Best film I have seen!!, and I've seen some greats!

Rating: 10/10 (3 January 2002)

As a fan of fantasy films since my child hood I have eagerly awaited this film since I first heard it was being released, I remember being read the books when I was younger and being enthralled although I remember nothing from them. Fantasy films have sets and costumes that build magical worlds that the audience can be lost in but of all of them bar Star wars, none have been exceptional and all flawed in some way. I like the sword and sorcery slant more than anything else but have never had a film that nowadays I could look at critically and call excellent. My favourite film of all time is Masters of the Universe, no other film filled me with such excitement as that did, but it is majorlly floored, other favourites include Legend a film that visually was breathtaking but that was about all it was. Anyway this is the complete article. Visually this is the greatest film ever from the sets, effects down to the amazing and groundbreaking effects. Some of the flowing camera movements are vertigo inducingly brilliant, an example could be the opening battle scene as the camera sweeps through hordes of battling soldiers falling off cliffs or bludgeoning each other as the camera takes us through the battle fields. Peter Jackson's direction is dynamic and at times breathtakingly brilliant. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end throughout this film, I was lost in middle earth for three hours thanks to Jackson's mastery, his imagination obviously running rampant in the designing of the characters, worlds etc based on nothing more than descriptive story telling and perhaps a few odd sketches. I am glad I decided not to bring in any popcorn or sparkling beverage as an unwelcome need to go pee-pee may have resulted in me wetting myself and the fellow viewers either side of me parting like the red sea from the subsequent whiff. Apart from the amazing visuals the films story is imaginative and engaging but what do you expect from a classic fictional epic like Tolkiens Lord of the Rings trilogy, and Jackson as far as I know has stayed faithful to the story but of course needing to cut down a few moments of the piece and of course these will go noticed by some to varying degrees of noticability because of course everyone has their own ideas of what parts of a book they have read is important compared to somebody else's opinion. What is great about Tolkiens world, and characters is they are universally compatible, you don't need to have read the books to fully enjoy this, its easy enough to pick up, good versus evil and we get an opening story telling about the rings creation as well as other things of importance. The actors are all well cast here, and all of them perform excellently. Elijah Wood is very good in the lead; he manages to hold the film together in such a big role where others may have lost it to the supporting cast. Ian Mckellan is also brilliant as the wizard Gandalf and others who impress are Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys Davies, and a very good Sean Bean in a key role and all the others in this film performed to a level bettering anything I have seen them in. Worthy of note are the two main females the gorgeous Cate Blanchett as the wise and at times scary elf queen, and the impossibly attractive Liv Tyler who must surely have silenced unfair criticism with this performance, she is exceptional in this. She is sexy, tough, gentle and she steals the screen whenever she is on it, simply said she looks hot! One person I have not yet mentioned is Viggo Mortensen who plays Aragon; he for me was narrowly the star of the film. Viggo makes an excellent action hero in this and his performance is outstanding, I genuinely believe he is worthy of Oscar consideration for this film. The only minor fault of the film I would say is the end, because being only a third of the story of course there is no conclusion so it ends all so suddenly. Like pulling a bottle of milk from a baby's mouth when he was only half done I felt mildly annoyed and desperate to see part two, and considering I have to wait a year, I became equally desperate to watch the film again. I do feel that a whole year is a lengthy time to wait and I can see it as nothing more than a marketing ploy to build demand and expectation for the sequel. Anyway Christmas time has once again become an exciting time for me thanks to the Lord of the rings trilogy. Also excellent about this film would have to be the ear poundingly good sound effects, they were astounding. This added to the feeling of the film and like for instance Gladiator this film is one you just have to see on the big screen. I give this a definite 10/10 and it is number one in my mind. What excites me the most is that the sequels are supposed to get better and better. Bring on number 2.