A stunning masterpiece...

Rating: 10/10 (23 December 2001)

This is one of the best fantasy films ever made and in many ways transends the genre. Peter Jackson shows real genius in taking the story from book to screen and the cast is flawless. As Frodo, Elijah Wood captures the haunted innocence of his character: he would rather pass the task off to someone else but knows deep down that he must bear the Ring. Ian McKellen is ideal as Gandalf: warm, witty, brave and wise. Sean Astin make Sam into the kind of devoted friend we all need to have. Liv Tyler's short appearance as Arwen represents the best work of her career, she has real chemistry with Viggo Mortensen's aragorn (more on him in a second)and their scenes together are tender and passionate. Cate Blanchett is regal, enigmatic and golden as the Elf Queen Galadriel while suggesting her character's potential for evil should she succumb to her desire for the ring. Likewise, Ian Holm's tortured Bilbo, a good "man" (hobbit) who passes the ring on to Frodo, also demonstrates the devastating effects the ring has. In one of the movie's most frightening moments, he turns monstrous as he lunges for the ring on Frodo's neck. Orlando Bloom moves with deadly elegance as the elf Legolas and Jonathan Rhys Davies imbues Gimli with bluster and courage.
The two best performances have been saved for last: Viggo Mortensen and Sean Bean. Mortensen is superb as Aragorn: charismatic and heroic, yet fearing that he may be too weak to resist the ring (his ancestor was unable to resist the ring, hence Aragorn's fear). Mortensen's scenes with Liv Tyler as Arwen are perfectly realized and hopefully the two will share more screen time in the two sequels. Bean is equally brilliant as the valiant but flawed Boromir, whose surrender to his lust for the ring leads to disaster. Indeed, one of the high points of the film is the final conversation between Aragorn and Boromir, when each man comes to a deeper understanding of himself and one another.
All in all, a masterpiece.