World class. A truly outstanding film.

Rating: Null/10 (13 January 2003)

In my humble opinion, the three books that comprise The Lord of the Rings trilogy are all excellent. The Fellowship of the Ring is the second best segment; The Return of the King is the best; and The Two Towers is the weakest part (though still extremely good). This film version is a truly remarkable adaptation of the first part in the trilogy.
It treads similar ground to the 1978 animated version of the tale. The special effects which bring the movie to life are flawless. It's amazing how they've managed to make a normal-sized actor like Elijah Wood or John Rhys-Davies actually look the correct height for a hobbit or a dwarf, while wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) appears unnaturally tall. Even more amazing is the effects work that has gone into creating such monsters as orcs or the Balrog (a fire demon). Even the different worlds have been perfectly captured: Rivendell looks resplesdent; the Mines of Moria are terrifying; and the Shire is beautifully realised too. It was clearly a tricky task to get the casting of the film right, but they've done it quite well. Maybe Sean Bean isn't quite right as Boromir (he seems more at home in kitchen sink dramas ie When Saturday Comes), but they've got the rest of the characters quite well figured out.
This is my favourite film of the 21st century so far. It works on many levels: visual, aural, intellectual and literal. It's a true masterpiece. Congratulations to all who had anything to do with its production.