The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

The epic that garnered huge acclaim is now a smash success on DVD. Why was The Fellowship one of the best releases of 2001? Review with lots of media.

J.R.R. Tolkien set out to create a massive, fantastical world that transcended time and space. No one had seen anything quite like The Hobbit before the book was published many decades ago, and now, the Lord of the Rings trilogy is coming to life on the big screen. While fans of the series are obviously happy, make no mistake: these movies are designed to appeal to a much larger audience.

One must realize that Tolkien's work is not for everyone, and that many novel enthusiasts don't even think twice about reading the trilogy. Fantasy has always been regarded as a niche genre, and Peter Jackson was faced with the arduous task of creating a film that would interest and intrigue the general public. If the finished product isn't a testament to his achievement in this area, nothing is.

The movie opens with intense power laced with heavy atmosphere. The history of the Rings of Power and the One Ring to rule them all is portrayed through a massive battle and the passage of time. Afterwards, we are transported to the true introduction (as the first set of scenes is essentially a prologue), which is decidedly calmer and even innocent. It is here where the story begins, and everything escalates from this point forward.

Accomplished actor Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey

The key aspect of the film is Jackson's uncanny ability to provide a sweeping scope of Middle Earth; to give the viewer an idea of how large and mystical Tolkien's world truly is. Everything is painted in vivid detail, and you never once believe you're simply looking at a fabricated movie set. The world, and the characters within, rings true, and that is perhaps the best part of Fellowship of the Ring.

Obviously, when dealing with a massive literary work, certain allowances must be made for the dialogue and script of the movie. There is no way Frodo or Gandalf could say every word of Tolkien's dialogue, but fans of the series will likely not be disappointed.

Pretty much all of the important areas are covered, and if the dialogue seems somewhat short at times, bear in mind that they are dealing with a huge set of information. Tolkien was rarely brief, and his intricate detail is well known; we should be grateful that this much is rendered beautifully in the movie.

Accomplished actor Ian McKellen is probably the most impressive in his role as Gandalf the Grey, the fabled wizard from the trilogy. One of the film's 13 Academy Award nominations went to him, for Best Supporting Actor. Viggo Mortensen and Elijah Wood are convincing in their roles as Strider (Aragorn) and Frodo Baggins respectively, and Sean Bean is excellent in the role of Boromir.

These guys don't have any faces. Quite disturbing.

No character is overshadowed or ignored by Jackson's screenplay, and each is given an appropriate amount of screen time. You will find yourself rooting for the team and each and every turn, and you certainly won't be dozing off.

The scenery is downright breathtaking, and you will not find a better example of splendid cinematography in the past few years. The story rolls smoothly from the lush greens of Frodo's hobbit home to the dank murkiness of the Mines of Moria and the mysterious serenity of the elven city, Rivendel. Yet another Academy Award nomination in this category was most deserved.

Orlando Bloom as Logolas - lots of girls like him.

The story itself attempts to follow the book closely, and only somewhat picky Tolkien readers will find fault with it. It's a classic yet complex tale of good versus evil, and most everything, from the intriguing characters to the wonderful landscape, will suck the viewer in and won't let go until the very end. It ends appropriately, with only a little overlap between the first two books of the series.

The extra features are numerous, even if you don't purchase the large Collector's Set. A preview of The Two Towers, various documentaries, Enya's "May it Be" music video, exclusive online content, theatrical trailers and much more await you in the standard 2-disc set. Because The Fellowship is a movie where you may be interested to see how it was made, and the effort that went into it, the special features are a definite bonus.

This monster was one of the best special effects in the first film, although completely outdone by Gollum in the second film.

All in all, Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings is a great way to start an ambitious trilogy. The dialogue is a bit sparse in areas in order to make way for the action, but the overall feel of the book is depicted well on-screen. If you haven't gotten a chance to check out this beautifully crafted epic, you are missing out on a singular experience. There is room for improvement, but they have two more tries to attain perfection.

Ben S. Dutka
DVD Reviewer, Kikizo Movies