I can't sum this up in *one* line!

Rating: 10/10 (4 February 2002)

Where to start? It's great! It's fabulous! It's one of the best movies I've ever seen!
In fact, it may be *the* best. I'm still waffling on that point, because "The Abyss" has had the hold on that claim for a long time.
If you haven't read the trilogy, stop here.
First off, the translation from book to movie. I'm holding off judgment on some of the changes, because they won't become important for another year or two (note to Peter Jackson: releasing the movies over the course of three years is nothing short of abject cruelty!). (And if I'm using exclamation points a lot, believe me it's with good reason.)
The only changes I would like to register a complaint about are two things which, I think, take away from one of the main aspects of the story... the way the Hobbits come out of nowhere to surprise everyone with their strength of character and will. Complaint number one is the way Sam, Merry and Pippin fall into the quest by accident. In the books they knew what was going on, if not the full extent of the danger, and made the decision that Frodo would not go it alone. Sam especially. The second change is the bosom-clutching scene with Arwen. The whole point of Frodo's getting stabbed, in the end, was that he survived a wound that would have overcome most men. The movie paid lip service to this, but it was still Arwen in the end, with her "Take whatever grace has been granted to me and let it pass to him," that saves the day. It just doesn't sit right with me. I hope the rest of the Hobbits' heroism doesn't suffer the same fate.
That's it for complaints... out of three hours of movie I have two complaints. That's how well Peter Jackson, et all, have done here. I can't claim to be a lifelong fan of the trilogy, having made only moderate progress through until I was forced to finish by the impending movie release, but that does mean everything was very fresh in my mind. A caveat: I've talked to other people, who have a much longer history with the trilogy than I, and they're less forgiving of the changes. But to me, most everything (except the two points above) made sense. There's only so much you can do with a book that is as in-depth and detailed as Tolkien's work. Otherwise, you either have to make a six-part series or three six-hour movies. Try sitting through that!
I think my biggest compliment to this movie is the cast. I'd read enough before the movies were made to be able to match the actors to the characters before I found out which was which. Ian McKellan is perfection as Gandalf. Viggo Mortensen is great as a scruffy Strider, and if you know what to look for you can see the King he becomes underneath. Sean Bean is exactly what I pictured as Boromir. The special effects are right where they belong... in support of the story. I've seen too many movies where the cast was there only to stare in wonder at the miracle of computer animation. Not so, here. There are a very few places where the CGI look as fake as they are, but only a few. The blend of CGI and live action is flawless in conception; the effects are part of the story and not the whole story. "Fun but stupid" will never apply to this movie.
A final note to anyone who hasn't read the books: This isn't just a trilogy, it's a triptych. Unlike Star Wars or Indiana Jones, these movies aren't a complete entity in themselves. The first two times I saw the movie, at the end someone in the audience commented on the lack of ending. (One said, "Three hours in line, and *that's* how it ends?") The end will only come when the third movie is finished... if you're looking for closure it's two years away.
Okay, enough gushing about "Fellowship of the Ring". I'm sure there are plenty of others out there saying the same things, and better. My summary: This is a *great* movie. See it, and see it often. But if you like closure, wait until 2003, rent the first two and then go see the third. And see it often.