Firing up your imagination

Rating: 10/10 (6 January 2002)

Fellowship of the ring is the first out of three movies telling JRR Tolkiens incredible story The Lord Of The Rings, continuing where The Hobbit left off. This is a fact, and you should know it before you enter the theater. If you have problems relating to fantasy, this film is NOT for you, if you don't like elves, orcs and dwarfs, this film is NOT for you, and if you have problems following a long intricate storyline, with a lot of characters, this film is NOT for you. And it lasts for three full hours. All that aside, this is, without a doubt, the greatest film I have ever seen. The hype was big, the movie is even bigger. Spectacular scenery, great and believable acting, filming better than in any other movie, and the greatest story ever told. Could you wish for more? Well, more is on the way.
There are no high-speed car-chases here, there is no Tom Bombadil, no naked women, the songs from the book have been left out almost entirely, and the main character is a ring. A lot of things to p*** off almost everyone who are either fans of Tolkien or fans of Hollywood-blockbusters. I am both, and I'm still immensely pleased. I have read the books by Tolkien, and I have seen most of Peter Jacksons movies. Some say it can't compete with Star Wars... Of course it can't compete. Can the Godfather compete with Police Academy? Can Indiana Jones compete with the Shawshank Redemption? We're talking different genres, different universes. The Fellowship of The Ring is a huge, epic movie, almost flawlessly done, depicting the evil and horror that could lead Middle-Earth to its destruction. But the most important thing this movie shows us, is that it's really all about hope. If hope is lost, ALL is lost. You can see this movie as a political statement, but please don't. It's a fairytale. It's the greatest of all fairytales, and you're never too old to enjoy it. You may be too young, however, or you may be too set in your ways and expectations to enjoy it. Forget all other movies, this one is beyond comparison. Forget the regular 90 minute timeframe, forget the stereotypes, you have to dig a little deeper. What will you find? Solid gold. Pure and simple. And when all three movies are out, I hope they give us moviegoers an opportunity to see them all in a row, as they were meant to be. It's a ten out of ten, expect nothing else.