An unmatched cinematic achievement!

Rating: Null/10 (26 January 2002)

I should start with the disclaimer that I am a LOTR fan of the first order. I first read the books when I was about 12, and they remain among the most-maybe *the* most-amazing and influential pieces of literature I have ever read. However, I'm not so rabid a fan that I went into this film with massive, anal-retentive expectations. I was passingly familiar with Peter Jackson's pedigree (having seen `Heavenly Creatures' 2 or 3 times and being mesmerized each time), and figured he would probably do an impressive job.
In fact, it was more than impressive: it was **incredible**. I hadn't imagined it possible that a moviemaker could so purely capture both the vision and the power of Tolkein's original, but Jackson and his crew have done it. I found myself moved to tears several times by the sheer beauty and wonder of the Middle Earth that the filmmakers have brought to 'life' in precise, exquisite detail. The hobbit-holes were *exactly* how I imagined a hobbit-hole would look. The sweeping views of Hobbiton, the Shire, the Misty Mountains and Rivendell were breathtaking. The scene where they pass the Guardians was fabulous. The pursuit over the crumbling staircase and Gandalf's confrontation with the Balrog were absolutely riveting. This is quite possibly the most perfect piece of movie magic I have ever seen (including all the Star Wars movies combined). The filmmakers draw you into the mythological world of Middle Earth so completely and convincingly, they are only a hairsbreadth shy of Tolkein's achievement on paper.
Unlike many fans, I was thrilled by the choice of Elijah Wood to play Frodo. I frankly had trouble envisioning anyone better suited to the role. His quality of natural innocence belies his formidable acting talent and makes it seem effortless (not unlike Haley Joel Osment). I was a touch more skeptical, at least initially, about Sean Astin playing Sam (I still associate him most strongly with `The Goonies'), but he did a fine job. In fact, I regretted not seeing more of him, since Sam was such an integral-and lovable-character in the book. Merry and Pippin may have been a tad *too* frivolous compared to their literary counterparts, but the comic relief was much needed and the actors did a bang-up job of it.
The rest of the cast was every bit as phenomenal as I imagined. Ian McKellan, as always, was spellbinding-no pun intended! His sage, serene performance as Gandalf ably anchored the film's action and emotion. Cate Blanchett was ideal for Galadriel, giving her character an enigmatic and edgy quality which I hadn't pictured when I read the book. Ian Holm had exactly the right presence for Bilbo, and was terrific at conveying his struggle against the Ring's seductive thrall. Christopher Lee was deliciously dark playing Saruman; Liv Tyler, impressively sprightly as Arwen (and it was nice to see the female roles expanded a bit, even if it required departing a bit from the source). Viggo Mortensen made for a powerful and intense Aragorn, and it was a nice to see Sean Bean (Boromir) given a more rounded role-a departure from his usual psycho-villain mold.
The quality of Jackson's production, I think, should make even the most obsessive LOTR fans forgiving of his liberties with the book. I don't see that it's completely critical that Frodo rather than Gandalf discovers how to open the enchanted door, for example. Despite my instinctive purist twinge, I saw this as kind of a neat moment for his character. I wasn't as bothered as some by the omission of Tom Bombadil; even in the book I found that section a bit of a digression. There's just no way you can pack hundreds of pages of detail into a 3-hour movie, and overall I can't find any major fault with the editing choices made by Jackson and his team (apart from the aforementioned lack of character development for Sam and the other hobbits). You gotta make sacrifices, and you're not going to please everyone.
There's so much that's right with this movie that I could go on forever, but it's far more constructive (though corny) to simply say `Go experience it for yourself.' And make sure it's on a big screen with a souped-up sound system. Whether you're a fan of the books or not (my wife had never read them, but was still blown away by this film), `Fellowship' is a spectacle not to be missed. The only thing I can blast Peter Jackson and his crew for is making us wait till next December to see the next instalment. That's torture, pure and simple.