[Review of] The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring

Home Theater Forum ^ | 28 Nov 2001 | "Ron & Chris"

[sourcery]

The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring

Cast (Major Roles Only)

Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins
Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf
Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn
Sir Ian Holm as Bilbo Baggins
Sean Astin as Sam Gamgee
Billy Boyd as Pippin Took
Dominic Monaghan as Merry Brandybuck
Orlando Bloom as Legolas
John Rhys-Davies as Gimli
John Rhys-Davies (voice) as Treebeard
Sean Bean as Boromir
Cate Blanchett as Galadriel
Liv Tyler as Arwen
Christopher Lee as Saruman
Brad Dourif as Grima Wormtongue
Andy Serkis (voice) as Smeagol (Gollum)

Director:

Peter Jackson

A review by Ronald Epstein

One ring to rule them all,
One ring to find them,
one ring to bring them all and in
the darkness bind them.

Published in 1954-1955, J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece Lord Of The Rings trilogy still remains one of the
most definitive works of imaginary fiction ever written. The extraordinary efforts to get this trilogy to
the screen is a testament of how popular these stories are today. New Line has taken a gamble and risked
everything by filming all three movies back-to-back without knowing the fate of the original release.
The Fellowship of the Ring is the very first of the Tolkien trilogy. It will be followed up with
The Two Towers (2002) and Return of the King (2003).

As release date slowly draws nearer, everyone is holding their breath. Will this film live up to expectations?
Will this movie make a strong enough impact that audiences will anxiously want to remain loyal to the
films that will follow? The answer is a definitive YES on all accounts.

Lord Of The Rings will make its mark in film history. Fans will embrace this film and newcomers will
be in complete awe of one of the most visually entertaining films ever made....and this is only the beginning!

The film begins with lengthy female narrative that tells the story of Middle Earth - the ancient land of elves,
dwarves, hobbits, wizards and other creatures. We are told of the creation of the individual rings that
were handed down to the wisest and most noblest creatures of Middle Earth. We are then told of the ONE
ring that was forged out of Mount Doom -- the ring that controlled all others -- worn by the dark and
evil Lord Sauren. We are told of a battle and the defeat of Sauren and how his ring is eventually lost
only to be found by Gollum, a lowly creature that gets poisoned by its power. The ring is eventually
stolen by hobbit named Bilbo Baggins. And so, this is where the trilogy begins.....

It's a beautiful day in the Shire, the peaceful home of the Hobbits. A carriage rolls through a lone road
that parts meadows of lush grass and farmland. It is Gandalf the Wizard visiting his old Hobbit friend,
Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm). It is Bilbo's birthday, and the old hobbit is more concerned about leaving the
Shire rather than partake in any party. Something is very heavy on Bilbo's mind, and Gandalf is watching
him closely. That evening, Bilbo's party is in full swing with some of the most amazing and beautiful firework
displays ever seen on film. When Bilbo makes a daring announcement to his party guests, Gandalf realizes that
Bilbo is in possession of a very important ring. Gandalf convinces Bilbo to give up the ring, and give it to
the very young Frodo (Elijah Wood). When the secret of the ring is finally revealed to the old Wizard, Frodo
is warned to leave the Shire at once. Hence, the adventure of a lifetime begins.

Clocking in at about 3 hours running length, Lord Of The Rings doesn't waste time. Every minute of
the film is used to remain as faithful to the book as possible. The most important aspect of this film is
that it had to properly tell the story as written. The end result is that this film becomes a definitive
and accurate recreation of the story.

Though it had been 20 years since I last read the trilogy, the film brought back every single memory I had
of the story with visuals that exceeded my own imagination. You will see visuals in this film that go beyond
anything you have seen before. The film is visually beautiful as we travel through the lush green grasses
of the Shire with the huts built into the hills, or, the beautiful mountain village of Rivendell, inhabited
by the Elves. With so much beauty also comes the darkness of Mordor and Mount Doom so grimly recreated
with cameras that swoop into the lowest depths of these locations as we watch armies of death manufacturer
weapons as they grow, amass, and hunt the one that holds the ring.

Make no mistake about it, this film is very dark. The most terrifying creatures of Middle Earth are
realistically brought to life. Whether it be the Ringwraiths, dark riders who are neither dead or alive
or the armies of orcs who inhabit the Mountains of the Dwarf kingdom, this movie manages to keep your
heart racing with scene after scene of edge-of-the-seat battles set to sweeping music of Howard Shore.

I have two favorite sequences in this movie. One involves a duel between Gandalf (Ian Holm) and the
elder wizard, Saruman (Christopher Lee). With each Wizard testing their powers against each other,
the duel becomes one of the most memorable scenes of the film as we see Gandalf helplessly spinning
around the floor. Another favorite sequence involves Frodo putting the ring on his finger and not
only becoming invisible to the outside world, but being visible to the inner world of darkness. These
effect sequences are creatively reproduced on screen to the point where you get chills running down
your spine.

The biggest hurdles that New Line faces with Lord Of The Rings is the 3-hour running time and
the fact that this is not a film that is going to appeal to all audiences. While the fans who read
the original books are going to be enthralled with its faithfulness to the book, I couldn't help but
hear many women of the audience talking afterwards about how much they were unimpressed by the whole
film. Fans of the books and Fantasy films alike are in for the treat of their lives. Lord Of The Rings
has accomplished what many thought was the impossible -- to bring a live-action film to the screen
that accurately portrays the books as written, with enough visual eyes candy and engrossing battle scenes
that could very well make this the STAR WARS trilogy of the new century.

On a scale of 1-5, I give this film a 5.

Opens December 18th, 2001

[Mudboy Slim]

Backatcha Bump, my FRiend, and thanks fer the great FReepMail...it means a lot.

