Despite some shortcomings, a success

Rating: 7/10 (8 January 2002)

Those familiar with Tolkien's book will recognise the enormous challenge which the director and production crew faced in bringing the book to the screen. Overall, I think this challenge was met pretty well.
In my view, the film version manages a satisfying portrayal of most of the book's characters, and especially of Gandalf and Frodo. I had some reservations about the portrayal of Merry and Pippin, who come across as buffoons in the film. In the book they are young and brash, but they aren't stupid. It's hard to see the reason for the change, unless it's to get some cheap laughs at their expense. The visual portrayal of places and characters worked successfully, although some of it (Isengard, and the portrayal of the orcs, for example) was a bit over the top for my taste.
The director did an excellent job of selecting which parts of the book to include and which to omit. The difficult challenge of conveying the history behind the quest was dealt with in the best way possible, using Isildur's defeat of Sauron as the key historical event.
The treatment of many of the battle scenes did not appeal to me. A number of these (such as the one near the end after Boromir tries to take the Ring from Frodo, and the fight with the cave troll in Moria) were changed from the book, often lengthening them or making them more complex for no apparent reason other than to increase the amount of limb-hacking, possibly to appeal more to a juvenile male audience.
(SPOILER ALERT)
I was disappointed by the treatment of the Council of Elrond, which is the turning point of the Fellowship of the Ring volume. In the book, the decision to send the Ring to the fire is taken after a long debate in which all the participants are involved. In the film, Elrond makes the decision in advance of the Council meeting, and the meeting descends into an unseemly squabble which Frodo resolves by announcing that he will take the Ring. Also, those in the audience who had not read the book must have been mystified by the sudden appearance, with no explanation, of Boromir, Legolas and Gimli. In the book they are introduced at the Council meeting and the reasons for their arrival in Rivendell are properly explained. This is particularly important in the case of Boromir, who comes after a dream in which he is enjoined to `Seek for the Sword that was broken', etc.
I found at least one change from the book to be an improvement - the treatment of Arwen. I had wondered before seeing the film what Liv Tyler would have to do, since in the book Arwen is no more than an ornament and marriage fodder for Aragorn. In the film she is given a role of greater action. This changes her character somewhat, but is I think it is an improvement.
Overall, despite some shortcomings, most of those who enjoyed Tolkien's book would approve of the way that Peter Jackson's film version has accepted the enormous challenges of bringing this story to the screen, and will look forward to seeing The Two Towers. 7/10.