Exceptional

Rating: 10/10 (27 May 2003)

Spoilers Herein.

Those informed souls who have read the Lord of the Rings books should acknowledge that the Fellowship of the Ring is the least enjoyable, to the extent that one is, because of the 100 pages of description that begins the tale. Knowing this going into a movie makes a person wonder if the movie will share the same downfall and leave the audience bored for an hour while everyone is introduced. The answer is a resounding no, as the viewer is thrown into the story rather quickly, introducing the characters and the setting as the story progresses.
Peter Jackson does a marvelous job of staying true to the original books, while still maintaining the audience's interest for the entire 3 hours of the viewing. The cinematography and directing of the movie is nothing less than exceptional. This is complemented by the magnificent score that only serves to accentuate the marvelousness of the movie.
There are not any noticeable holes in the acting. Everyone from Frodo to Arwin, and everyone in between is well portrayed. Ian McKellan is absolutely incredible as Gandalf. I normally try to refrain from commenting on things like this, but he was robbed at the Oscars and deserved the best supporting actor award.
The action in the movie is well done and powerful, but it does not take over the course of the movie or the plot, and because of this, these two elements intermingle in harmony. After such an exceptional movie going experience, the cliff hanger at the end does not really disapoint a viewer that much because of the incredible movie they have just viewed. Those who have not read the books previously will be in for several twists and turns while those Tolkien fanatics will be pleased with the outcome of the story.
This is true cinematic brilliance and it rarely gets better than this. Kudos to Peter Jackson for a job well done.
Rating: 5 out of 5