Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien - From out of the great sea to Middle Earth I have come

Rating: 10/10 (20 December 2001)

I walked into the Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring with really high expectations, and I walked away having had all of them fulfilled. The incredible satisfaction of seeing Orthanc towering above the Gap of Rohan, the pristine beauty of Rivendell, the sad, solemn enchantment of Lothlorien, all of these were portrayed with incredible detail and realism. The amount of work that went into this film is simply astounding.
The Dark Riders were incredibly scary and the balrog- oh my, the BALROG. I won't give away any secrets, but the character that scared me most in the film, more than Gollum (who makes several shadowed appearances), more than Sauron, more than the Uruk-hai, was Bilbo. Ian Holm does a more than realistic job of portraying the old hobbit, he does a terrifying job of it.
The Shire is amazingly green and homely, while the mines of Moria are equally vast and majestic. The river at Amon Hen is unreal, and all of this was filmed in New Zealand. New Zealand is Middle Earth, there is just no two ways about it. Caradhras is incredible, likewise the city of Minas Tirith (which we glimpse briefly) is ancient and beautiful. The film has very high production values and it shows. The detailed cities and realms are beyond description in some cases. I can't wait to see Treebeard and the Ents.
The Elves are enchanting, beautiful and sad. The Dwarves are steadfast, loyal and hardy. The hobbits are frightened, small, but very determined and possess courage beyond their size. Men, men are honorable, but their faults run deep as well. The film does an excellent job of portraying the separate races. Another point worthy of note is how well the wizards (both Gandalf and Saruman) are done. They are played by impeccable actors and the duels between them are the finest battles you will see.
I could write reams more about this film, but in reality, all I have to say is, "Go and see it.. now. Go and buy a ticket and watch it. And then, watch it again the next day. There is too much and too little in this film that you cannot miss it. See it today. It's worth it."