Reviews of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring review

Posted : 1 week, 3 days ago on 8 December 2009 07:38 (A review of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring)

The Fellowship Of The Ring is the start of new landmarks of filmmaking. Fellowship Of The Ring s the one film of the trilogy that is rated PG whereas The Two Towers and The Return Of The King are PG-13/12A. This one was quite scary because of the Nazgul/Ringwraiths who are on the trail of the Ring. The opening scene is probably the most powerful start to a film that I have ever seen before in a film. It was full of anticipation and excitement of what's coming in the trilogy. From the novels, the start sort of tells the epilogue of the book. It was very tense involving the Ringwraiths. All of these names in all three are made-up names, made-up places and made-up races (apart from Men). This first one was a brand new experience to everybody because no film like it has ever been done before. There has never been a fantasy story with such a believable force to it.


The cast was really good in this one as well as the other two films. Elijah Wood was good as Frodo but seems a bit over the top when he cries. He was still really good though. Ian McKellen delivers a very well deserved Oscar nominated performance as Gandalf The Grey. I prefer seeing Gandalf grey than white because grey is Gandalf's original form and he looks a bit weird white whereas grey he looks cool. His performance is a lot like Alec Guinness' performance in Star Wars: Episode IV ? A New Hope apart from Alec hated Star Wars. Viggo Mortensen was awesome as Aragorn/Strider. He is a very heroic character with a big heart. He wasn't very well known until Lord Of The Rings. Aragorn reveals himself to be heir to the throne of Gondor aka Isildur's Heir. He meets the four Hobbits Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin in an inn called Prancing Pony and helps them reach Rivendell. When there, he falls in love with Arwen who is the daughter of Elrond who is probably the most powerful Elf in Middle-Earth. Other cast members Christopher Lee, Sean Astin, Dominic Managhan, Billy Boyd, Liv Tyler, Hugo Weaving, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, Cate Blanchett and Sean Bean were really good as their characters in this film.


Peter Jackson has created an unforgettable trilogy that will probably be remade in about 40 years time. The first film was directed absolutely brilliantly by a director who directed all three films in the same way. He has created the cinema changing franchise that I think everybody loves. All three Lord Of The Rings films are just too perfect to describe. The script was really good. It is really rare of a fantasy film to earn an Oscar nomination for the script. Yes, it was a very long film and there wasn't one flawed scene not even in the extended versions of the trilogy.


This is the start to the best franchise ever. No matter how many times you watch it you will always experience something new about it. Also, you will get this feeling that tells you "I want to watch The Two Towers and/or Return Of The King now". This is the best film of 2001 and alongside its sequels it changed my liking for cinema forever! Loved Lord Of The Rings before and love it just as much now. Always will love it!!

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Ótimo! mas...

Posted : 1 month, 2 weeks ago on 29 October 2009 07:09 (A review of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring)

prefiro o livro, the book is better. Mas o filme é excelente e é também completamente gravado na Nova Zelândia (what??), isso mesmo NOVA ZELÂNDIAAAAAAAA!!!!!!

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A New Beginning for Fantasy and Book Adapts

Posted : 1 year, 4 months ago on 17 August 2008 04:03 (A review of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring)

''I do not know what strength is in my blood, but I swear to you I will not let the White City fall, nor our people fail.''

''Our people, our people. I would have would have followed you, my brother... my captain... my king.''

''Be at peace, Son of Gondor.''

In a small village in the Shire a young Hobbit named Frodo has been entrusted with an ancient Ring. Now he must embark on an Epic quest to the Cracks of Doom in order to destroy it.

Viggo Mortensen: Aragorn/Strider

Elijah Wood: Frodo

Ian Mckellan: Gandalf

The fellowship is the heaven version and pinnacle milestone of film like Two Towers & Return Of the King which I feel are all one compact vision.

Fellowship has one of the best prologues I have ever seen in in my life. The part where Boromir is dying and Aragorn is comforting him is one of the most emotional and tear inducing scenes for me.

The WETA effects, camera work, editing, sound and Orchestra work by Hoeard Shore are all dripping perfection.

