Brilliant adaptation has only microflaws

Rating: 10/10 (23 December 2001)

When 'Two Towers' and 'Return of the King' hit the screen in 2002 and 2003 some of the perceived flaws in 'Fellowship' might vanish. Oh, not a few blunders (Boromir not sounding his horn at the departure from Rivendell, eliding a crucial Tolkien line "..I shall not go forth as a thief in the night" - and may have avoided audience members from asking "Who's honking?" when Boromir does sound his horn on Amon Hen), but some. Whether or not Merry and Pippin, as well as the pursuing trio of Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli know whether Frodo and Sam are off to Mordor or not -the dramatic angst can be handled with either set-up.
Everything on the screen is spot on. This includes sets, props, atmosphere, and most of all actors. Christopher Lee is frightening, Gandalf with a full range of responses, Frodo scared, ary, sick and strong. The only drawback is Howard Shore's score, which at times becomes intrusive to the point of pulling the viewer out of the movie and give a moment to consider pummeling a sound mixer.
As for effects, they are prevalent, and for the most part seamless. A combination of techniques helps one suspend disbelief and not see the magician's tricks. The hardest to accomplish and easiest to overlook is the consistent "sizing" of the characters, the six-foot Rhys-Davies always appearing only an inch or so within the hobbits' 3' 6". The fireworks were pure Gandalf, and yes, we do see the swooping Smaug.
The purists and completists (like myself) suffer from missing pieces. We wanted Glorfindel, and Tom Bombadil, and Fatty Bolger, and Sam bopping a half-eaten apple off Bill Ferny's forehead. Perhaps, at some time in the future, another magical cast and genius director and mega-brave studio will come together to make the "Compleat" Lord of the Rings (run time, 15 days, 6 hours 12 min) - but until then Peter Jackson and the Companies of the Ring have given us all we can get. Enjoy the hell out of it! -M.