LOTR - THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
Rated PG-13 for epic battles and some intense images
Starring Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, John Rhys-Davies, Orlando Bloom, Sean Bean, Ian Holm, Cate Blanchett and Liv Tyler

CineSight Rating

Yes, the land of Middle-Earth really did exist 7,000 years ago, roughly where Europe now stands. And the tale of THE LORD OF THE RINGS isn't fantasy - it's ancient history that over time has passed gradually into legend and myth. That's what writer/director Peter Jackson (HEAVENLY CREATURES) would have us all believe. And after experiencing the first installment in his magnum opus, I for one, am more than ready to believe him!

Jackson and company throw us directly in at the deep end. A concise and breathtaking prologue sets the stage - beneath a glowering sky, vast armies of elves, men and orcs are arrayed for war, stretching across volcanic plains as far as the eye can see. The alliance of elves and men hack and hew their disciplined way through a mountain of orcs. Then suddenly they are stopped in their tracks by the dark lord Sauron, wielding his ring; the Ring of Power, the One Ring. And with this power he attacks, sending the bodies of his enemy flying in all directions. But in the midst of the carnage, Sauron loses the Ring...

LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING chronicles the history of this most powerful of trinkets; a seemingly innocent gold band that can control the fate of all Middle-Earth. Having been lost for centuries, the Ring is found and ends up in the possession of Frodo Baggins (Wood), a Hobbit. The diminutive Hobbits with large, hairy feet are by nature unadventurous people. They would much rather stay home and tend to their capacious appetites. However, such is not Frodo's fate. He, along with friends Sam (Aston), Merry (Monaghan) and Pippin (Boyd), are given a dreadful task. Kindly wizard Gandalf (McKellen) joins them on a perilous journey to take the Ring into the heart of Sauron's kingdom, where it must be destroyed in the volcanic fires of Mount Doom. The Fellowship is enlarged by representatives of other races of Middle-Earth: Legolas (Bloom) for the elves, Gimli (Rhys-Davies) for the dwarves and warrior Boromir (Bean) and the mysterious Strider (Mortenson) for men. The Fellowship must contend with Ringwraiths - Sauron's ethereal but deadly servants, who are drawn to the Ring; hoards of hideous orcs; a rampaging cave troll; a fire demon and an army of uber-orcs known as Uruk-Hai.

The story, orginally penned by Oxford professor JRR Tolkien, is much more complex than this simple summary. Over a period of 14 years he created complete histories and cultures for all the races of Middle-Earth, and even an entire Elvish language. Because of all this background information and the length of the novel (clocking in at over 1,000 pages) it has frequently been said that THE LORD OF THE RINGS could never be filmed.

They were wrong!

Not only has Peter Jackson managed to pursuade Hollywood to finance an entire trilogy; judging by the first installment, it will be one of the most memorable sagas in cinema history. (Move over George Lucas - if you're not careful this upstart New Zealander is likely to topple your empire!) With FELLOWSHIP he has proved himself to be a master storyteller, who knows how to handle effects in a responsible manner (unlike a plethora of Hollywood hacks). While the RINGS saga requires all kinds of visual trickery, Jackson's mantra is undoubtedly "make it real". All of the bells and whistles serve the story. They don't replace it. They are merely the punctuation in this tale of loyalty, friendship, temptation, courage and hope.

Kudos must also go to Jackson's own army of artists, designers and technicians. They have taken Tolkien's written descriptions of Middle-Earth and managed to reproduce it for the screen in all its splendor, from the sweeping vistas right down to thousands of individual orc soldiers with their cruel blades and arrows. Either that, or Jackson really did manage to transport a film crew back about 7,000 years.

Then there is the cast. A huge cast of major speaking parts, but not a weak one among them. The four Hobbits are perfect as innocent, bumbling but brave adventurers. Ian Holm does a wonderful supporting job as Frodo's uncle Bilbo; charming yet anguished at having to hand the Ring over to his nephew. Viggo Mortenson has nailed the complex Strider, struggling to accept his fate, while the usually underrated Sean Bean shows us a headstrong leader who falls despite the best of intentions. Although in smaller roles, Cate Blanchett and Liv Tyler lend undeniable grace and a cool majesty to their Elven characters, even down to their lilting Elvish pronunciation. But special mention must be made of Gandalf. Frodo may be the hero, but Gandalf is both the driving force and the hope of the Fellowship. He loves the Hobbits and the beauty of Middle-Earth. You can see it in his eyes. He also is the one who knows what pain and hardship lies on the road ahead, and the sacrifice he is asking his precious Hobbits to make. According to the credits, Ian McKellen played Gandalf, but I didn't notice the award-winning Shakespearean actor anywhere, only a kindly wizard called Gandalf.

While shooting THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy back-to-back may have been a test of endurance for the filmmakers, it will now be a test of the audience's patience. We will have to wait a whole year until THE TWO TOWERS in December 2002 and THE RETURN OF THE KING in 2003. At least we can savor the FELLOWSHIP in the meantime.