For this piece of work Howard Shore has created and drawn out a truly beautiful soundtrack to accompany the movie visually. In truth, you can listen to the CD alone and experience the movie, just close your eyes. Howard brings all of the epic moments from the movie to life through the art of music.

To tell the story of LOTR, the cast of the movie was required to do much more than just act but had to tell an epic story of human struggles and emotions, ranging from anger to joy to sadness which spanned over 10 years for the cast and crew. The acting in this movie is beautiful, and nearly flawless. The characters are fleshed out and believable, the relationships are hypnotising, and it is as if the audience experiences everything and is part of the ensuing adventure.

The casting drew together a small group of seasoned veterans, including Lee, McKellan, and Holm, giving the movie a solid backbone of experience and life. The other characters are also played out beautifully, especially that of Sean Bean's. The relationship between he and Mortensen make the story of the movie all the more real. Sean Astin and Boyd also deliver sound performances, but the most unique aspect of the movie is the relationship between Astin and Wood. Seeing the making and the Extended Version, it is much easier to understand, but Astin forged a friendship with Wood during filming, and this was able to make the close bond of the two in Fellowship even more real and powerful.

In conclusion and in essence, Fellowship & LOTR can be credited as many things, because it does something incredibly challenging and does it exceedingly without flaw. Peter Jackson had to adapt from a series of books, he had to capture Tolkiens unique view of writing material, he had to deliver a vivid and real world full of gritty earthy fantasy, and it required its cast to deliver brilliant performances full of emotion, relationships, and conflicts.

Watch Theatrical or Extended Versions both are perfection.

Masterpiece.

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A cinematic marvel!

Posted : 1 year, 6 months ago on 11 June 2008 04:05 (A review of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring)

In the common tongue it reads "One Ring to Rule Them All. One Ring to Find Them. One Ring to Bring Them All and In The Darkness Bind Them."

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring marks the first ambitious film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's highly praised and acclaimed series of fantasy novels. Naturally, transferring one of the world's greatest fantasy novels to the screen would subsist as a daunting undertaking. For the die-hard fans of Tolkien's legendary novels, uncertainty was always an issue when small-time New Zealand born director Peter Jackson took the reigns. Although Jackson is an accomplished director who had previously helmed such films as Heavenly Creatures and Bad Taste, no-one knew for sure if the Kiwi was up to the task. The results are absolutely outstanding: a ripping yarn of a fantasy film rich in extraordinary production values, astounding special effects and never a dull moment.

The hordes of Tolkien fans must have breathed a collective sigh of relief when Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring thundered across cinemas worldwide and became an instant hit. The film grossed millions of dollars globally and was being met with cavalcades of acclaim including mountains of positive reviews. What's more - the film also scored 13 Oscar nominations and subsequently walked away with 4 wins. Although previous stabs at adapting Tolkien's novels to the big screen yielded embarrassing results, Jackson's prior experience and familiarity with the fantasy genre translated into a respectful, lavish, gorgeously-mounted production that breathed fresh cinematic life into Middle Earth.

This first instalment in the Lord of the Rings trilogy introduces the characters and establishes the story. An ancient ring of power was forged several centuries ago by the Dark Lord Sauron (Baker). Sauron's master ring, known as the One Ring, was filled with Sauron's sinister power and contains the capability to rule all peoples of Middle Earth. After an impressive opening montage that recaps the integral events of Middle Earth that have occurred thousands of years ago, the story then picks up at Hobbiton: a village that is largely inhabited by the Hobbit race.

After being lost for centuries, Sauron's One Ring is picked up by a Hobbit named Bilbo Baggins (Holm). Fast forward a few decades and it's Bilbo's eleventy-first birthday. As the celebrations rage on, Bilbo should be happy but feels empty as his life is seemingly winding down and there are still a lot of things he wants to do before shuffling off. Bilbo departs Hobbiton, leaving the One Ring to be inherited by his nephew Frodo Baggins (Wood). Frodo soon learns that this ring is Sauron's master ring, and it must be immediately destroyed. Now Frodo must embark on a journey to the fires of Mount Doom. Only in the flames of that mountain can the ring be destroyed. If he fails and a resurrected Sauron reclaims the ring, he will bind the other 9 subservient rings to his will and cast a pall over the lands of Middle Earth.

