The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Released 2001
Stars Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Liv Tyler, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving, Sean Bean, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee
Directed by Peter Jackson

The Fellowship of the Ring begins in the quiet countryside of the Shire, where Bilbo Baggins of Bag End (Ian Holm), a hobbit, is celebrating his 111th birthday. In attendance, among other people, are Bilbo's young heir, Frodo (Elijah Wood), and the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellan). Gandalf informs Bilbo that the time has come for him to leave Bag End and go on a journey. To Frodo, he leaves his home and his most beloved possession, a magical ring that turns the wearer invisible. But this isn't just any magical ring - it is the One Ring, forged by the Dark Lord, Sauron, and capable of corrupting the wearer. Sauron's servants, the Ring Wraiths, are scouring Middle Earth for it, since, when it is returned to their master, nothing will be able to stop him. All of the world is about to be plunged into war, and the only way to stop the evil will be to destroy the ring by casting it into the fire where it was forged - in Mordor, on the Dark Lord's doorstep. That unenviable task falls to Frodo, the ring bearer.

Summary by James Berardinelli

I haven't read any of J.R.R. Tolkien's books, and I'm not a big fan of fantasy which made me leery of seeing "The Fellowship of the Ring." When I was a teenager I had seen The Hobbit, though, and I really liked it. Surely I had to give this blockbuster a chance, right? Well, I'm glad I did, because it blew me away. I'm glad I had seen "The Hobbit" beforehand, though, because I knew who Bilbo and Gollum were and the backstory of the ring. I think it helped draw me into the story. I'm sure it wasn't necessary, but I didn't feel like I was missing something.

One of the things that really surprised me was how well they were able to present the sizes of the characters. They made Ian Mckellan (of all people) a giant, and the hobbits were always hobbit size. Most importantly, it always looked real. Overall the special effects are outstanding. The evil characters and their locations are hideous and frightening, and the battle scenes are rousing and exciting. I was surprised by how realistic everything looked. My only quibble was with the matte shots, which are all in a soft focus to hide the fact they're matte shots. All of the fabricated vistas are gorgeous but soft. I don't want to complain, though, because I understand how expensive this movie was to make.

I was so involved in the story, the ending completely snuck up on me. When I sat down with my two gallon drink, the previews started to roll, and I realized I had to go to the bathroom. I thought I could probably wait or I could sneak out during a slow part if necessary. To the movie's credit, I never felt I had that chance. It kept me riveted to my seat until a title card came up that said "This Christmas." I thought it was an intermission, and I was about to bolt from my seat when I realized it was the ending. What a shock. The three hours flew by before I knew it. Also, I had been told the story was left a bit unresolved, and that must be the understatement of the year so far. The movie ended what I assume is one-third of the way through the overall story, and I think that's exactly what it should have done. It's a long time to wait, but I'll be ready when the next one is released. --Bill Alward, April 13, 2002