| The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring |
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| Rating: Very Good Distributor: New Line Cinema Release Date: December 19th, 2001 (wide) Running Length: 2 hours, 59 minutes MPAA Rating: PG-13 Genre: Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi Director: Peter Jackson Cast: Elijah Wood, Billy Boyd, Dominnic Monaghan, Sean Astin, Ian McKellen, Ian Holm, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, Liv Tyler, Christopher Lee, and Cate Blanchett. |
| pictures above from www.lordoftherings.net |
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| Plot: In the land of Middle-earth there are many creatures, such as: dwarves, elves, humans, orcs, wizards, hobbits, and more. Many years before the story takes place, various rings were handed out to many of hte creatures of Middle-earth. They were made to maintain the balance of power of Middle-earth. However, one evil creature, Sauron, wanted all the power for himself. Accordingly, he made one all powerful ring, one ring to rule them all. After he ruled all lands in darkness for a long time, his ring was lost in a battle. He disappeared for a long time, and after the ring was lost and recovered several times a hobbit came about it many years later. That hobbit was Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm), and at his 111th birthday he announces that he is going to leave the Shire, a land of hobbits, and travel around Middle-earth in his last years. He gives all his possessions, including the ring to his heir, Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood). However, Sauron is rising again, and with the advice of a wise wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen), Frodo and his friends must go on a quest to destroy the ring properly. |
| Critique: The Fellowship of the Ring is an extraordinary adventure and fantasy tale. Director Peter Jackson gives the film class and dignity to go along with its wonderful story. The film has tremendous scope, as it contains sweeping panoramas, and numerous gigantic action pieces. 'The Fellowship' is visually astonishing; its special effects are glorious. The story, based on J.R.R. Tolkien's novel, is wonderfully imaginative, often, surprising, and contains many genuinely affecting elements. To place innocent and lovable creatures at the center of the sprawling tale was a terrific move. The hobbits bring human interest to the story, and help bring purpose to all the huge concepts. The film's action sequences get a bit repetitious after a while, but it's all in the name of fun. Additionally, the ending is very well done. It has layered plot details and intriguing concepts coming to a break in the extravagant tale that includes two more sequels. There are several strong performances among the large cast, most notably by Ian Holm, Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett, and star Elijah Wood. Although many of the secondary characters overact, their shortcomings seldom detract from the action. The backdrop of the picture, and its continuous action, take pressure off the cast. Indeed, the audience is left in a constant state of astonishment. Peter Jackon fashions his material so that it never seems excessive; the final product looks polished. The Fellowship of the Ring is a successful motion picture because it contains a wonderful story and tremendous visuals. The constant animation of the film could proove difficult to control for some directors, but Peter Jackson excells in his task. He sprinkles lush imagery and vast panoramas along the course of the film. I highly recommend The Fellowship of the Ring, a well made motion picture. review by supernothingman |
| Top 10 |
| 2001 |
| 1/2 |