BEAUTIFUL Adaption Of A Wonderful Story.

Rating: 10/10 (19 December 2001)

I've grown up a fan of both "The Hobbit" and the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. As a child, my father used to read these stories to me before I went to bed. And now... I've seen that world come to life.
Before I get into the bulk of my review, I'd like to remind and point out a few things to the casual viewer or those who have never touched a Tolkien book: "Fellowship" is the first of a three part series. Unlike the Bashki animated film, which covers the majority of the first two books, this only covers Book One, and it is left very open ended and unresolved for a reason. Secondly, yes, this is a very grim fantasy film. These characters are fighting for the fate of their world, and sacrifices will be made throughout the course of the story. Both of these points are directly how the book addressed them. The story has only begun in this film. There are plenty of character developments and plot resolutions to be had. Be patient. Also of note: Is this a film for kids? No. Don't take your five year old to this expecting this film to be another "Harry Potter". But again, this is how the books were. Lastly, in regards to an earlier comment, the characters of Merry and Pippin are nothing like Jar Jar Binks.
With all of that off my chest, I shall touch upon the film itself: Wow. It truly is everything I wanted from this book-turned-film. The landscapes of Middle-Earth (especially the Shire) are breathtaking. Wonderful set design. The character portrayals are accurate to the characters from the book and are given a sense of dignity and comradeship that they would have needed. I was very pleased by the casting. The musical score is excellent. Warm and cheerful, intense and brooding, sad, and uplifting all as needed. The battles are ferocious, with a Braveheart-esque quality to them, and yes, they're a bit gory (what, did you really expect sword battles to be clean?), and the scary parts (especially the Riders) made even myself uncomfortable.
I've never seen a book-tuned-movie touched upon with such loving care (although this year's "Harry Potter" did a notable job). Peter Jackson did a fine job creating Middle-Earth and its locations in their full splendor. True, there were some plot and character omissions and changes, but again, you can only squeeze so much into a 3-Plus hour story. However, I can say that very little was left out or altered, and they kept more than they took away. I have little reason to believe that the next two films will be anything less than as spectacular.
As with "Harry Potter", I could see why people would have a sense of confusion about this story if they have never read the books. But hopefully, it will motivate them to read the stories for a better understanding, instead of scratching their heads or blindly criticizing the film. This truly is a remarkable film from a technical and storytelling standpoint, regardless of whether you like this genre or not.
I feel safe in saying that Tolkien fans have very little to worry about, and hopefully the average movie-goer will find a great deal of enjoyment out of this film, but they need to keep in mind before seeing this film that this is only the first part. The sequels are there out of necessity for the story. As for myself, I was taken back to that time when Dad read those stories to me just before I went to bed. I loved that story now just as much as I did then, only this time, my mind's eye was projected at the local cineplex. Truly recommended.