The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
4/4
Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellan, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Bean, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Liv Tyler, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee
Rated PG-13 for Epic Battle Sequences and Some Scary Images
It is fitting that the groundbreaking fantasy classic trilogy "The Lord of the Rings" be given such a massive cinematic treatment. I haven't read the books, but I fell in love with the movies from frame one. I remember seeing "The Fellowship of the Ring" for the first time at the local Esquire theater in December 2001. I was instantly hooked. I remember breathing a sigh of relief when I realized that there was another scene to experience.
Like most fantasy epics, the plot is complex. Three thousand years ago, a wizard named Sauron (Sala Baker) forged a number of rings that he gave to the leaders of the Elves, the Dwarves and the Men. In secret, however, he created another ring to control them all. In one foul swoop, he took control over Middle Earth, but was defeated by an alliance of Men and Elves. But the One Ring was not destroyed. Now, it has awakened, and the task of taking it to the fires of Mount Doom, where it was crafted, lies in the hands of one Hobbit named Frodo Baggins (Wood). Assisting him in his journey are the Grey Wizard Gandalf (McKellan), the ranger Aragorn (Mortensen), Boromir (Bean), son of the steward of Gondor, elf Legolas (Bloom), dwarf Gimli (Rhys-Davies) and three of Frodo's companions: pranksters Merry (Monaghan) and Pippin (Boyd) and Frodo's gardener, Samwise Gamgee (Astin). The journey will not be easy and the chances of success are slim. But this is the one chance to vanquish evil for all time.
From top to bottom, the cast is top-heavy with talent. Former child star Elijah Wood seamlessly makes the transition into an adult film role as Frodo Baggins. He has no idea what he's in for and would rather be somewhere else, but he has to accomplish this monumental feat because no one else will. Sean Astin makes for a dim but devoted helper of Frodo. Ian McKellan makes for a wise wizard, whose affection for the hobbits knows no bounds. Viggo Mortensen plays a man whose forefathers' history cause him great doubt in himself. Sean Bean's character has the same turmoil, although his personality is considerably weaker. Orlando Bloom is swift and delicate as the elf whose skill with a bow knows no bounds. John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan serve up the comic relief as the dwarf and the final two hobbits. Liv Tyler and Hugo Weaving are great as Aragorn's lover and the king of the Elves. Ian Holm is also quite good as Bibo, who suffers from an immense guilt at starting this whole thing. Christopher Lee radiates evil as the treacherous Sauromon. Cate Blanchett is terrific as Galadriel, the Elf Queen who is both beautiful and powerful.
Peter Jackson had an immense task in filming a beloved novel, and he met the challenge with tremendous success. Not only has he perfectly adapted the story with flawed but larger than life heroes and villains, but he has created an entire new world. Rich in detail and epic in scope, every image seems to beg "Explore me!" I wanted to learn everything about Middle Earth; how things worked, its history, where everything was. I wished I could jump into the movie to explore The Shire, Rivendell and Lothlorien. It may have been filmed in New Zealand, but you wouldn't know that by watching the movie. Peter Jackson may have created Middle Earth from the ground up, and you wouldn't know the difference. The special effects are also peerless, shortening a number of members of the cast seamlessly, and interweaving cities and monuments into the landscape as if they had been there for thousands of years.
The theatrical version of the film is flawless as it is, but the Blu-Ray Extended edition contains nearly an hour of never-before-seen footage. Some minor dialogue passages have been added, but in many cases, whole scenes have been restored. None of this, however, interferes with the pacing. Jackson has widened the scope further than he already has, and it is a sight to behold.
Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellan, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Bean, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Liv Tyler, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee
Rated PG-13 for Epic Battle Sequences and Some Scary Images
It is fitting that the groundbreaking fantasy classic trilogy "The Lord of the Rings" be given such a massive cinematic treatment. I haven't read the books, but I fell in love with the movies from frame one. I remember seeing "The Fellowship of the Ring" for the first time at the local Esquire theater in December 2001. I was instantly hooked. I remember breathing a sigh of relief when I realized that there was another scene to experience.
Like most fantasy epics, the plot is complex. Three thousand years ago, a wizard named Sauron (Sala Baker) forged a number of rings that he gave to the leaders of the Elves, the Dwarves and the Men. In secret, however, he created another ring to control them all. In one foul swoop, he took control over Middle Earth, but was defeated by an alliance of Men and Elves. But the One Ring was not destroyed. Now, it has awakened, and the task of taking it to the fires of Mount Doom, where it was crafted, lies in the hands of one Hobbit named Frodo Baggins (Wood). Assisting him in his journey are the Grey Wizard Gandalf (McKellan), the ranger Aragorn (Mortensen), Boromir (Bean), son of the steward of Gondor, elf Legolas (Bloom), dwarf Gimli (Rhys-Davies) and three of Frodo's companions: pranksters Merry (Monaghan) and Pippin (Boyd) and Frodo's gardener, Samwise Gamgee (Astin). The journey will not be easy and the chances of success are slim. But this is the one chance to vanquish evil for all time.
From top to bottom, the cast is top-heavy with talent. Former child star Elijah Wood seamlessly makes the transition into an adult film role as Frodo Baggins. He has no idea what he's in for and would rather be somewhere else, but he has to accomplish this monumental feat because no one else will. Sean Astin makes for a dim but devoted helper of Frodo. Ian McKellan makes for a wise wizard, whose affection for the hobbits knows no bounds. Viggo Mortensen plays a man whose forefathers' history cause him great doubt in himself. Sean Bean's character has the same turmoil, although his personality is considerably weaker. Orlando Bloom is swift and delicate as the elf whose skill with a bow knows no bounds. John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan serve up the comic relief as the dwarf and the final two hobbits. Liv Tyler and Hugo Weaving are great as Aragorn's lover and the king of the Elves. Ian Holm is also quite good as Bibo, who suffers from an immense guilt at starting this whole thing. Christopher Lee radiates evil as the treacherous Sauromon. Cate Blanchett is terrific as Galadriel, the Elf Queen who is both beautiful and powerful.
Peter Jackson had an immense task in filming a beloved novel, and he met the challenge with tremendous success. Not only has he perfectly adapted the story with flawed but larger than life heroes and villains, but he has created an entire new world. Rich in detail and epic in scope, every image seems to beg "Explore me!" I wanted to learn everything about Middle Earth; how things worked, its history, where everything was. I wished I could jump into the movie to explore The Shire, Rivendell and Lothlorien. It may have been filmed in New Zealand, but you wouldn't know that by watching the movie. Peter Jackson may have created Middle Earth from the ground up, and you wouldn't know the difference. The special effects are also peerless, shortening a number of members of the cast seamlessly, and interweaving cities and monuments into the landscape as if they had been there for thousands of years.
The theatrical version of the film is flawless as it is, but the Blu-Ray Extended edition contains nearly an hour of never-before-seen footage. Some minor dialogue passages have been added, but in many cases, whole scenes have been restored. None of this, however, interferes with the pacing. Jackson has widened the scope further than he already has, and it is a sight to behold.
Comments
Post a Comment