Majestic And Stunning; A Cinematic Triumph * * * 1/2 (Three And A Half Out Of Four

Rating: 9/10 (9 January 2004)

The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Rings" tells the story of J.R.R. Tolkien's three-part novel as a sweeping, bold, exciting first turn. The artistry and deep message may be off a little due to the ways of Hollywood but it still stands as a cinematic triumph. We see the message of 'Size Doesn't Matter' in more then one way. We see a frightened little hobbit named Frodo (Elijah Wood) fall into the hands of the One Ring, which could destroy the world of Middle-Earth if it can take over the minds of those who wish to destroy it. How surprising to see the fact that the hero of the story is a small, shy hobbit, while the One Ring takes it's toll on the other larger heroes is sidetracked, as we see the heroes of the film to be Aragorn (Viggo Mortenson) and his followers, fighting battles against leagues of orcs and other minions of Middle-Earth. The makeup and costume for this film is Oscar caliber and the cosmetics department for this film should go recognized for it. Aside from that, how ever more surprising is the depth and journey we will see the 'Fellowship', a mixed bunch of cultures of Middle-Earth, take going from mighty castles to underground lairs of doom. And to top it off, your left breathless. There's a certain charm the 'Fellowship' carries that the following films don't. Maybe it's because the focus is less on all-out action (Which the film carries plenty of) but more on the imagination and power the novel carried. A book-to-film translation is always risque but a fine job is done here and I praise Peter Jackson for bringing the books so vividly to life.
* * * 1/2 (Out Of Four Stars)
A-
9 (On The IMDB Rating System)