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Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
(Reviewed December 9, 2001, by James Dawson)
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I read J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" more than 20 years ago and disliked it so much that I never felt any desire whatsoever to slog through the "Rings" trilogy proper. That's not because I have anything against heroic fantasy in general--I am a huge fan of writers ranging from Lord Dunsany to Robert E. Howard to Michael Moorcock--but Tolkien just didn't float my boat.
The same things I remember disliking about "The Hobbit" are what sink this movie version of the first "Rings" installment, "The Fellowship of the Ring." The movie begins with tediously endless exposition about What Went Before in the Tolkien cosmos, information that should have been relayed in dialog rather than history-lesson narration. Then we are in the land of the Hobbits, diminutive hairy-footed humans so sickeningly precious that it's a wonder there isn't a PBS kids program about them. Elijah Wood is Frodo, a Hobbit entrusted with a ring of power that must be destroyed to save the world. Ian McKellen is excellent as Gandalf, the all-knowing wizard who guides him on his journey. Viggo Mortenson is appropriately dark, handsome and mysterious as a noble human who joins the travelers.
This merry band fights off various attacks for three hours, then the movie ends with no resolution, because it is the first third of a trilogy. Imagine playing a video game up to the point where the electricity in your house suddenly goes out. Game over!
Still, the movie does have absolutely beautiful scenery and truly amazing special effects. The scene in which a giant fire-demon pursues Our Heroes through an underground city and across a crumbling stone bridge was one of the most exciting things I saw at the movies all year. The cinematography throughout is unbelievably lush.
The pacing is frustratingly slow, the Hobbits are a wee bit too twee, and the score is oppressively omnipresent, but see this movie just to be knocked out by its incredible visuals.
Back Row Grade: C+
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