquaintances, accidental travellers and some not really wanting to be there, but they are all driven my one goal, one that will see them travel across Middle Earth to complete. Peter Jackson perfectly captures a world unlike any other, occupying it with magical mischief and all sorts of good and evil, which the film perfectly represents, it mixes light and dark and often cuts deeply into the flaws of both, while also showing first hand the power of the two on a massive scale, there's nothing quite like it.

The mesmerising cinematography outlines the scope of the film, from lush green landscapes to the snow-covered mountaintops and deep into the underground, each place vastly different than the last, full of beauty, terror, frightening beings with groundbreaking effects, costumes and real landscapes that bring it to life, but this isn't possible without the phenomenal cast in tow. Ian McKellan and Viggo Mortensen are standouts of the film, engrossed in their characters where we can truly feel safe with them as we trek through Middle Earth, but the then relatively unknown Elijah Wood does an excellent job as the likeable Frodo, keeping a level head but standing up when necessary. Smaller roles are also filled by big stars such as Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee and Liv Tyler, who are on hand at various pit stops for the group to offer advice and solitude, or two bow to a greater force.

This is undoubtedly a benchmark in cinema, combining so many elements of grandeur and action that its hard to find fault, it moves at a fluid pace and the long run time is not noticeable or over-bearing, we have so much to see, feel and admire that it feels right to watch this trilogy consecutively, otherwise the moment can indeed be spoiled, it surpasses all expectations and is simply sublime filmmaking, and it only gets better.