The film's subtitle, The Fellowship of the Ring, is drawn from the milestone in Frodo's journey to Mount Doom that occurs: Frodo collects a band of companions who swear to aid in the quest and protect Frodo at all costs.

The film's easy-going first hour quickly transforms into a heart-stopping, exciting, powerful and violent saga that is truly difficult to find boring. Although audience reactions were mixed and many complained about the film's length, I frankly cannot imagine myself being bored.

To say that I loved this film is a gross understatement. Not only is Tolkien's novel one of the greatest books ever published, but Jackson's film adaptation now confidently places itself amongst the greatest movies of all time. This first instalment in Jackson's trilogy is a labour of love - he and his team were determined and worked endlessly to accomplish the best possible product. Jackson's first LOTR film is visually astounding, as well being outstanding in terms of audio and atmosphere.

While so many battles were created using computer technology, this is the blueprint of "epic". Over the years we've seen "big" films like Titanic and Braveheart, but this film simply dwarfs most movies in terms of sheer production size. Every facet of the movie has been done to perfection - every chair, every sword, every location. Why has it taken so many decades to finally get this ambitious project off the ground? Simply because the sheer scope and size of the production would cost far too much. Even in the age of advanced digital technology and big-budget epics, it took countless years to finish. It's refreshing to see so much determination to reach perfection. The descriptions of everything in Tolkien's novel are brilliantly matched by the ideal creative team.

Pale imitations like Harry Potter are a regularity. In the years succeeding this film's release the world was exposed to failed fantasy epics like Eragon, just to name one. The brilliance of Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy will always remain unmatched. To quote a music reviewer, this film is the "blueprint for a trillion inferior facsimiles." With the aid of contemporary filmmaking technology and the diverse New Zealand landscape, the visual result is simply impossible to match.

Special recognition must go to Howard Shore for composing the music that won an Oscar! I own the soundtrack CD and can't get enough of the music. It's exciting, intense, grand, passionate and even heart-breaking at times. This is the cherry on top.

The film is astronomically elevated by the marvellous cast. Elijah Wood makes an exceptional Frodo Baggins. This is an emotionally challenging role for the youthful actor, and nevertheless he nails it perfectly. Sean Astin plays the exigent role of Samwise Gamgee. The role called for an endless assortment of diverse emotions that Astin strikes faultlessly. Ian McKellen is utterly flawless as Gandalf the Grey. McKellen was acknowledged with an Oscar nomination for playing Gandalf with equal parts of underhanded humour and shrewdness. McKellen IS Gandalf and there is no doubt about that. Viggo Mortenson convincingly pulls off the dashing Aragorn: a ranger who becomes determined to help Frodo. Credit must also go to Sean Bean. I am a great admirer of Bean, and must mention his outstanding performance. His versatility is tested with this challenging role: like many other additions to the cast, a collection of emotions are pivotal. Bean passionately pulls off the role of Boromir.

I'm not even halfway through mentioning the cast! Orlando Bloom got his big break playing the loyal elf Legolas. This is the single role that Bloom was meant to play. The character is flat and emotionless...and this describes the nature of every single Orlando Bloom performance. John Rhys-Davis is sublime as the dwarf Gimli. This is one of the veteran actors included in the cast. I couldn't imagine anyone better suited. Finally there are great portrayals from Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan as two Hobbit companions, in addition to sublime elf portrayals from such actors as Hugo Weaving and Liv Tyler. The cast is truly a wonder to behold!

Overall, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring will forever be one of my absolute favourite movies! I still recall the first time I saw this movie: it was Boxing Day 2001 and my favourite uncle dragged me along to the cinema with my brother and cousin. We had booked tickets in advance and it's a good thing we did as there was a sign outside that strictly read "LOTR sold out!" Ever since that first screening I viewed, I subsequently saw it many more times at the cinema (about 5 more times, actually) as well as watching it at marathons and in the comfort of my own bedroom where I can watch the DVD.

