Outstanding

Rating: 10/10 (20 December 2001)

First of all let's say that this film (and the ones to follow) will unquestionably be the standard by which all future fantasy films will be judged. Given the less than glorious history of fantasy in cinema that may sound a little bit like calling someone the world's tallest midget but, fortunately, this is also a film that transcends its genre. It's a flawed but ultimately thrilling film that flashes enough of the brilliance of both Peter Jackson and J.R.R. Tolkien to keep most movie-goers hungry to see the next chapter unfold in twelve-months time.
I saw FOTR with a group of eleven that was composed of two people who had read the books multiple times, three casual fans who had read the books years ago, and six people who were Tolkien virgins. At the end of the film all of us had the same major gripe - that we would have to wait a year to see more. That's the sign of a filmmaker who has hooked his audience.
It's not a perfect movie. The first half is unevenly paced (a trait it shares with the book) and those who have said that Jackson is better at portraying the dark than the light are right. Rivendell and the Council of Elrond in particular come off awkwardly. Ironically, it is Arwen and the infamous Ford scene which are the highlight of the first half of the film. Liv Tyler has an undeniable screen presence and a feminine voice comes as a welcome change to the relentlessly male-driven story.
The need to dole out exposition and backstory in large measures also causes the film to drag at times in the first half. But when the Fellowship enters the heart of darkness in Moria, Jackson is finally in his element and the film soars from that point on. Moria, quite simply, will go down as one of the great action sequences in film history. From Moria, to Lothlorien, to the breaking of the Fellowship, Jackson explores the dark side of Tolkien's epic brilliantly and the film reaches it's peak in the final act.
Peter Jackson's greatest accomplishment was that he made Middle-earth feel real - it felt like a real place, at a real time, with a real history. This is what Tolkien himself accomplished so brilliantly and if Jackson had failed at this, the film itself would have failed. He didn't fail.
The acting was superb, the cinematography stunning, and the CGI was extraordinary with only a few brief jarring moments.
All in all, a damn good film. Bring on The Two Towers.