Gut-wrenchingly, Mind-blowingly awesome...

Rating: 10/10 (23 December 2001)

By the gods what a film! More to the point, what an adaptation. I write this 5 days after release and I've already seen it 3 times..... I can't remember ever seeing a film 3 times at the cinema, EVER.
Being a massive fan of the books I was terrified that too much artistic license was being taken with the story - namely the trailer depicting Arwen protecting Frodo over the river - and that the vast amounts of information and fantastic locations would get lost in the rush to cram it all into a 3 hour (just under in fact) running time.
Boy was I wrong, in a breathless rush clear across half of a fantastically realised Middle Earth we follow a host of wonderful characters through some truely incredible set-pieces.
Sure, there are some omissions or changes, the running time necessitates it. But none of the changes affect the film in a bad way or take away from the wonderful story. The Shire build-up is rushed through with farmer Maggot being basically omitted and Bree's experiences being shortened but the story gains urgency for it. There are other changes but for the most part, they are for the better. The endless days of travelling which sometimes caused the book to drag have been swept aside for fantastic shots of the New Zealand country as the nine companions toil towards their target.
And I defy you not to be totally taken in by the simply sensational fight scenes, the brilliantly created Gollum (I hope he holds up as well when we have to see more of him), and the utterly magnificently rendered Moria sequence and sets.
There are points which could maybe have been handle differently. Most notably, Saruman's betrayel, I feel, should have remained for his own ends rather than having him join Sauron so openly.
Minor quibbles aside, what an awe-inspiring take on the fantastic realm of middle earth and I'm just completely gutted that I'll have to wait a year to catch the second part.... I'll just have to content myself with seeing the Fellowship of the Ring some more!