No complaints necessary...

Rating: Null/10 (31 December 2001)

OK, enough of all the Star Wars: Episode I disappointed like complaining about The Fellowship of the Ring. I saw this movie last night, and my only thought after seeing it was lining up right away to see it again, despite it's length. This is the best movie adapted from a novel that there has ever been, period. Even though I have read Tolkien's books five times, and knew exactly what was going to happen, the movie had me on the edge of my seat with suspense. Of course, some things were changed from Tolkien's novel. The major changes that get complained about are the removal of Tom Bombadil and the insertion of Arwen. These two modifications are really one in the same. The filmmakers, despite the novelistic purists complaints made an excellent decision here. Let's be realistic, the only reason Tom Bombadil is in the novel at all is to connect us all back to The Hobbit and Bilbo's story, so it works well in the story to establish that connection in the reader's mind. However, it has no greater purpose in the story of The Lord of the Rings, and in the end is rather insignificant, even in the novel. Now, perhaps if they had made four movies, starting with The Hobbit, the Tom Bombadil character should have been included. In essence, what the filmmakers have done is to drop Tom Bombadil's screen time in favor of modifying and incorporating the Arwen character more. Now, if anyone has read the entire three books, they should have also read the touching appendix on Arwen and Aragorn. Peter Jackson certainly has read this and decided to take slight interpretive liberties to expand the story of this appendix back into the main screenplay. I see nothing wrong with this. Yes, the novel was modified - slightly. Let's give credit where credit is due and congratulate Jackson for getting in 95% true to course.
There have been some other complaints, such as seeing Gandalf's time in Isenguard while the Hobbits journey to Rivendell. But this is simply to make this part of the story work cinematically - it would be a bad thing for the movie to have Gandalf arrive in Rivendell and drone on in flashback mode about what happened. It is much better for the action and the pacing of the movie to show the audience what is happening, as it is happening, not where it is the novel. And it does tell the story presented in the novel.
There have also been complaints about lack of development for Merry, Pippin, Boromir, Legolas, and Gimli. Give me a break, what do you want, a five-hour movie with endless character bios read in a droning voice over of some historical shots? You've really got to remember that what we have here is one story in three parts. In the novels Boromir is a significant character and the movie does a good job of fleshing him out in the time allowed. Legolas and Gimli are underdeveloped in this third of The Movie. But even in the novels the first book is more about Frodo and Gandalf than anyone else. I suspect and hope that, just as in the novels that Gimli and Legolas will have a more prominent role to plan in the second act out next Christmas.
Let's give Peter Jackson credit - the casting is dead on for every character in this movie. Even Boromir, who I had fears about, considering he is described by Tolkien in the books as someone of larger stature than Sean Bean can pull off. However, Sean Bean takes on this role with good acting presence in his allowed screen time so well that Boromir does have the presence represented in the novel, if not physically, at least dramatically. Along with the casting all the roles are well played with no overacting whatsoever.
Other complaints have been filed that the beginning drags a bit, but first time readers of the novel have also had the same complaint. I know many people that tried to get through The Fellowship of the Ring more than once and put it down in frustration right before it starts getting really good. But, when the do pick it up again and get through the beginning they have all said it was well worth it. So it is with the movie. This is another reason why the exclusion of Tom Bombadil is a positive for the film version of the tale, add him back in and the beginning would begin to drag more than a little bit, detracting from the rest of the movie.
Certain people have also complained about the fight scenes, that you cannot tell precisely what is happening and they are rather darting and frenzied. Well, this isn't The Matrix, where every detail is laid out and choreographed so slowly that you can distinguish every move. Jackson makes the fight scenes darting and frenzied on purpose, because it puts you in the midst of the battle, closely identifying you with how the characters feel at that point in time, and adds significantly to the thrill and suspense. You begin to really feel like you are in the fight and not watching some fight/dance on a movie screen. By making this choice, Jackson draws you into the fights at a frenzied pace, and makes a three hour movie seem much much shorter.
There are the little touches as well, such as with Legolas when he is walking so lightly due to his elven nature that he doesn't sink into the snow, while the others in the Fellowship have to plow through it. Such attention to detail has made this movie an outright excellent film adaptation of one of the greatest stories of our time. Let's face it; this is a more than adequate, no excellent, film based upon the greatest fiction novel of the 20th century, and the greatest fantasy novel of all time. For all you complainers, just remember Star Wars Episode I and remember that this movie could have sucked just as badly after all the hype too. Thank God it didn't, it's an 11 on a scale of 1 to 10, and lived up to all the hype and more. Go see this movie, I don't have to tell you to see it more than once, you'll do that all on your own.