Peter Jackson and his creative team have achieved a cinematic marvel! Even with characters and segments of the book being removed, this will remain the definitive cinematic vision of Tolkien's novel for many decades to come. One of the most anticipated cinematic events in history has finally transpired and in my opinion it is completely worth the wait! Some will love it, some will hate it: I will always be part of the former. Critics and audiences alike will always praise this film, and who's to quibble? It's a fine movie! Winner of 4 Oscars. Later released in an extended version.

10.0/10

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Trollshaw? More like not sure!

Posted : 1 year, 9 months ago on 8 March 2008 03:25 (A review of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring)

I knew nothing of the Lord of the Rings before I went to see this film. It was simply something my life didn't have a need for up until that point. I saw it alone but that didn't make it any less enjoyable!

PJ gets a lot of flak for a lot of things but I think the Trilogy was in the right hands. He spent hours of his life trying to make these films into a decent piece of work that anyone could enjoy. From fans of the books to causla viewers. He couldn't please everyone but I think with what he set out to do, he did it fantastically.

The film starts with a recap of Middle-Earth in the past thousand years or so, which are all integral to the story of the One Ring. By a Mouse-Trap of coincidences, the One Ring ends up in the possession of LOTR's main protagonist, Frodo Baggins.

His quest is to destroy it as only evil will come of it. Sauron, the main bad ass, is meant to be an omnipresent form but is singularly symbolised by a flaming lidless eye on the top of Barad-dur. I felt this limited the potential of the Dark Lord but it was easier for viewers to understand with the visual stimuli.

My favourite part of the film is how epic the struggle is for the Fellowship. They are the Underdogs by far, yet they push and shove their way through tremendous amounts of hardship.

Visually, the entire film was perfect. Every set was how you would imagine it, it was authentic to an extent that Middle Earth existed through the lense of the cameras! Just thinking about it makes me feel lifted that cinema can create entire universes for anyone to enjoy.

I hate the fact that Orlando Bloom got his stardom through this trilogy though. He has no talent. He plays the same character in every film. Plus, Legolas was my worst chaarcter of the trilogy. He was too much of a Deus Ex Machina.

Sean Bean, Sean Astin, John Rhys-Davis, Hugo Weaving, Ian Holm, Paul Whitehouse Orc were all fantastic in their respective roles. Mortensen & McKellen were, beyond any shadow of a doubt, the best casting for their roles. If anyone else had played Gandalf or Aragorn, it would have been a serious blow to the trilogy.

This is literally the first-step and I remember for the two Christmas' after its release. I was always gagging for the next installment. There is no other film of today that is on as grander scale as Lord of the Rings.

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The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring review

Posted : 2 years, 1 month ago on 16 November 2007 05:18 (A review of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring)

An extremely slow and laborious film which ginds to a head with a big fight with some Uruk monsters in a jungle. Sean Bean was the only character I liked in this entire trilogy and they essentially killed him off right at the beginning. Damn. I certainly didn't think that was fair considering the rest of the fellowship seem to have almost God-like invulnerability. It was a real struggle to get through to the end of this film for me, and that was before all the hype came out regarding the trilogy. I've never read much of the books, but I don't think this story is even nearly as imaginitive as the literary version.

I'll expand on that with reviews of the other films.

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LOTR

Posted : 2 years, 2 months ago on 24 September 2007 02:22 (A review of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring)

the best trilogy i've ever seen...

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eeeeeeexcellent

Posted : 2 years, 3 months ago on 18 September 2007 03:31 (A review of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring)

I have never read the books, and i dont plan to. But this trilogy amazed me and is one of the best fantasy movies out there. Its origional and has a great cast, sure to be enjoyed by everyone.

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Greatest Adventure

Posted : 2 years, 3 months ago on 3 September 2007 07:06 (A review of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring)

I can't express my feeling how adventurous this story being told from each chapter to the next sequence and make to emotion by those tremendous original score. It's a adventure worth to see and more than meets the eye. Emotional does stir inside me from a fallen hero to the unexpected obstacles along the quest.

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The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring review

Posted : 2 years, 5 months ago on 1 July 2007 06:47 (A review of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring)

bored me

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