A short review for a very long film.

Rating: 8/10 (17 October 2010)

Although it may not be entirely faithful to the book, Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy perfectly captures the essence of J.R.R. Tolkein's fantasy classic: it's magical, imaginative and completely unforgettable, but also extremely long and a little hard going at times. Those who stay the distance, however, seem to agree that a bit of perseverance is well worth it in the end.
The Fellowship of the Ring is perhaps the most laborious of the three films, what with the setting up of the plot, the introduction of a multitude of characters, and several talky scenes eating into the 171 minutes running time, but thankfully the film's impressive fantasy fighting action, breath-taking scenery, and amazing performances more than make up for the duller moments.
All in all, I found The Fellowship of the Ring to be an admirable start for this ambitious attempt at bringing Tolkein's complex fantasy epic to the screen.