Tolkien Would Be Proud

Rating: 10/10 (10 March 2017)

Adapting a novel for the big screen is never easy, as the printed-word format is often quite expansive and not easily pared down to suit the tastes of moviegoers. Now try the transition with perhaps the most well-known fantasy novel of all-time. That was the task that director Peter Jackson faced while creating "The Fellowship of the Ring", and not only does he succeed, but he succeeds on perhaps the highest possible level.
Most everyone knows the basic story of this film: There is a magic ring that wields an evil power and thus must be destroyed. The ring, which at the beginning of the movie is possessed by Hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm), is passed down to Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) who begins his trek to destroy it by casting it into the fires of Mount Doom from which it was created. Joining Frodo on this journey are...
-Gandalf the Grey Wizard (Ian McKellen) -Legolas the Elf (Orlando Bloom) -Gimli the Dwarf (John Rhys-Davies) -Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) & Bolomir (Sean Bean) -Fellow Hobbits Sam (Sean Astin), Merry (Dominic Monaghan), & Pippin (Billy Boyd)
There is so much I could say about this film specifically, but--simply put--it is perhaps the greatest fantasy novel adaption in the history of cinema. Clearly, J.R.R. Tolkien (original writer of the novel trilogy) crafted an expert story, but Peter Jackson accomplished just as monumental a feat by portraying that story with actions instead of words. There is very little (some might say nothing) lost in the change-over.
The main thing that makes this movie work, though, is that it is an "all-in" effort from the get-go. The production values are higher than potentially any film before or since, and even the details down to costuming, music, location, acting, and special effects really pull the viewer into this epic story. From the opening scene to the final credits, you'll hardly feel like you've been watching a movie. Instead, you will be living it.
Thus, "Fellowship" is an extraordinary film to kick off the LOTR trilogy on the big screen. Taken as a stand-alone novel, I consider "Fellowship" to be perhaps the greatest of Tolkien's books, and Jackson more than does it justice with this rendering. Though many creepy images/scenes may not appeal to the kiddies or the faint of heart, there are not too many other demographics that I can't recommend this experience to.
As the closing credits roll and the promise of further adventures beckons, you are guaranteed to feel two things: an intense desire to move on to "The Two Towers", and a satisfied feeling knowing that an incredible book has been transformed into a never-to-be-outdone film.