The Fellowship of the Ring - the beginning of a flawless blockbuster trilogy.

Rating: 10/10 (2 February 2016)

Some may think this a biased review, but I grew up reading J.R.R. Tolkien's books and watching The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I love them. They have everything I could possibly want out of a story. The Fellowship of the Ring encompasses nine companions; an elf, a dwarf, two men, a wizard and four hobbits (or halflings or small- folk). They're on the biggest fantasy-adventure ever to hit a book or screen; destroy a powerful ring so Middle-Earth (the land in which they reside) isn't covered with a 'second' darkness. The only way they can unmake what has been made is by throwing the ring into the fiery depths of Mt. Doom, but it's not an easy journey, as many troubles hit them, with the ring being a huge burden on ring-bearer Frodo (Elijah Wood).
There's so many underlying themes that LotR has something for everyone; friendship, love, good vs. evil and facing unbelievable odds are just a few of them. What makes The Fellowship of the Ring so special is Peter Jackson's ability to draw us into a rich world that's a complete, visual masterpiece. CGI is used sparingly, the team behind the magic relying on costume, make-up and locations made from scratch. The script manages to push the story forward, yet give us time to know each member of the Fellowship. Howard Shore's score is unblemished, giving me tingles and poignantly touching in a way most music only tries to be. For a cast so big, you'd think someone would stand out, but not here. Everyone is superb. The Fellowship of the Ring is a perfect block-buster and start to a trilogy that will be very, very hard to beat.