Very different from other fantasy movies

Rating: 10/10 (23 December 2001)

I am an avid fan of the fantasy genre. Like many such persons, I have read the Lord of the Rings before. That said, it has been some time since I have read it, and I did not go out of my way to read the books again before the movie came out. Why should be obvious: take a look at some of the more critical comments that have been written regarding this Film. They dwell on the finer points of the approach the adaptation takes, and fail to evaluate it as a movie. I would wager that even those vocal critics who don't hold the unrealistic notion that every little bit of the novel should be duplicated would differ on which points should be duplicated.
(WARNING: THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS CONTAIN MINOR SPOILERS)
The movie begins with a glance at the history behind this story... the conflict with the dark lord Sauron. This was quite visually impressive, showing armies clashing on a dark landscape. You "get the point" of why the one ring the focus of the story when you see Sauron batting troops aside like they were flies.
The sets and terrain mock-ups on this movie were breathtaking. Many people have spoken of the elven cities and the dwarven mines, which I agree are awesome. I also found the fortress in Mordor rather inspiring.
Other effects in the movie--and their handling for emotional impact-- are also noteworthy. For example, the flame-demon "balrog" was pretty impressive. When he was falling, I saw the tendril of the whip dancing around. Everyone who was familiar with the book knew what happens next... and I was entranced waiting for it... waiting... I thinking that they paced that scene with those who have read the book in mind.
The cave troll that the fellowship encounters is also a visual treat, used well in a very tense fight scene.
I'm not sure if I like the way they did the ringwraiths or not. The ringwraiths let out an intense shriek every time that they came on screen. The shrieking was eerie. It was also irritating.
They way that they did Arwen (the elven woman who rescues Frodo from the ringwraiths) is actually quite a departure from the book... but I actually like the way that they did it. The way that she dispenses with the ringwraiths is visually stunning and is a nice portrayal of the power of elves in Middle-Earth.
One of the biggest effects accomplishments of the books is the portrayal of the different races. Of these, the hobbits and dwarves are the best done. By means of forced perspective and editing, they make full sized actors appear as these diminutive races.
On the other hand, I did not like the orcs. They just look like TV sci-fi show makeup jobs, like magog from the Andromeda TV-series. In contrast to how much attention they paid to making everything seem so real, it just stuck out like a sore thumb to me.
The other thing that I didn't like was the elves. Legolas and Elrond seemed like... well, men with pointy ears. But Galadriel seemed so ethereal. It struck me as a bit of a discontinuity. I think they should have tried to make them all a little more eccentric. I'm not sure how, but there you go. In the same note, I did not like the Galadriel/Frodo scene. It seemed so... curt. "Yes, yes, I am tempted!!! I would be a QUEEEEN! But no, I couldn't do that! Hey, I passed the test! It's off to the lands beyond for me..."
That said, I found the film emotionally intense and... just so real. It was sort of strange how *real* this felt. I was expecting some over-the-top gratuitous fantasy schlock, but it wasn't there. They only used what they needed to to get the feel across, and it paid off. I felt very immersed in the film.
The acting was good to excellent. The actors that I associate strongly with other roles (e.g., Sean Astin, who I will always see as the loser from Encino Man) acted well enough that they managed to escape that type-casting in my mind. Others, like Ian McKellen as Gandalf, fit their roles so well that it was never a concern.
Although I have stated a few nitpicks, overall the craftsmanship of this film is immense. I think Jackson chose the right details to exclude and nowhere did I see the same sort of excessive creative license that has marred so many other F/SF adaptations (Starship Troopers comes immediately to mind.) Visually stunning, entirely immersive, Fellowship of the Ring should hopefully set a new standard in the realm of fantasy movies, a genre that has been ill-treated by movie-makers in the past.