Movie Database: Review
Lord of the Rings, The: The Fellowship of the Ring
Quick Take: In a small village in the Shire a young Hobbit named Frodo has been entrusted with an ancient Ring.
Director
178 minutes
running time
2001
year released
Action/Adventure
genre
PG-13
rating
Torifan’s Rating... 
Torifan’s review: I saw this film when it was initially released in theaters, and at the time I could not get much feeling for the characters, so I was not initially a huge fan of the film. Over time and repeated viewings on DVD, however, I have come to appreciate the world that JRR Tolkien created. The visuals have always been stunning. Filmed in Australia, a place I’d love to visit some day, the film is full of sweeping landscapes, bright mountains, and even the sets look as if they are part of the terrain. The story itself is an old one, and it is a story that has influenced many films that would follow it.
I felt like I saw Elijah Wood grow up, as I have been a fan since he was a young boy. He's maturing now into a young man, especially with roles like Frodo, the Ring-Bearer. I like Frodo more each time I view the film, because he is conflicted about his role but he avoids the temptations of the One Ring. That is, he avoids the urge to use the ring for his own benefit. The ring itself is a metaphor for greed, ego, and the desire for power. Sauron, the ring's creator, is the personification of evil, and has plans to take over the world. A small band representing each race (elves, dwarfs, humans, hobbits, wizards) comes together to form the Fellowship of The Ring, whose sole mission is to help Frodo arrive at Mount Doom safely so that he can destroy the ring and rid the world of evil.
Ian McKellen is stellar as Gandalf The Grey, a wise old wizard who foreshadows the mentor characters in many films, from Obi-Wan Kenobi (Star Wars) to The Oracle (The Matrix). Personally, the more I watch this, the more I'm convinced that Malcolm was robbed of an Oscar for this one. In any case, Gandalf is one of the leaders here, and is the most important one until his disappearence in the last third of the film. Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) is the other leader, a strong fighter who, those who have read ahead will know, will one day be king.
This film includes many, many life lessons and commentary, including the virtues of friendship, loyalty, good vs. evil, honor, and the importance of how we live our lives. I didn’t see all of this on the first viewing, but now, I’m hooked on this trilogy. Part two, The Two Towers, is out tomorrow on DVD.
Cast:
Wood, Elijah
McKellen, Ian
Mortensen, Viggo
Bean, Sean
Astin, Sean
Rhys-Davies, John
Blanchett, Cate
Tyler, Liv
Bloom, Orlando
Weaving, Hugo
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