Star rating: 5 out of 5

Rating: 10/10 (17 January 2003)

The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring, is triumphant proof that despite frequent evidence to the contrary, it is possible to adapt excellent books into equally excellent films. Of course, at the heart of any good film is a good story, and this is provided par excellence by J. R. R. Tolkien.
In a time before recorded history, the peaceful inhabitants of Middle-earth are threatened by the reappearance of a long-lost ring, in which resides the life force of the evil Dark Lord Sauron. Seemingly by chance the ring comes to young hobbit Frodo Baggins who must destroy it by throwing it back into the fires from whence it was forged. In his quest he is joined by a wizard, two men, a dwarf, an elf and three hobbits - representatives of the free people of Middle-earth - whom together form the titular fellowship.
This film is monumental in scale, but it is director Peter Jackson's attention to detail and the all-important (and sadly oft-forgotten) humanity involved that really makes it a masterpiece. Although the black faceless ringwraiths, the orc and goblin hordes, and the claustrophobic darkness of the mines of Moria are certainly frightening, the moment when the viewer truly realises the insidious evil of the ring is when kindly bumbling Uncle Bilbo Baggins becomes (for a split second only) a raving demon in its presence.
The outstanding cast has made it easy to become involved with the characters and the computer graphics wizardry of Isengard and Rivendell, et. al., is astonishing and almost seamless. Ultimately, any film which, after almost three hours, can leave a viewer exclaiming "No! It can't end there! I want to see what happens next!" is well worth watching. Roll on the sequel!