Review of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) by Suri S — 27 Dec 2013

Kick-starting the world's greatest cinematic trilogy of all time is "The Fellowship of the Ring". Based on philologist and author J.R.R. Tolkien's best-selling fantasy series Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson's adaptation of the first volume is an achievement in not only visual effects and cinematic spectacle, but an achievement in both intricate storytelling and character drama as well.

I don't know where to begin on my review of this one. First off, the cast is impeccable. Everyone from Elijah Wood as Frodo to Ian Holm as Bilbo to Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn really kills it in their role. Although everyone is great, there are two real standout performances in this movie: Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey and Christopher Lee as Saruman. McKellen allures the audience with a wizardly sense of awe, and Lee absolutely revels in his sublime villainy. One of the highlights of the film is their Isengard showdown, where the two face-off in a match of epic proportions.

The scope of "Fellowship" is magnificent. Once you are thrust out of the Shire alongside Frodo and Sam accompanied by an overbearing sense of urgency, you really begin to sense the monumental scope of it all. Jackson's attention to detail is ultimately what elevates Fellowship to "modern classic" status, and it is really the icing on the cake. Middle-earth is so meticulously and diligently crafted that you'll really feel invested in the world throughout the 2 hour 45 minute run time of the film. The film's pacing, albeit beginning somewhat slow, soon becomes relentless. From the very beginning right to the very end, Fellowship will suck you in and never let you go.

Being a Peter Jackson film, the visuals and images conveyed throughout the film are, of course, fantastic and often brilliant. Jackson's use of a variety of camera techniques and angles is utterly refreshing compared to most blockbusters, and he really is masterful behind the camera.

I think it's about this time where I have to commend Howard Shore for his work on this movie's soundtrack. Every piece, from "Concerning Hobbits" to "The Bridge of Khazad-Dum" is pitch-perfect and adds that much more to the atmosphere of Middle-earth. The Fellowship motif itself (heard all the way throughout the film, but most notably during "The Bridge of Khazad-Dum") is soaked in grandeur and heroism, and evokes a sense of weightlessness and awe that makes you almost feel as if you are a kid again.

I only have one (minor) criticism with this film-and it isn't even a criticism, really-but if watching this film is your first time being exposed to the Lord of the Rings, you might find the narrative a bit hard to follow, especially considering the amount of exposition that's thrown at you and the amount of characters in the story. I myself had no problems with it upon first viewing, but your typical blockbuster-loving moviegoer might.

There's really not that much more that can be said about "Fellowship" other than that. You really have to see it for yourself in order to get the full experience. It's pretty much unanimously agreed between critics that this movie (and trilogy) is one of the best fantasy films (if not just films in general) of all time. It's exciting, briskly-paced, emotionally involving, frighteningly tense, well-directed, brilliantly acted, and wildly adventurous. It is the pinnacle of the fantasy film, and a benchmark to which all future fantasy films will be judged. It is a triumph.

Best scene - the entire Mines of Moria sequence.