Spectacular adaptation of Tolkien's trilogy.

Rating: 10/10 (14 September 2003)

Some movies are to be avoided because they can never live up to the book, and since "The Lord of the Rings" is one of the finest novels ever written, I have to admit I put off seeing this movie for a long time. The second installment is out on video now, so I felt compelled to give the first one a go. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised.
This is without a doubt one of the greatest films ever made. The story is a simple one - evil is upon the world and a small band of do-gooders must venture out to save the world from enveloping darkness. Good versus evil, pretty basic stuff.
But it's much deeper than that. "Lord of the Rings" takes on religious meaning, as temptation, envy, spirituality versus materialism, the fellowship of man, and many other themes play out in this story. It's part fairy tale but it's also an allegory of modern times.
The cast of actors was well-chosen for their ability to portray characters whose personal traits are out in the open (this isn't a film for Brando-ish displays of angst and emotion).
Ian McKellen is the gruff but wise old wizard who shepherds the fellowship through trials and tribulations as they journey to bring the ring back to where it was created.
Elijah Wood plays a wide-eyed young hobbit named Frodo (nephew of Bilbo Baggins, central character in "The Hobbit" - Tolkien's prelude to the Ring Trilogy). Frodo is the ring bearer, the individual who's been entrusted with returning the ring to be destroyed so that evil forces may never again use it's power.
Viggo Mortensen plays Strider, the Ranger who's trekked all over Middle Earth and who's the perfect guide for Frodo and his band. He's one of the humans in the group and displays familiar emotions for the human viewers/readers to connect with - sadness over his lost love, bravery in battle, a kind of regal bearing (he is, after all, really Aragorn, heir to the throne of Gondor).
Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith in the Matrix series) plays Elrond, leader of the half-elves in Rivendale, and displays a combination of authority and alien presence to make his part very believable. Liv Tyler plays Arwen Evenstar, the lovely daughter of Elrond and the love interest for Strider.
The Welsh actor, John Rhys-Davies, plays Gimli, a leader of the race of dwarves. Cate Blanchett plays Galadriel, the elven Lady of the Woods, who also bears one of the original rings and who advises Frodo on what he must do to save all of Middle Earth from Sauren, the evil one. And Christopher Lee is terrific as Saruman, Gandalf's mentor and head of the order of wizards who's gone over to the dark side and now serves the forces of evil.
The cinematography (Andrew Lesnie from the "Babe" films) is stunning and the special effects are seamlessly woven into the real pictures, much less intrusive than in any film like this that I've ever seen. Peter Jackson's decision to make this film in New Zealand was a brilliant decision because the colors are so vibrant and the landscape foreign enough and without 21st century hindrances as to make it a believable substitute for Middle Earth.
"Lord of the Rings" will probably go down in cinema history as one of the great ones. It should appeal to viewers of all age groups as its story is timeless and transcends all cultural barriers. A must see.