A good start to the revolutionary event of the early 2000s

Rating: 9/10 (15 May 2018)

A year before this came out I was reading the Lord of the Rings books one summer. It felt a little vague but I was interested by all the fantasy themes and the origins of most contemporary fantasy sagas, especially those under the Dungeons and Dragons brand. Elves, dwarves, hobbits, trolls, spirits, wizards, warriors, and rogues are all in here. I'd hoped there would be more good fantasy films after the 1980s' Willow and this was what we got. As the first film it really sets up the story for an epic series. Lots of good visuals and breathtaking vistas from New Zealand, whose landscapes are untouched by modern technology. Plus, there's a cast of likable stars. John Rhys-Davies, Ian McKellen, Sean Astin, and Ian Holm all contributed to this major event. The dwarves and the hobbits were just as good as the others and brought some comic relief to the story. If you're in the mood for a trilogy that could rival even Star Wars, this should be it!