The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Dir: Peter Jackson
Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellan, Elijah Wood,
Sean Astin, Ian Holm, Cate Blanchett, Liv Tyler,
Sean Bean, Christopher Lee, Orlando Bloom,
John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan
Rated PG-13, Approx: 178 Minutes (Theatrical),
208 Minutes (Extended)
New Line DVD
isn't just a spectacular accomplishment of
special effects, but a beautifully realized
adaptation of a fantasy classic...
when I saw Peter Jackson's adaptation of the first part of J.R.R. Tolkein's massive novel. I have always been a huge
fan of Jackson's work, and was expecting big things here, but I really wasn't prepared for such an absorbing
experience. Jackson is the kind of filmmaker who goes all out every single time he works and to this date has never
misstepped in my eyes. It's hard to believe how far he has come since creating such ambitious gore masterpieces
like Dead Alive and Bad Taste. I knew after seeing The Frighteners that his expertise wasn't relegated to the
realm of low budget film making, but once again this did little to prepare for such an epic. With Fellowship, Jackson
delivers a landmark in modern cinema on a grand scale that can hold its own with any similar accomplishment.
both satisfy fans of the source novel and not alienate people who have yet to experience Middle Earth and all it has
to offer. Seeing as most who are reading this are probably familiar with the story, I'll keep the synopsis brief. A
hobbit named Frodo Baggins has come in possession of the legendary ring of power. If this ring were to fall into the
hands of its creator, Sauron, it would mean the end of the free world. Frodo embarks on a quest with eight
companions to bring the ring into the dangerous depths of Mount Doom (the only place it can be destroyed).
expansive making this an
experience all the more textured.
to the screen. Instead, he presents us with his visual interpretation. There is a perfect balance here of attention to
minute details of Tolkien's world and Jackson's trademark high energy filming style. While it was sad to see some
elements of the book left out (most notably, Tom Bombadil and the conspiracy in the shire involving Sam, Fatty, and
co.) it was a necessary choice to tighten the pacing and make the story more cinematic. This isn't to say that
Jackson chopped up the story though, he shows an incredible attention to detail (a trait common to all his films). The
beautiful realization of Hobbiton is probably the best example of this, but there is so much more, including a glimpse
of the three large trolls from The Hobbit and Legolas lightly treading over the snow. The depths of Moria and the
Balrog are both brilliantly realized as well as the beauty of Rivendel and Lothlorien. Possibly Jackson's most
controversial choice was to bring the romantic angle between Aragorn and Arwen forward out of the appendix of
Return of the King. I honestly think this works really well. Their tale was so far removed from the events in the
novel that it renders Arwen a very minor player in the scheme of things. I think that this is an important part of
Aragorn's character though, and I can't think of any other way to include it short of making a fourth movie based on
the appendices! Jackson's incorporation of her this early on in the story makes perfect sense to me, as their
relationship will be given more depth as story unfolds. Likewise, I think it gives those who are already very familiar
with the material something to look forward to. I know the frustration when a film maker changes story elements for
what appears to be no other reason than to show that they can; I don't feel this is the case here in the least. Jackson
shows a great love and respect for the material, and is so obviously a fan himself. Throw into the mix that he's one of
the most talented storytellers working today (Heavenly Creatures is a testament to that fact) and you've got the
potential for a truly amazing film.
show. The technical crew received some richly deserved academy awards (I'll refrain from going into the rest of the
injustices that regularly take place at the academy awards) for some truly breath taking effects. The photography
itself was nothing short of amazing. Just about every single shot would make a beautiful postcard! The digital effects
were mixed with mechanical effects and forced perspective shots virtually seamlessly throughout. I'm not by nature a
technical person, so I can't do this dedicated crew justice with a few sentences - I will leave it at that I completely
sucked in to the point that everything became real. Creating such a wonderful journey with amazing effects that take
a backseat to a classic story is a unique gift. Everyone involved did a superb job as team players, as no one lost
sight of the important goal of creating an alternate world in favor of showing off personal talents (which there was
definitely no lack of).
characters to life with ease.
within. I'll be the first to admit that I was skeptical when I heard the Elijah Wood would be taking on the role of Frodo.
I'd also like to be the first to eat my words and admit that this guy was PERFECT for the role. I can't begin to praise
Wood enough for such a great performance. His evolution thusfar has been incredible and I'm breathless with
anticipation to see how he deals with the burden of being a ring bearer later on in the story. Wood is joined by a
host of other amazing performers, all who completely immersed themselves in their characters. Viggo Mortensen was
incredible as the valiant ranger Aragorn. Sean Bean brought a great deal of empathy for Boromir, a feeling which I
didn't get for him in the novel until much later when we meet his relatives. Christopher Lee and Ian McKellen are
perfectly cast as the rival wizards. Both carry such an amazing screen presence that the upcoming confrontations
are sure to be some of the most memorable in the history of the screen. Sean Astin played the faithful servant
Samwise Gamgee extremely well, capturing all his love, loyalty, and shy nature perfectly. Orlando Bloom and John
Rhys-Davies work out some great chemistry as Legolas and Gimli respectively. The same can be said for Billy Boyd
and Dominic Monaghan as Pippin and Merry. They are a bit difficult to distinguish from each other at times, but I
found the same to be true up to this point in the novel. They will get more of a chance to shine in the coming
installment.
The film is still playing in some second run theaters at the time of this review (it opened about 6 1/2 months ago). It
will be hitting DVD in August and then again with a special four disc set in November. I would recommend that most
wait for the 4 disc set as it will feature an extra 10 minutes that had to be cut to get a PG-13 rating. If you're like me
though, and can't wait that long (or, like me also, are a huge Peter Jackson completionist) you'll probably gladly buy
both editions. I have to give New Line credit for telling people in advance about this business instead of pulling a
surprise and trying to increase sales. One marketing ploy they did pull that got me into theaters and extra two times
was to attach a three minute trailer for The Two Towers to the film in late April. It probably won't surprise you that I
thought the trailer looked absolutely amazing and had me only a few steps from drooling with anticipation. I was
giddy at seeing the white rider on Shadowfax, Aragorn preparing to claim his birthright, and even a mere glimpse of
Brad Dourif as Grima Wormtounge and Treebeard opening his eyes. For the sake of space and your boredom, I
won't go into how cool The Battle of Helm's Deep looks. All I can say as I will be even more excited this December
than I was in this past one (which is no easy accomplishment).
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