Excellent.

Rating: 10/10 (23 December 2001)

I had been waiting, as many had, for Fellowship of the Ring to be released since the film's preproduction had been announced. I admit I'm not what one would call a Tolkien fanatic. I haven't read the books for nearly a decade, and most of the memories of the novels has faded away. Nevertheless, I entered the theater with so many butterflies fluttering in my stomach that there was a chance I could have become sick.
However, in the end, it was worth it. The cast and crew deserve all of the awards that should rightfully be coming their way. Peter Jackson proved his cinematic prowess that should escalate him above his detractors that only remember his early films like Bad Taste. The entire talented cast performed their roles perfectly, and if there was an Academy Award for Best Cast, it should go to them.
Many times, special effects overwhelm a film, and even though their used with good intentions, they end up detracting from the picture. However, the effects used in LOTR only serve to enhance the storytelling and make the fantastic seem believable.
It is with this that I have no doubt the upcoming sequels, The Two Towers and The Return of the King, will be just as good if not better. The filming has already been done, so all that remains is piecing the remaining chapters together.
As of this writing, Fellowship of the Ring stands at the top of IMDb's top 250 films. While some may quarrel with this, I find it perfectly fitting. Years from now, The Lord of the Rings trilogy will be considered a classic piece of cinema. There's not a doubt about it in my mind.