Review: Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (extended edition)

Lord of the Rings is a beloved book series written by J.R.R Tolkien, set in his Middle Earth, which became a staple of British literature, and a cornerstone of the fantasy genre. However, what is equally renowned as the books is the film series, released almost fifty years after the publication of the books. So, with that in mind, let's start with the first film, The Fellowship of the Ring.

Frodo Baggins is a hobbit, a small creature half the size of a man, living a peaceful life, until he inherits a ring from his uncle Bilbo, and must leave his peaceful home and set off on an quest to destroy an insurmountable evil that threatens all of the free races of the world. Along with a band of fellow hobbits, he encounters men, wizards, elves and dwarves, and together they must face off against all manners of horrible creatures, from hideous foot-soldiers to ghostly terrors, and everything in between.

This may sound like a storytelling cliché, but that's because it is adapting the books that skyrocketed this structure into popularity. Additionally, the way the story is carried out feels like something completely fresh from the formulas that start to feel stale now.

The sheer number of memorable characters the film manages to include without feeling bloated is also astounding. With well established British actors like Sir Ian Mckellen and the late Sir Christopher Lee, to young American ones like Elijah Wood and Sean Astin. Everyone puts in their all, and it clearly shows in the end product.

The world of the film is also something to marvel at. While you don't quite get a sense of the geography of the land in this film, you do get its sense of distance, with incredible sweeping shots of huge mountains, rivers and underground caverns that seem to stretch on forever, with filming taking place in New Zealand. It really works to make the world look as wonderous and expansive as possible, especially when compared to the comparative size and insignificance of the hobbits.

This film came out in 2001, nineteen years before I wrote this review, and yet it still looks incredible in every way, from the CGI used on the creatures and environments to the prophetic works, captivating performances and cinematography. This is the film franchise I would say as aged the most gracefully than any I could think of, so don't let that put you off if you haven't checked it out already.

This review is of the extended edition, which is the version I prefer to watch. It may greatly increase the runtime to over three hours, but I feel it is well deserved considering the quality of everything onscreen. At no point am I not engaged watching it, with every scene serving a purpose to the story. What I feel plagues the genre now is a constant need for action and spectacle, without appreciating the purpose that should go behind it. Lord of the Rings has that purpose in spades, which allows you to fully invest in the larger than life battles or mesmerising set-pieces. It really feels like an adventure with the scale you are promised, taking its time when it needs to in order for you to get invested in the characters, not using any and every excuse to get from fight-scene to fight-scene.

In short, this film was a game-changer for the film industry, displaying the best technical innovations of the time, along with stellar performances, beautiful set locations, moments of triumph and heartbreak and so much more. There isn't anything that comes close before, nor has there been since. The Fellowship of the Ring gets a 10/10 from me.

10/10

SPOILER SECTION

Perhaps the only pacing issue may come from the section where the hobbits encounter the ring-wraiths, as they seem to come and go numerous times over the course of a 45-minute period. However, I don't particularly mind, especially when considering their roles as relentless pursuers of the Ring, and shifting the tone of the story from jovial to serious and foreboding as a reflection of the danger the hobbits, and the rest of Middle-Earth will face.

My favourite section of the first film has to be the Mines of Moria, which provides blatently demonstrates the threat of the Orcs, strong character moments for Gimli, Frodo and Gandalf, and display the best fights of the film, as well as the iconic "You Shall Not Pass" line. It's grim, and terrifying, especially on first viewing when you have no idea of the evil they will find down there, only Gandalf's reluctance and Saruman's glee.

The best development of any of the characters has to be that of Boromir. He starts off as pretentious, dismissive of the power of the ring, but also deeply tempted by it, motivated to protect his kingdom. And yet, he is also very protective of the hobbits, and concerned of the harm that may come to them. He represents how the ring could corrupt even the most honourable of men with its power, when he attempts to steal it from Frodo, but gets a chance at redemption when he stands he ground to party of Uruk-hai in defence of Merry and Pippin, even to the end, when he finally accepts Aragorn as the rightful king of Gondor. The ending is a sombre one, but in Boromir's sacrifice comes a hope as well. Frodo had the resolve to leave the fellowship to prevent their corruption, Sam had the loyalty to accompany him, and Boromir saw how he was being twisted by the Ring and gave his life to right his wrongs. As a first part, it can't really get any better.