The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Directed by Peter Jackson. Starring Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Bean, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, John Rhys-Davies, Ian Holm, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Liv Tyler, Hugo Weaving, Lawrence Makoare, Andy Serkis. [PG-13]

Peter Jackson met and exceeded almost all expectations with the first chapter of the risky gamble that was a three-film adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s beloved high fantasy saga. In the realm of Middle Earth, wizard Gandalf (McKellen) entrusts the formidable ring of power to earnest Hobbit, Frodo (Wood), as they embark upon a quest to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom, eliminating the insidious authority of the dreaded Dark Lord Sauron. Joining them on their adventure is a diverse crew of allies—a few other halflings, a dwarf, an elf, a couple of humans—that comprise the titular fellowship, whose ranks are threatened by murderous foes and the corrupting influence of the ring itself. Too much solemnity, too little subtlety, and minor pacing issues all hamper the film’s otherwise immense satisfaction, but it’s such an overwhelming experience (visually, emotionally, viscerally, etc.) that it’s almost pointless to complain. Extraordinary production values, photography, sound and visual effects, and stirring music are all exceptional, but it’s more than an eye-and-ear-candy-filled action epic; the screenplay adaptation (credited to Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens) is intelligent and accessible, condensing and excising Tolkien’s story as needed, and doing what so many other films of its kind fail to do in terms of exposition and dense mythology—present the information clearly and dramatically so that all parties can grab hold. Another key triumph lies in the casting (or recasting, in the case of Mortensen replacing Stuart Townsend as ranger Aragorn during filming), which selected actors so perfectly suited for their roles that it’s hard to picture anyone else playing them. Filmed back-to-back-to-back with the other two chapters of the story, starting with The Two Towers. Won Academy Awards for its camerawork, makeup, score, and visual effects. Extended video version restores about a half-hour of material from the cutting room floor.

90/100