Review of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) by Robert C — 24 Mar 2014

Generally speaking I don't like the LOTR series. I acknowledge they look great but for me I hate them because I was continually let down throughout them. Far too often in the LOTR series I think the story builds up these great idea's or characters and them lets me down whenever something big is supposed to happen.

For example: The Ring Wraiths. Great name...great design..great backstory and they do a good job of showing how afraid of them everyone was.

Oh...let me put it out there that I never read the books and I think any discussion of the books is irrelevant since I'm watching a movie and that's what I'll judge it by. Back to the wraiths..

I LOVED these guys and couldn't wait to seem them flex their muscle (or bone). In the first movie, a big wave in the river washed them away. After such a build up, the wave was a little anti-climatic. The wave wan't all that impressive either. I'll call that a flawed execution of the idea (water will get rid of them). There was also a scene where they came upon the hobbit in a derelict tower and I don't remember anything cool about it (I need to rewatch these films I agree..it's just I've never been interested enough to spend that much time again). And finally at the end of the film during the big battle scene it looks like we're going to get to see them do something really cool and what happens? The wraith gets killed before he ever does anything cool. Let down again!

Gandalf? HAH! I love the idea of the most powerful wizard and he certainly looks the part but aside from one scene where he was swinging his stick and knocking bad guys around, what giant magical things did he do?! He made his staff into a giant flashlight?! That's it! I waited hours upon hours to see him make a big flahslight?! Huge let down! Yes the Balrog was cool and he has a great line in the scene but we don't get to really see what makes Gandalf so magical.

I've got more but I'm sure no one will read this.

I want to add that I am shocked by how much I absolutely love the 2 new Hobbit movies (Hobbit and Desolation of Smaug). Hell..I give those films 5 stars. Love them and I can easily say that I think Desolation of Smaug is the best of all these films.