A True Film Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (30 April 2007)

From the opening prologue to the climactic Battle of Amon Hen, "The Fellowship of the Ring" grabs you and never lets go. This is easily one of the truly greatest films ever made, and is destined to achieve status as a true film classic, much like the novel did so many years ago. Our introduction to the land of Middle Earth is absolutely breath-taking and cannot possibly be expressed in words. It's not about the incredible CGI or the flawless performances. Rather, it's about the true magic that this film seems to possess. I was ten years old when I first saw this film in theaters, and I knew nothing about the "Lord of the Rings." Call me ignorant, but this film opened up an entire new world to me. Since its release, I have viewed this first installment alone over twenty times, and I don't even consider myself a fanatic. The story is so classic and so epic that one would have thought it impossible to bring it to the big screen. However, Peter Jackson and the magnificent cast did a great job of it.
The film itself is filled with gorgeous location shots, intense skirmishes, and a beautiful aura of intrigue. Ian McKellen, Sean Bean, Elijah Wood, Ian Holm, Sean Astin, and Viggo Mortensen give especially fantastic performances, making there characters deeper and more undefined than simply "good" or "bad". In one of the best performances of the film, Christopher Lee shows us just how much power can corrupt with his portrayal of the darkened White Wizard, Saruman. These actors and the director and crewmen brought an epic fantasy story to life that is one of the major highlights of my childhood. It is a film that everyone can enjoy, and hopefully they will.