Simply Stunning

Rating: 10/10 (23 January 2002)

I, like many people, waited a very long time for this movie to come to fruition. Granted, we have the cartoon from 20 years ago, which for its time was done nicely. But looking back on it, it seems dated and at times painful to watch. But to truly see a live action version of this was the real dream. And to be blunt, this is 50 years of nerds, bookworms, and sci-fi and fatasy buffs waiting for this to come out.
The general concensus seems to be for many people that they either loved this movie or hated it. A great number of the people who walked away disappointed in this movie are those who have read the book and managed to pick out every single little tidbit that Peter Jackson either left out completely or changed. Yes, sadly there is no Tom Bombadil. Yes, there is no reforging of Aragorn's sword. Yes, Frodo is not saved by Arwyn. But when looking at this movie, one needs to remember a few things. First of all, to be fair one must look at the movie objectively for what it is, a seperate entity from the book. And second of all, for all you pretentious nitpickers out there, this movie was not made for you and you alone, it was made for everyone. Fans of the book and newcomers alike. Did I want to see an inflation of the romance between Aragorn and Arwyn? Not particularly. But did it ruin the movie? Not by far, and it made a few romantic folks in the theater happy. Just as I'm sure it gave the female viewers a kick to see a strong female character rescue Frodo amongst an almost entirely male cast. So please, let up on the nitpicking and get off your blasted soapbox.
Now on to what's good about the movie. Where to begin? Should I mention how visually stunning the Shire, home of the hobbits was? Or maybe I should mention how frightening the Uruk-hai (a race of warrior orcs for you who haven't read) were? The opening sequence and battle scene was superb, and gives the viewer who has no idea what he or she is about to see a quick back story so they don't get lost too quickly. Visually, as a whole, the movie was breathtaking. From the view of the countryside, to the snow covered mountains of Caradhras, to the Mines of Moria, the scenes were candy for the eyes. Also, quite visually appropriate were the Elves. They are just one of many signs that Peter Jackson did his homework for this movie. The Elves are tall, slender, and quite endrogenous looking. Many a girl walked away from this movie with a crush on Orlando Bloom who plays Legolas, an Elf of the Fellowship of the Ring. And we see just enough of Gollum, the foul creature who craves the ring (and one of my all time favorite characters of literature) to tease us and await seeing more of him in the movies to come.
The most fantastic part of this movie was the performances. Elijah Wood plays Frodo, a hero torn between his will to do good and his fear of failure in a performance that would make Mark Hamill jealous. And for those of you who have complained that Elijah Wood is about 30 years too young, go back and read paragraph two again. His companions are no less spectacular. Sean Astin reprises a role he does very well as the underdog and puppydog companion to Frodo you can't help but love. Billy Boyd and Dominic Monoghan as Pippin and Merry respectively, are quite amusing as Frodo's other two hobbit companions and provide much comic relief amongst a serious story. Boyd in particular, is hilarious, and I'm really hoping to see more of him in the future. Ian Holm as Bilbo Baggins gives much life and cynical wit to the old hobbit and gives a stellar performance. Sean Bean, whom I myself was not familiar with prior to this movie played Boromir in an excellent fashion as somewhat of a tragic hero who is tempted and eventually redeemed in a very well done scene, that in some ways almost steals the show. Orlando Bloom and John Rhys-Davies, unfortunately do not receive nearly enough lines as Legolas and Gimmli, the dwarf, though make do with what they give very well. Gimmli, in particular delivers some of the best lines of the movie. His defiant statement of, "Nobody tosses a Dwarf!" had me rolling. Even Liv Tyler manges to put on a good, if not beautiful portrayal of Arwyn. I could keep praising several other performances of other actors such as Christopher Lee, Cate Blanchett, and Hugo Weaving, but I want to save most of my breath for two in particular.
Viggo Mortenson, as Aragorn, also known as Strider, plays the part with stride (no pun intended). When I casted this movie in my mind, Mortenson never came to mind, but now, even when rereading the novels, I can picture no one else in his shoes. His loyalty to Frodo and will to finish what he starts runs deep and is one of the best performances of the movie.
But the real praise goes to Ian McKellan. McKellan has long been heralded amongst the critics as one of the best actors of his time, though he hasnt received much name recognition. Though in my opinion, he deserves to have his name mentioned in the same breath as names like Alec Guiness, Gregory Peck, and Humphrey Bogart. I've been a big fan ever since I saw him in Richard III. And in this movie you will see why. He doesn't just play Gandalf, he becomes Gandalf. He brings every bit of character to the wise, brave, funny, and kind old wizard. When you see him battle the Balrog, an unusually terrifying creature, and he plants his staff in the ground in defiance and yells out, "You shall not pass!" you will know why I praise him this much.
Well I could keep going on forever but see it and judge it for yourself. And don't forget to leave your preconceptions and the door and simply enjoy this movie for what it is; a masterpiece that was long overdue.

P.S. a note to George Lucas, if you are reading this, watch this movie several times and take notes. THIS is how you deliver a promise.