Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Peter Jackson, New Zealand / USA, 2001, 178 minutes

I've always been a bit of a sucker for big event films, and this is exactly that. Lord of the Rings is a FANTASTIC film, and I'm having trouble thinking of exactly how I can convey just how good it is.

Gripes out of the way, it is long. Very long. But the movie is an epic in all senses of the word. Everyone should know the story by now; evil wizard Sauron controls Middle Earth through his magical ring, but he is eventually defeated. The ring itself comes into the possession of a Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm), who passes it onto his nephew Frodo (the brilliant Elijah Wood). It falls to Frodo, and a fellowship of various mythical folk, to journey to destroy the ring and prevent Sauron from using it to make everything mean and nasty again.

This doesn't even scratch the surface. At times overtly episodic, JRR Tolkien's classic tale has still been beautifully rendered on celluloid here by Peter Jackson. His cast does him proud, nailing subtle relationships and running about A LOT. Ian McKellen clinches a career best role as Gandalf the good wizard. But he is not alone, with Wood, elfin himbo Orlando Bloom, Kate Blanchett, Sean Bean, Viggo Mortenson and even (shock horror) Liv Tyler putting in absolutely everything they've got into their roles.

The special effects are superb, from the big chase scenes down to little details like the size of the hobbits. The mines of Moria sequence, I can guarantee, is 30 minutes of the most exhilarating cinema you are likely to see this year. If you aren't on the edge of your seat by the end then you ought to be buried at a crossroads with a stake through your heart.

Everyone should see this film, it is a modern classic. For my upended worth, I think it surpasses anything Lucas could churn out from Skywalker Ranch. Lord of the Rings has real heart, so remind yourself of the story before the next episode in the saga is put on general release.

Anakin who?

Review by Adam Woollaston
Written for EUFS Programme Spring 2002