A gargantuan filmmaking achievement

Rating: 10/10 (29 August 2002)

Prior to this film, Director Peter Jackson was obscure even among the anonymous wannabes of the film industry. His resume consisted of a half a dozen indy films in the horror and comedy genres. If you took the budgets of all his prior films together, they wouldn't equal his salary for this franchise. He now owns the second highest grossing film in history. Talk about a Cinderella story!
This film was somewhat of a personal obsession for Jackson. It took eight years from inception to completion. He originally pitched the idea to Miramax who agreed to take it on and then balked at the cost of a two movie deal and backed out. Desperate to save the project, he presented it to New Line Cinema and convinced them that if he filmed in New Zealand, used his own effects company and filmed all three movies back to back, he could make three films for less than the cost of two. They bought the project and gave him a record $270 Million budget for the three. He completed the filming for all three films in 16 months of continual shooting, a record.
Jackson's task was daunting. He wanted to create a film with mass appeal that was true to the classic books. Considering the devoted following of Tolkien's trilogy, their preoccupation with the smallest trivia and the sheer volume of the works, this was an almost impossible task. Jackson decided to lean toward the action/adventure elements, while paying homage to aficionados with scenes that compressed the intricacies of the various cultures and contained allusions to various pieces of trivia that only devotees of the books would understand. The result is a terrific film that doesn't leave the books out of the screenplay.
The transformation of the real world into the fantasy world is nothing short of fantastic. The combination of makeup, set decoration, costumes, New Zealand locations and special effects sets a new standard for this or any genre. The attention to detail is astounding from the elf ears to the hobbit toes.
The ensemble cast does a fine job without any need for a superstar. Elijah Wood is lovable and believable as the dauntless Frodo. Wood has the perfect combination of childlike exuberance and steely resolve to play the ring bearer. Ian McClellan, who is a big ring fan himself, is perfectly cast as Gandalf. With almost 40 years in TV and films, McKellen is one of the veterans of the cast. He is a powerful dramatic actor and he renders Gandalf with great range. He is formidable and commanding in some scenes, and tender and paternal in the scenes with Frodo. Along with Christopher Lee (55 years in film) the battle of the elders is given enormous dramatic power.
Viggo Mortensen is awesome as Aragon. Mortensen demanded to do all his own stunts and trained exhaustively at swordsmanship and other combat skills to make his fight scenes as realistic as possible. In one scene he had a tooth knocked out and after a quick trip to the dentist he was back on the set later that day. Ian Holm is wonderful as Bilbo Baggins. Holm captures the ageless hobbit with a youthful enthusiasm that belies his advanced age.
This film is really more the first episode of a miniseries than a film that stands alone. By the end it is clear that we haven't yet reached the middle, even if you never read the books. Still, at three hours, it never drags.
It is a tremendous filmmaking achievement that redefines the fantasy genre and sets production standards that will be difficult to equal. It is fabulously entertaining for audiences of all ages. One cannot see this film and not be eager for the next episode to be released. I rated it a 10/10. It is motion picture history in the making.