FReegards...MUD

[Mudboy Slim]

Love yer Screen Name, Newbie...MUD

[sneakers]

Re #90: To MarkWar I would say - "Me thinks thou dost protest too much!"

[Heyworth]

There is much discussion about Tom and just what he is. Check out..http://tolkien.slimy.com/essays/Bombadil.html

[Kermit the Frog Does theWatusi]

bump

[US_MilitaryRules]

Just burned me a copy! Nice sounds!

[LoneGreenEyeshade]

the elimination of Tom Bombadil

OH NO!!!!!!!!!!

In response to "Who would I be?" on the Thread "We are all hobbits now", I wrote:

"Well if I can't have fire, (Arien) then how about water. I think I'd choose Goldberry, river daughter of the Old Forest, married to Tom Bombadil, and probably a decendent Maia (like Arien):

Golden-haired... I am

Concerned with the natural world of forest and stream... my hobby is to photograph the same

aside her husband, rescuer of the Hobbits during the Quest of the Ring.... on my own quest for justice, as you know

An Elf-queen in her radiance, flowers in her hair, garments of silver and gold, shoes that shimmered...nothing finer than silks and cashmere and a little glittering Angel dust for those special ocassions

Sings like a bird...How I wish to sing those love songs

Husband Tom: powerful and eccentric and merry....ah yes, strength with a sense of adventure and he'd make me laugh

He was always singing....love songs no doubt

His power was absolute, no evil could touch him...safe and true."

NOW I AM IN MOURNING!!!!!

[US_MilitaryRules]

My experience was in 10th grade in an english fantasy class. Started reading the hobbit and was done in three days. I still had the rest of the quarter to read it! So I read it again. Then as a junior, 11th grade, I had to read The Fellowship. Well I thought I might as well buy the trilogy. That was 1976-77. Can't wait for the movie and DVD later. Strider and Gandalf are my favorites.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

Cirdan was the lord of the Grey Havens and indeed he was given a ring by Celembrimbor, but Cirdan then gave it to Gandalf. In the War if the Rings they were held by Elrond, Galadriel, and Gandalf, but Cirdan was given one.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

Did you ever reveal your choice of who you would be?

[Samwise]

Uhhhh, would everyone please send "go into labor" vibes my way so that I don't miss the opening of this movie? Thanks.

I don't know you, so I may be misreading your message. Are you about to deliver? If not, my apologies. If so, and you are anxious to deliver, I swear Italian food does something. Italian worked for a friend. My sister's lasgana worked for me. My Italian roast beef worked for a friend. Coincidence? Probably. But if you get desperate, let me know. I'll send you a recipe. Good luck.

[Samwise]

I started reading in my dorm room in...Friday morning about 9 or 10 AM, I finished. I had LIVED in Middle Earth for almost four days. It had become more real than reality.

Wow! Freshman year. Girl's dorm. Other than that, it's deja vu all over again.

[John Farson]

bump

[BradyLS]

I just hope the Balrog isn't some gigantic, conventional, bat-winged monstrosity. The Balrog was a demon whose imposing presence made it seem much larger than it really was. Tolkien described it as a having a "man-shape" and "wings of shadow."

A demon of might and power is how the word Balrog (Valarouko) ultimately translates in Tolkien's invented languages. Too many artists render the Balrog as some towering, bat-winged, dragon-like figure on two legs and wielding a sword.

Everytime I watch Forbidden Planet and watch the arrival of the Id Monster, I think, "THAT is how the Balrog should make its entrance." The Balrog makes even the orcs tremble with fear.

Were I the monster-maker, the Balrog would be an almost ethereal creature wreathed in smoke and fire. Constantly curling and changing shape like licking flames. One moment it appears solid. In another it appears insubstantial. It's eyes would be like smoldering coals one second brighten like kindling embers the next. Its wings of shadow would spread and fade and assume other menacing shapes and forms. It would appear to be almost otherworldy.

But as long as it's frightening and not too conventional, I'll be pleased. Really anxious to see how the books are treated.

[slhill]

Very good! ;^)

[slhill]

OK, and I said that I didn't know. I wondered *why* you were asking. Why *were* you asking? As I said in my original question, boycotts are tactics used by all sorts of communities, so I wouldn't be surprised if either scenario were true. I was just interested in finding out what Freepers thought, and for some reason, I guessed I'd find more people prepared to boycott because of McKellen's views here than Tolkein's... ;^) That's not a value judgement--I haven't said that I think that boycotts in general or this type of boycott in particular are good or bad things.

Anyway, thanks to everyone who responded with their own perspectives.

[Hegewisch Dupa]

I'm with you - Tom fascinates me as well. He's a symbol of hope - living proof that the damn ring isn't all-powerful. He's shacking up with a hottie to boot; but most of all, remember that after all the evil stuff is over, once the battle's been won, Gandalf didn't go to Disneyland. First thing he did once he could relax was head off to Bambadil's to have what he called a very long talk.

Wonder what they chatted about...

[Eowyn-of-Rohan]

'76 was the year I read them first, too. Started with the Hobbit, and went right on through the Trilogy. Borrowed them from a housemate. It was the most transforming literary experience I have ever had. Strider and Gandalf are also my favorites--Strider is such a dashing, romantic figure (female perception, anyway). Gandalf stands alone. I fantasized also of the perfect, idyllic life of Golberry, and saw her as an archetype, a role model. Now I identify more with Eowyn.

[Eowyn-of-Rohan]

Wow. If that's the only kind of women you know I don't blame you for being bitter.

[Eowyn-of-Rohan]

I would prefer they cut entire characters rather than change them or rewrite them--It's much cleaner and historically accurate...It's like rewriting history. It is history...and we shouldn't rewrite it.

I so agree with you. Look what Disney did to Pocohontas!