THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING Review

"All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you."

The Lord of the Rings trilogy has been an influential set of films within the modern blockbusters. Not only were they one of the few fantasy films at the time that made a profit, but they were also a blueprint for future franchises on how to create their own successful series, including the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Granted, some even tried the "shooting their sequels back-to-back" approach that this trilogy had done; some worked out fairly well (Harry Potter series), while others failed (The Divergent series which didn't even finish their two-part finale). Not only did I want to celebrate the film's 25th anniversary of its inaugural installment by writing a review, but I also wanted to glow about why this entry is one of my personal favorite films of all time.

The Fellowship of the Ring follows a young Hobbit by the name of Frodo Baggins. He's passed down by his relative, Bilbo, the One Ring which carries an evil power that can bring Sauron back from the dead. With the fate of Middle-Earth hanging in the balance of the young Hobbit, Frodo carries the burden of bringing the ring to Mordor and cast it back into the fires of Mount Doom. Along the way, he's joined by eight companions that includes 3 additional Hobbits, a wizard, an elf, two men (one of which is a ranger who's destined to become king of Gondor), and a dwarf. As they make the perilous journey, the fellowship encounter orcs, goblins, and demonic monsters chasing after them.

Truth be told: I didn't get a chance to watch these films during their theatrical runs (save for Return of the King) until their home media releases. In fact, I discovered their existence by watching a preview of this entry in front of Rush Hour 2 on VHS. Had it not been for that happy little accident, I likely would've gotten to these films much later in life. Regardless, I'm so happy that I grew up watching these adventures as they had likable characters, incredible music, and enough sword fighting to where I was able to sit through the more quieter moments that my four-year-old brain didn't understand at the time.

As for The Fellowship of the Ring, it's shocking that filmmaker, Peter Jackson, was able to fill in so much material and make this an engaging part one of three movies. Even if there isn't a big action set piece, they're setting the tracks up for what's to come with future installments, while introducing new characters that'll follow Frodo on his perilous journey. Whether it's the frightening Nazgul, who are practically the fantasy-equivalent of the T-1000, or the Elf-Queen, Galadriel, showing our lead a vision of what's to come should he fail his quest, they all play a part to both the worldbuilding as well as pushing the story forward.

Speaking of which, the entire ensemble is perfectly cast. Even actors that aren't usually used well in other films like Orlando Bloom, are able to showcase their skills within each role they're given. Some of my favorites of the ensemble include Ian McKellen and Sean Bean. Ian McKellen was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Supporting Actor category and he earned the nomination; I love the interactions he has as Gandalf with Frodo, as those scenes alone bring the ring barrier some comfort despite how dangerous and impossible the task will be. I also love Sean Bean's performance as Boromir, as he's able to bring out a tortured humanity within this role that could've been a bland character on the page.

Another aspect of the film I love is the score by Academy Award-winning composer, Howard Shore. I literally don't have any notes on what I don't like about the score, because I think it's about as perfect as it can be, both on its own as well as how it compliments the film's tone. I'd go as far as to say this is up there as some of the best movie scores of all time with films like Star Wars. Probably my favorite of Howard's music used within the film for me would be the Mines of Moria sequence, where you can feel the claustrophobia as well as the tension building with the Fellowship trying to escape from the evil orcs.

Everything else on the technical side whether it's the cinematography by the late Andrew Lesnie (who won his deserved Oscar for his work on this), the incredible makeup work, the production design, or even the sound work are all first-rate. The visual effects work by WETA Digital can be a bit dated with the cave troll and the lake monster, but they're still incredibly well done and surprisingly hold up after all these years. It's honestly insane that a film made in 2001 still has some impressive technical work over 25 years later.

While I do get that some prefer either The Two Towers or The Return of the King (the latter of which ended up being one of the few films in Academy history to win 11 Oscars), there's something special about The Fellowship of the Ring that works just a tad bit more for me. From the wonderful music by Howard Shore to the action set pieces throughout the film, it all just puts a smile on my face. Not only am I reliving some of my childhood memories I had growing up, but it's also a terrific film that brought us an extraordinary trilogy.

🍿SCORE = 100 / 100