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Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring

Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellan
Director: Peter Jackson
Genre: Action
Year: 2001
Rating: 5 / 5

Reviewed by Guest Scribe Legend

As a pretext to this review, I would like to say one thing about this movie: it's excellent. From beginning to end, it is a thrill that keeps the viewer completely, well, ensorcelled. One of the most difficult thing about making a fantasy movie is making it realistic - one must believe the fantasy world is real within the context of the movie. It's something George Lucas has done so well with the Star Wars franchise. Jawas, Light Sabers, Jedis, Stormtroopers and guys with names like Obi-Wan Kenobi? Somehow it is cool (at least to most) and not weird. Director Peter Jackson in my opinion does a fine job of making things look fabulously real.

Jackson also does a wonderful job of separating the wheat from the chaff insofar as the level of detail is concerned with the movie. Writer J.R.R. Tolkien's depth of history and a litany of characters would have clearly cluttered this movie which was already lengthy. Jackson has the difficult task of encapsulating the first book of the trilogy and hitting the important parts. Of course, with any screenplay based on a book, comparison is inevitable. Below are likes and dislikes, sort of in a helter-skelter order:

•  Liked: Arwen. Liv Tyler is beautiful and effective in her small role as the elven princess. Her role in the book is negligible; if you blink, you actually might miss her in that tome. However, she moves from Aragorn's arm ornament into Glorfindel's role as the emissary of Elrond who finds Strider and the hobbits in the wild.
•  DisLiked: Lorien. The one 'flet' you see was very well done. However, Lorien is supposed to be captivating lots of gold trees and light colors. This version was dark and haunting. Likewise, Galadriel paralleled this. Instead of being ravishingly beautiful, she is more creepy/haunting. I did not care for her telepathic speech, and I thought they missed the very obvious notation of Galadriel as one of the bearers of an elven ring. It is because Galadriel is the keeper of Nenya that she can in large degree empathize with Frodo. That all said, the sequence in Lorien and the creepy aspect of it did work well in the context of the movie since it was fast-paced enough to deny the Fellowship a reasonable reprieve.
•  Liked: Elrond & Rivendell. Wow. This I must say is a pleasant surprise. My imagination certainly never thought up anything quite so beautiful for Rivendell. Maybe this is so well done that it affects my perception of Lorien. But down to the headboard on Frodo's bed and the light colors employed, this set is fabulously done. I also think Hugo Weaving (The Matrix) does a fine job as Elrond.
•  DisLiked: The smoothness with which Merry and Pippin are brought into the fellowship, and for that matter, leave the Shire. Elrond is loath to send two young and irresponsible hobbits along with the fellowship, and, in the movie, he seems to blithely allow it. More annoying is the way they meet Frodo and Sam. Chased by a black rider and suddenly they're tagging along? Why? This is never explained in the movie, although Pippin at least mentions that he is Frodo's cousin while in Bree. In the book, Merry sees Bilbo using the Ring. He is aware of it, and forms a conspiracy. Here, there is no discovery by Merry and Pippin of the Ring and their whole reason for following Frodo to Bree becomes rather dubious.
•  DisLiked: Some details about the hobbits that the throng of people working on this movie SHOULD have picked up. Easy things to fix. One is Frodo's line on the Bucklebury Ferry. "How far to the nearest crossing?" Well, Frodo, you grew up in Buckland. You ought to know where the bridge is and how far away it is. Easily fixed by giving the line to Sam who is much more provincial. Also, Sam saying, "But Rivendell is 6 days away!" Except for the fact that Sam has never been outside the Shire, suddenly he's Mr. Orienteering? Seems weird.
•  Liked: The comedy included with Merry & Pippin. I think both actors did a fine job of portraying those characters' sense of irresponsibility and playfulness (especially Pippin's) which lays the necessary foundation for their growth as characters in the following films. Plus, the levity breaks things up nicely. I especially like Pippin's complaints of lack of a second breakfast. This is very 'hobbity'.
•  Liked: Omission of Tom Bombadil. As a character, he is far too fanciful to insert into this film. He could very well have ruined it. That said, the trip between the Shire and Bree felt very rushed to me. The Old Forest and Barrow Downs are both cool scenes that demonstrate there are other evils in Middle Earth besides Sauron. However, these scenes would have been bad for the movie for two reasons. One is because Tom Bombadil rescues them from both (see above for why that's bad) and because it slows down the pacing and urgency of the black rider chase.
•  DisLiked: Lack of development of Shire personalities. The most noteworthy omission here is that of Lobelia Sackville-Baggins and her sniveling son Lotho, who grasp control of the Shire in Frodo's absence. Of course, if the 'Scouring of the Shire' is not included in the third film, their importance to the story diminishes significantly. However, I think an altercation between Bilbo and Lobelia's umbrella would have worked very well, similar to the use of Harry Potter's loathsome muggle relatives in that particular flick. I do choose, however, to believe it is Lobelia's voice at the door rapping with her umbrella when Gandalf is visiting Bilbo.
•  DisLiked: Timeline skewing. This is all at the beginning of the movie, but Jackson could have definitely been clearer about time elapsing. Gandalf goes to the Shire to Minas Tirith to the Shire to Isengard while it seems no time is elapsing in the Shire. In fact, there's even a short scene of Rose and Sam doing dishes which makes it look like it was right after the party! More noticeable costume changes would have helped immensely here. The most bizarre timeline issue I have is, once again, Sam: "But Rivendell is 6 days away." Suddenly Arwen's there in no time flat! Wow her horse is fast.
•  Liked: The costumes. Sometimes this is an overlooked area. However, I really think a fabulous job is done in this department.
•  Liked: The music. Especially the Moria sequence. However, it is excellent through and through.
•  DisLiked: Ringwraiths wussy! OK, so they are creepy and screeching and all that, but they seem too easily defeated. Aragorn chases them off very easily and when they are washed away by Arwen, I don't believe it is ever said that they did not actually die. If they are really that easy to defeat, the good powers would just summon an army and knock them out.
•  Liked: The umbrascape sequences every time Frodo puts on the Ring.
•  Liked: Moria. Easily the best part of the movie in my opinion. Great action, adventure, and special effects. Actually, the special effects were excellent throughout the movie, and the size tricks and the fireworks at the beginning stand out.
•  Liked: The acting. Really, no complaints! I think everyone is excellent. I especially like Billy Boyd as Pippin, though, and found his facial expressions hilarious.
•  DisLiked: The breeding pit scene with the bubbling mud and all. I think that is the one salient hokey moment in the film.
•  DisLiked: Aragorn's little conversation with Frodo before he leaves. The point is, Frodo takes this task on alone and makes the decision himself. This conversation to show Aragorn's purity of heart is unnecessary. We'll see plenty of that in later films.
•  Liked: All the scenes atop Orthanc and the wizard duel This is inventive.
•  Liked: The prologue. Having it narrated by Galadriel is wonderful and Cate Blanchett does a terrific job in really laying the bedrock of this story. I cannot emphasize enough how much I enjoy the prologue.

These are just a few things that stood out in my mind. However, the sum total of my moviegoing experience was phenomenal. Definitely one of my favorite films of all time, and that is a lot to say when you have a book to live up to. Everything from the sets to the make-up, acting, music, action, special effects, and plot I foundd completely captivating. It's a wonderful movie, simple as that. And it does wonders for a fantasy genre which has been plagued by "cheesiness." But not only is this the best fantasy movie ever, it is right up there with one of the best adventure movies of all time - certainly no small feat.

Cast:

Certification: Rated PG-13.
Running Time: 178 minutes.

Additional Info: Internet Movie Database
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