Eye Candy = WOW! Tone = Darker then expected.

Rating: 9/10 (20 December 2001)

Honestly, I can't say much that hasn't been handled quite eloquently in other reviews thus far. I would like to reiterate that this movie is like nothing you've ever seen. Guaranteed. I don't know of a film that so effectively captures an alternate reality like "LOTR: Fellowship" does.
I would like to point out that this film might be too scary for some younger viewers. The director seems to relish playing out the "dark side" of each character's lust for the ring. A couple of scenes could have been filmed straight out of a horror movie textbook, and in my opinion, they were overdone and unneccessary. (Lady Galadriel's reaction was particularly unnerving - almost out of character.) Make no mistake, some of Tolkein's original creations were truly wretched creatures, and the filmmakers have fleshed them out accordingly.
I would love to rate this film a 10, as it is brilliantly conceived and executed. However, I've got to take it down a couple notches due to the darker-than-necessary tone (8 of 10).