Loyal and brilliant film adaptation

Rating: 10/10 (16 September 2002)

Having read LOTR as a child, I was of course very interested to hear that it was in the works to be adapted onscreen. I began following the news about the production, following casting choices, and reading comments from Peter Jackson, and his feelings towards Tolkien's writing - and what he felt were the most important aspects to capture from the books. I then discovered that Jackson would be filming all three films simultaneously, and releasing them one year apart. He would also be using the same production crew for the entire trilogy. I became even more intrigued. The closer the release date of the movie came, the more information I heard, and feelings towards what to expect from the upcoming film. The more I heard, the more excited I was. My expectations on opening night were ridiculously high. After all, this was the novel that was voted as "The Novel of the Century".
The film did not disappoint !
Peter Jackson does such a brilliant job in completely creating a world that really does seem to be Middle-Earth. The landscapes are huge, lush, and photographic. The architecture is just enough off-kilter to make it seem like a different place - a different type of reality, just as you might envision it in the book. That is where the root of the brilliance of this accomplishment is - details. When you watch this movie you can just tell that Jackson and his crew were not making this film for the money they earned. They did it out of passion for their work.
But every aspect of this production just feels so right. The casting is so perfect. There's no overwhelming superstar in the film, whose performance will cannibalize the other players on the screen. Everyone plays their role perfectly - nobody does too much, and nobody does too little. Another aspect that is so perfectly utilized for this production was special effects. Nowhere in the film are special effects excessively used. They are only used when needed in the production. That is it. Sometimes, special effects are needed a great deal (the Balrog scene). Sometimes a small CGI "enhancement" perfectly captures something Tolkien first described (Bilbo's face suddenly altering when he sees the Ring again at Rivendell).
Also, the pacing of the film is brilliant. You just feel like Jackson is taking you on a long journey - not one that is going to end at the end of the first film. I believe this was accomplished because of the approach to the whole project in the beginning. Instead of taking the George Lucas route of literally filming the movies individually, Jackson made all three movies simultaneously. Since I am writing this before The Two Towers is released, I cannot say conclusively that each film will have the same "feel" to it, but I can guess that it will carry certain aspects on continuity because it is the same production crew and actors working at the same period in time. I believe this is important in the pacing of the films. It allows Jackson to approach the 3 films as one giant project, and to pace it accordingly.
After The Fellowship Of The Ring delivered on every possible level I had hoped, I am even more excited for The Two Towers, and The Return Of The King. After seeing how faithful Jackson has remained to the story, I have no doubt in my mind that they will be film classics on the day they are released, just like this film.
The greatest trilogy of all time ? It's off to the right start.