Endlessly Fascinating

Rating: 10/10 (22 December 2001)

The first installment of The Lord of the Rings trilogy arrived amid so much hype and anticipation, I did not possibly think it could live up to it's own lofty expectations. However, within the first ten minutes of the movie, I was proven wrong. It is, without question, the single most enjoyable movie experience I have ever had. Now, I must admit that I was already familiar with the Tolkien and the inhabitants of Middle-Earth, having read the trilogy several times. It has been noted by others reviewing this film that it is not a perfect adaptation. That is true and it is perfectly fine with me. Adapting any book to film oftens changes the overall feel of the story and leads to some creative changes. Adapting this particular book, which is filled with some of the most creative characters and situations ever printed, must have been even harder. Director Peter Jackson and company got it right on this one. I would suggest fans (or fanatics) of the book approach the movie as an entirely different entity from the book. I don't think even the most die-hard fan could be disappointed in this film. You'll want to pin your eyelids open and allow your eyes to soak up every second of the wonderful visuals. Jackson shot the movie in impossibly beautiful New Zealand and then added to that the best CGI scenery and effects I have ever seen. Ian McKellen, and Ian Holm, (who are great in everything), are amazing here as Gandalf the Grey and Bilbo Baggins respectively. Elijah Wood does a nice job as Frodo and I suspect we will see more out of him in the sequels as Frodo's roll is expanded. The rest of the cast including: Sean Astin, Viggo Mortensen, Liv Tyler, Kate Blachett, and Sean Bean are also top notch. The original music by Howard Shore becomes a character of its own. Take the time and escape to Middle-Earth, and enjoy this film. Just don't, for the love of God drink a Biggie-sized Coke while you do. At nearly 3 hours, the last hour can be tough, especially when they keep showing so much water on the screen!