The greatest adventure of all time comes to life

Rating: 10/10 (12 March 2002)

I first read the Lord of the Rings trilogy when i was 8 years old. My dad was a fan and he passed it on to me. Since that time I have read the trilogy numerous times, and it is easily my favorite, and in my opinion the greatest adventure story - the greatest story - ever written on paper.

Naturally I was nervous when plans for this movie started. I did not want to see the Lord of the Rings brought to the screen if it was not gonna be done to perfection. Thankfully, my fears were unfounded
The Fellowship of the Ring is the greatest movie adaption of all time and easily one of the best movies ever made. The direction is far better than I could have imagined possible. Peter Jackson's attention to detail is mind boggling - it feels like he has reached inside my imagination and transferred it to the big screen. Everything from the relaxing tranqulity of Hobbiton to the threatening atmosphere of Mordor is done with perfection. Jackson captures the book perfectly and deserves the oscar for achievement in direction
Perhaps the thing I was most nervous about was the cast. I absolutely love these characters and didnt want to see them played by the wrong people. Again, the movie delivers. Elijah Wood is remarkably good in the lead role, and Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan bring his three Hobbit companions to life better than i would have thought possible. Viggo Mortensen is perfectly suited to play Aragorn/Stryder, and Sean Bean turns in perhaps the best performance in the movie as the tormented human Boromir. Orlando Bloom as the elf legolas and John Rhys-Davies as the dwarf Gimli are exactly as I imagined them. Hell, even Liv Tyler is good in a brief (even though its been beefed up) role as the elf Arwen. But the true MVP in the cast is Ian mcKellen who sparkles as the wizard Gandalf. He brings the best character in the book to life so well it brings tears to my eyes.
The lord of the Rings is a completely wonderful start to the trilogy. I was so nervous going into it - and now I am supremely confident jackson will continue the trend next Christmas with the Two Towers. This movie is a wonderful achievement in filmaking and deserves to be remembered as one of the greatest made films of all time, and it seems the IMDB voters agree with me so far. I give it a 10 out of 10 and recommend to movie lovers of all ages.