One of the greatest movies ever, and the best fantasy epic of all time

Rating: 10/10 (28 December 2001)

I had high hopes going into this movie, just like I did with Star Wars: Episode I. Episode I let me down, mainly due to the mass hype building up to it. This, however, did not let me down. Even with all the expectations and mass hype leading up to it, Peter Jackson and the incredible cast have put together one of the most memorable movies of all time. Leaving out the sets, props, costumes and special effects, all of which were absolutely incredible, this film still keeps you in your chair long after it is over, wanting more. Most movies that come from books have a hard time following the book, simply because books usually do not translate well into movie scripts and end up being way too long. The Fellowship of the Ring is one of the few movies I have ever seen that accomplishes both remarkably well. While 3 hours might be a long time to sit for some people, once you start watching, the time flies by. The writers and director should give themselves a lot of credit for keeping the movie flowing so well. If you know the books, then you will see the portions of the film where some of the second book overlaps into this film. Do not be dismayed, though. These overlaps are a necessary and integral part of making the film work. Also, some might question the role of some characters in the movie that seem to have a larger role than in the book. But if you watch closely, you will notice that those few small characters in the movie are a combination of several small characters in the books. All in all, the acting was superb. I could not think of a better cast to portray the characters than those that were chosen. They all fit perfectly into the images I had in my mind of those characters from reading the books. They were elaborate, yet to the point, and showed the true emotion of the story. Bravo, Peter Jackson, Bravo!!
- "One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them."