improvement on book, which is saying a lot

Rating: 10/10 (12 July 2007)

The Lord of the Rings trilogy has always been a mainstay for the creative and artistic crowd, and for the hippies of a bygone era. It has risen to a level more prominent than the books themselves, into icon status, and it did this long before the movies. Indeed, Tolkien wasn't the greatest writer, but he did invent a world, and he is the prototype for such worlds, like it or not. He is the Moses of Elfland, so to speak. He wrote their bible. The Fellowship movie is probably the most interesting of the trilogy, because it gives such an in depth viewpoint of the characters. More than the book, the director manages to let the viewer know what each character is thinking and doing in nearly every instance. Considering the amount of high action and adventure, this is a stunning accomplishment. The cutaways and little slices where the camera turns to hobbit or elf or dwarf or orc, is expertly done, and this is possibly the best directed film of all time as a result. The plot is action. It involves a lowly character and his companions in a quest to save the world. Unlikely plot, and unlikely creatures, but a movie relies on likely characters, which this movie has. A great thrill ride.