Exceeds all expectations

Rating: 10/10 (21 December 2001)

After eagerly anticipating this film for at least 15 months, I was reassured to find it exceeded all expectations. Ignore the Tolkien purists who will inevitably whinge about incidents and characters which/who have(inevitably) either disappeared completely or been altered/condensed. Remember that telling a story in a film is rather different to telling a story in a novel. What matters is the SPIRIT of the film and here we are in safe hands with Peter Jackson. The world of Middle Earth is stunningly brought to life. The New Zealand Tourist Board must be whooping with joy as their country has never looked so glorious. Visitors will flock in absolute droves. Conversely, there is a real unnerving sense of dense dark evil which you feel draws ever closer to the quiet rolling countryside of the Shire. Mordor and Sauron's agents inspire dread and horror.Strider is quite right when he says that Frodo is "not scared enough". By the end of the film, we all have a much better idea of how scared we really should be. The audience, even those who are familiar with the books, will frequently have their hearts in their mouths in apprehension of what is to come. The tiny Hobbits seem particularly vulnerable, no matter how much fighting spirit they display.At times I was so aghast, I realised that I was forgetting to breathe. The performances of the major characters are marvellous .They throw themselves into the roles with great bravado and are not afraid to display the wholehearted emotions which give the characters and story so much strength. It is difficult to single out performances, especially when some actors have not yet been given the chance to shine fully, but the two Sir Ian's were exceptional. Ian McKellen's natural authority lent Gandalf the power the role requires and he was able to change in an instant from an affectionate uncle-figure into a truly mighty wizard. Ian Holm gave Bilbo more true pathos than I thought was there in the book; he was rather touching and charming.Elijah Wood was always going to be first choice for Frodo and, even though there will be so much more to come, Frodo's strength of mind and fortitude have been remarkable . His love and affection for Sam and Gandalf shine through in a pure and natural delight. I hope pity and compassion for Gollum will be portrayed half as well in the final two films.I also thought Viggo Mortensen gave a very fine performance as Aragorn. To sum up, the set pieces and battles will take your breath away. You will be thrilled to bits. At(frequent)moments you will be horrified. But overall, you'll desperately want to know what is going to happen to these protagonists as they continue on their lonely and heartbreaking journey.