The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

History became legend. Legend became myth.
And for two and a half thousand years, the ring passed out of all knowledge.

Based on J.R.R. Tolkien's epic masterpiece "The Lord of the Rings", Peter Jackson took up the challenge, that for the longest time was told about Tolkien's book: "Too complicated to bring a true version onto film, it cannot be done."

Describing "The Lord of the Rings" to the uninitiated may perhaps be best compared trying to describe the taste of wine: Sweet, a little bitter, and intoxicating. Yet to those, who have never tasted wine, the meaning behind this description will forever elude them.
What makes this trilogy stand out amongst other equally brilliant movies, is each individual aspect of this movie is an astonishing work of art and ties "The Lord of the Rings" to something larger than the sum of its parts. The cinematography is breathtaking, in the most literal sense of the word. At times you will hold your breath being consumed by the sheer beauty of Middle Earth. You will quickly forget your surroundings and be plunged into this world. The original score composed by Howard Shore can be considered a masterpiece and Shore's magnum opus, his most brilliant work to date. Inspired by Richard Wagner, he composed the soundtrack around 80 different Leitmotifs, each focusing on an individual character/area/scene with recurring melodies throughout the trilogy. At the time of production, the most popular composers were James Horner and Hans Zimmer, and the music scene was quite astounded at Jackson's choice for the relatively unknown Shore. Jackson said his decision heavily depended on Shore's very unique style (as seen in 'The Cell') and his ability to bring something unique to each of his work.
The (special) effects are equally amazing and more importantly, believable. You will never feel like "Ah, special effects!", but be mesmerized by their authenticity. It almost seems nonsensical to talk about the performance by leading and supporting roles. They were real. I did not see them in their previous roles or as actors, they completely filled out their roles and added their own personality.

"The Lord of the Rings" is certainly not perfect, but if you came to expect perfection, you will forever be feeling disappointed.
It is however the closest thing to perfection as one might get without feeling pretentious.
If you watch this movie for the first time and have very high expectations from all the positive reviews, forget the reviews and watch it with an open mind, but also don't watch it thinking it could never live up to your high expectations, as you might miss out.
I, for one, will be watching this movie for many many years to come, and it has become quite the tradition to watch it at least once a year.

10/10 - You will witness the events unfold through the eyes of the Fellowship and come across joy, sorrow and even great despair. A true work of art that should not be missed.

"The Quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little, and it will fail, to the ruin of all. Yet hope remains while the Company is true. " Galadriel

There's not much to say about The Fellowship that not someone way smarter than me has already said, but...

This is what happens when a filmmaker respects the source material and has enough passion to follow through. An absolute masterpiece!!!

classic!

The best movie trilogy in the history.

I 😭 would 😭 have 😭 followed 😭 you 😭 my 😭 brother 😭 my 😭 captain 😭 my 😭 king 😭

A glorious vision of Middle Earth.

Magnificent! A great start to the franchise.

'The Lord of the Rings' is yet another film series that I am incredibly late to viewing, at least I've finally got around to it... albeit almost twenty years on from this film's release.

'The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring' is delightful. I never know what to expect from a film that goes on for nearly three hours, the pacing has to be near perfection for it to work - and boy does it here. The run time flew by, which is always a terrific sign.

I love a load of things about this, the one that actually sticks out most is the outstanding score. Music can play a huge part in how much I enjoy a film, so I'm delighted to say that the score is here is fantastic. That is by no means the only positive, obviously.

The cast are excellent. Elijah Wood gives a strong performance in the lead role. I've seen Wood in others things down the years and have actually found him a bit hit-and-miss, but here he is very good. Elsewhere, I really enjoyed watching Viggo Mortensen's character.

Away from those two, there are a whole host of noteworthy cast members. Orlando Bloom, or Will Turner to me, is involved, as are the likes of Ian McKellen and Sean Bean. I also liked Liv Tyler in her role.

The look of the film is spectacular, and has aged extremely well even to this day. Everything from the cinematography to the costumes is brilliant, those two things really make the film come alive - helped by the aforementioned score, of course.

Very eager to check out the sequels, prequels and, eventually, the upcoming television series.

"I think I'm... quite ready for another adventure!"

I've recently re-watched 'The Lord of the Rings trilogy' and 'Alien' during quarantine, so the news of Ian Holm passing hit me the hardest. It would have been anywhere if I did not re-watch those movies. An excellent actor with extraordinary range as he slipped into different and complex characters so effortless. It's something I never thought about until now that the man who played a cold, yet calculated android in 'Alien', played the warm heart, but deeply troubled Bilbo Baggins, who also played the tight and rough chief from 'Ratatouille'.

With a filmography like: 'Alien', 'The Lord of the Rings', 'The Fifth Element', 'Chariots of Fire', 'From Hell', 'Ratatouille', 'Lord of War', and 'Time Bandits'. Man, what a life.

A brilliant presence that fitted every genre.

RIP Ian Holm.

"Until our next meeting.”

Fellowship of the Ring, Peter Jackson's first swing at J.R.R. Tolkien's daunting multi-volume masterwork, lands flush on the chin of fans and casuals alike. It's a gorgeous example of just how well a literary adaptation can perform with the right mix of passion, budget, vision and expertise. Jackson's direction, though quite long-winded, seems fat free and balanced with a good sense of when to press forward and when to admire its surroundings.

The acting is a relatively broad mix - while Ian McKellen resides comfortably in the quasi-leading role of Gandalf the Grey and Viggo Mortensen is both gallant and inspiring as Aragorn, I found Elijah Wood just a bit too doe-eyed as the ring-bearing hobbit, Frodo. That's nit-picking at its finest though, admittedly, especially given the scene-stealing part played by the realm of Middle Earth itself. Staggeringly realized with an obsessive attention to detail, it's a stern flex of the artistic muscle unlike anything I've seen, before or after.

Watching the film today, in the shadow of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, is doubly rewarding, as dozens of throwbacks to the events of that film are planted like seedlings throughout the landscape. For my money, this is the best plot of the three LotR volumes, to boot. With one foot planted firmly on the ground and the other teasing the abyss, it covers a gamut of emotions, isn't bashful about shedding important cast members, and gives its audience a sweeping taste of the many colors and flavors present in this world.

A wonderful fantasy-adventure hybrid, spiced with action at all the right moments, that does its mythical source material (and the legion of associated fans) proud.

That is how you begin one of the best movie trilogies of all time. You can't be not attracted by the beauty of this world and its beautiful landscapes.