Raising the bar...

Rating: 10/10 (12 February 2003)

Based on the first volume of J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy, Lord of the Rings is truly a spectacular display of how important a good cast and script is, even with state-of-the-art special effects. Rolling Stone had no doubt about their feelings on the matter- 'a movie epic that pops your eyes out, piles on thrills and fun, and yet stays intimately attuned to character'. The special effects are dazzling, particularly the firework display in the shire and the numerous fight scenes, justifying the $109 million budget. However it's the inspired cast who have been much celebrated, Elijah Wood gives a likeable, genuine performance with depth and complexity as Frodo and won the Empire best actor award for it, and the reliable Ian McKellen was Oscar worthy for his performance as Gandalf. However less well known, Viggo Mortensen gives the best performance in the cast and is strongly supported by Brit, Orlando Bloom and other compelling cast members Sean Astin, John Rhys-Davis and Christopher Lee. Please don't mention Cate Blanchett or Liv Tyler to me, although they do alright they are in no way worthy of their sixth and third credit postions respectively- why Jackson? why? The mesmerising cinematography by Andrew Lesnie combined with the eloquent musical score by Howard Shore creates a mise-en-scene of luxury and beauty. The New Zealand locations selected by Jackson were truly breathtaking and that alone leaves a lasting impression on the audience. However the underlying essence of the film is the importance of self-belief and the ability to trust others. This could have been mishandled into a mushy and disingenuous flop, however the script is executed with the utmost integrity by the cast to create a future classic. The final scene of intimacy between Sam and Frodo exemplifies the talent Jackson possesses to touch on intricate human emotion and yet still wow the audience in his visual feast. Lord of the Rings will be celebrated for many more years as one of the greatest fantasy movie epics of all time.