Brilliantly brought to the silver screen. A must see.

Rating: 9/10 (17 January 2007)

The Fellowship of the Ring is one of the greatest films of modern times, and definitely should not be missed. Peter Jackson proved with this movie that he was not just a "splatter director" that couldn't handle such an epic project. In fact, he showed the world that he was the ONLY one who could handle it.
Tolkien's first chapter, the Fellowship of the Ring, has young Frodo Baggins being entrusted to take the Ring to Rivendell. At Rivendell, he is called upon to take the Ring to the heart of Mordor, to destroy it, taking with him a group of comrades who shall aid him on his journey. Along the way are Orcs, dangerous creatures and the harsh natural environment; a perilous journey for any intelligent being. Tolkien's story is regarded as one of the finest pieces of fictional literature. So how does Peter Jackson's adaption fare? Everything is superb.
The cast truly take on the role of their characters, and you couldn't imagine anyone else playing their parts (three cheers for not casting Sean Connery!). In fact, when you watch the movie, you don't see actors: you see the characters on their fateful journey to destroy the One Ring. Very few movies can do such a thing.
The script is nothing short of masterful, that Tolkien should be proud. Fran Walsh, Phillipa Boyens and Peter Jackson have done a marvelous adaptation. Be it comical, sincere, or depressing, all the emotions Tolkien had weaved into "Fellowship" are here in full force. It is wonderful that the actors bring these emotions forward well.
Visually, "Fellowship" shines like no other before it. Weta bring all the special and computer effects to life, rivaling even Industrial Light and Magic and Digital Domain. It is a shame that Peter Jackson didn't win Best Director from the Oscars for this, because this film is more memorable than whatever film won that back in 2002. From the sets of Hobbiton to Rivendell, each and every one is believable. The Dwarven Moria is dark, ancient and worn, whilst the Elvish haven of Lothlorien looks timeless and pristine. Kudos to Alan Lee and John Howe for conceptualizing and bringing to life what Tolkien only described.
Howard Shore has done an amazing job on the musical score. His work on all three films could easily rival that of John William's Star Wars. An orchestra plays softly over sentimental moments, whilst the choir chants over big battle sequences; Shore has everything covered.
Action junkies won't find much luck here: Although the action pieces in this film have never been on a scale like this before, they are few and far between. But the fight scenes that are there are nothing short of fabulous.
The only gripe one could have against this film is that it clocks in at 3 hours: the extended edition being 20 minutes or so longer. Unless you have a very short attention span, you won't even mind it being this long, because every shot is just as intriguing as the previous one.
Easily a must see and definitely a defining epic of our time. 10/10