| Wow. Just wow. I HATE fantasy films, but my parents and my brother have all read the LOTR series and loved them. My dad has every single Tolkein book ever written, and he believes that LOTR is the greatest story ever told. I myself have never read the book because I don't like fantasy. So just based on my family's opinions, I had pretty high expectations, but these were brought down somewhat because I know that I never enjoy fantasy movies. So many events just made me say HOLY SHIT! The effects are superbly done, even the CGI troll was pretty believable. It really did not take away from the action one bit. Yes, there were light moments, moments where you laugh, but for the most part, this is a dark movie. There are parts in here that would scare any little kid. The Ringwraiths are so dark and mysterious, and whenever they come on the screen, you can really feel their presence. There is definitely a tenseness in the big fight scene in Moria as well. But the most effectively scary part is when Bilbo transforms into this ring-hungry beast for only a split second. Shiznit, I almost pissed my pants! The film's soundtrack is also the perfect complement to the emotion of the film, and the cinematography is truly artistic. Sweeping shots of the war, or of the fellowship's escape from Moria are truly astounding. The acting was just perfect on everyone's part. Elijah Wood surprised the shit out of me with his heartfelt performance, and you can tell that he, and everyone involved, really cherished the book. Viggo Mortensen, John Rhys-Davies, Ian Holm, Orlando Bloom, and Sean Astin did great in their roles, but the real standout here is Ian McKellen, who is perfectly cast as Gandalf the White. He brings some humor, he gets pissed off, and he is full of wisdom. His character was by far the most interesting in the film. But the thing that really brings Fellowship to the level of a classic is Peter Jackson. Yes, I knew there was no way in hell he would win an Academy Award; look at his past directing credits: "Dead-Alive," "Bad Taste," "The Frighteners." This man specializes in horror. But with the first LOTR entry, he has proved himself to be a truly great director. The emotional scenes are handled perfectly, the pacing is dead-on, and the actions scenes are nearly orgasmic. The final battle with the Urah-Kai is so well handled that you just have to laugh giddily with delightment with Aragorn takes out the final one. "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" provides us with characters we care about involved with incidents that never lose our interest. For the film's entire 2 hours and 58 minutes, I never once lost interest. We are sad when a character dies, we fell triumphant win the good guys prevail, and Peter Jackson never loosens the tension. A truly astounding work of beauty. 10/10 |