Ambitious and successful

Rating: Null/10 (7 January 2005)

Peter Jackson set out to adapt J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, a monumental undertaking by anyone's reasoning. Immediately, people questioned whether he could succeed. The story was too long, too dense; the characters too complex, too different. Other filmmakers had failed before. Weta was untested on this kind of scale. The director makes low budget horror films. How can this succeed? Oh ye of little faith! Jackson was an intelligent director. He knew that the story would need to play out over more than one film, plus, the story would have to be pared down to the essential details. The right actors would need to be cast, and everything must be believable. He first convinced Hollywood to take a chance, and then convinced them that his home country, New Zealand, would make the perfect setting. Then, he began assembling the right mix of people.
Writers Fran Walsch and Phillipa Boyens, along with Jackson, undertook the task of distilling the essential story out of the book. Some favorite parts were jettisoned, but their choices were well thought out. They shifted dialogue between characters, expanded some, and paid tribute to others. However, the true essence of Tolkien's story remained.
The casting was near-perfect. Each actor brought something special to their character. Veteran actors worked alongside relative unknowns, motivating the young actors to step up their game. The performances are uniformly good, with each actor getting their moment to stand out and to support their fellow actors. It was truly an ensemble.
The New Zealand locations were awe-inspiring. You really felt like you were in another, ancient world. The land became a character unto itself.
Weta Workshop and Weta Digital proved they were up to the task of creating this world; and, in so doing, proved they were the equal of any Hollywood effects house. From the designs to the sets, costumes to make-up, everything made this fantasy world more real.
The film provides sweeping vistas and tight character focus. The camera moves with the action and stays still for actor's moment. Each piece of glorious detail is taken in, while expanding to show the entire scene.
The music hits all the right beats, without making itself the focus. It enhances the emotion, without solely providing the emotion. It is equally soaring and terrifying, somber and joyous. It is of an epic scale, to match the epic story.
This film captures the beginning of Frodo's journey, from quiet life to deadly mission. We are introduced to his colleagues and his antagonists. The saga unfolds and we are drawn in. By film's end, we truly believe this world and the inhabitants within. Now, the question is, can this magic be sustained? The next installment would answer that.