Review of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) by Jonas K — 31 Aug 2013

To adapt Tolkien`s masterpiece that is The Lord of the Rings is impossible. The Lord of the Rings is arguably one of the greatest fantasy novels ever written and for a movie to set out and tell that beautiful tale is in fact impossible. Well so it seemed until Peter Jackson came along. Peter and the countless others that helped him actually managed to do it, they made in my personal opinion the greatest movie trilogy ever made and it all started with this one.

Peter hits all the right spots every single time he goes for a long shot. The emotional stakes are so high and well paced you will have tears by the end of this movie. There is no holding back, thoes tears will fall eventually. The performances are so incredibly strong. These actors aren`t just playing their characters, they "are" the characters. A better casting choice is not possible to imagine at least not for me. Every line of dialogue, every sound, every expression, everything about the drama and screenplay is wonderful. The drama is untouchable, it`s simply perfect in my eyes.

The pure scale of Middle earth is presented in this magical and epic way that you never thought was possible but Peter, he has to have something special to be able to bring this world to life. New Zealand was the perfect location to shot this film. The world seems so vast and rich with nature. Everything from the wide camera shots of mountains and woods to the small details of Bilbo`s home are more than stunning. The word I`m looking for has not been invented yet but the closest thing I can say is masterful. The world building is also a huge contributor to the believability of this world. The history, languages, cultural differences between races, religions, it`s all presented in an amazing way. Middle Earth is beautiful beyond imagination, this movie presents that to you.

The action, oh the action. Where do I begin? First off the effects are blown out of the water. The make-up, costumes, sets, CGI, choreographed fight scenes aswell as the pace keeps you engaged and amazed through out. I will touch deeper into the acition later in the the second and third film but I will say this: Balrog vs Gandalf will be put down in cinema history as one of the most epic scenes ever put on film.

A tale so epic and unbelievable that you can`t close your eyes for hwat stands infront of you. This is the beginning of a very long masterpiece that is Peter Jackson`s adaption of The Lord of the Rings. Do keep in mind this review is about the extended editions which I strongly recommend as the best version.