In 1977, the animation team of Rakin/Bass made an adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. A task that was commendable. A year later animator Ralph Bakshi well known more for more controversial films such as the X rated Fritz the Cat, made an attempt at making Tolkien's epic fantasy the Lord of the Rings. Bakshi made the first part of the film from most of the Fellowship of the Ring and part of the second in the series, The Two Towers. The results were mixed. While the animation was quite a thrill to see, it didn't have the emotional grab it should have had. And the biggest complaint about the movie was that you felt you had to read the book in order to understand the story. Bakshi ultimately gave up in the attempt to make the second part of the story. Rakin/Bass made the final part, The Return of the King in 1980. But since the movie started in the middle of the story, it was at best fragmented and it became more of a musical than anything else. On or about that time the BBC made a radio drama based on the entire story among the players was one Ian Holm who played the hero of the story Frodo Baggins. The hobbit who went from happy resident of Bag End to the reluctant Ring Bearer of the One Ring of Power.

Now over twenty years later, a new attempt has been made to bring the story to real life instead of sound alone or animation. And as you can tell from reviews, some award shows, and the box office, the movies a full blown hit! I myself was surprised that the movie has done so well. I was expecting the film to hit with that certain "niche" crowd: the Trekker's go to the Star Trek films, Star Wars fans go to the Star Wars films, etc., ect. But to hear that people other than fantasy buffs have been going to this film was more of shock than anything else I have heard. But given the circumstances of Sept. 11, it's no surprise as to why fantasy films were a big hit this year. We needed to get away from reality. And sometimes a Rambo sort of film is not for everyone. I have to admit to this, I am a Tolkien fan. My e-mail name of Greyroamer (A variant of one of Gandalf the Grey's nicknames) will testify to that! But I had some hesitation about this film both from a Tolkien fan's point of view, add that to the fact that I'm also a bit of a movie buff. From the movie buff's point of view, very few fantasy films have made it on the big screen unless it's made by the monolithic Disney, animated and the animals sing. Even Conan the Barbarian had minor success considering that Conan had that niche crowd and such films as ET, Poltergeist and Star Trek II The Wrath of Kahn were in the theaters.

The film's director is Peter Jackson; a native of New Zealand, Peter has directed such films as Beautiful Creatures, a film based on a true story starring a young Kate Winslet playing one of two teen aged girls who become so obsessed with each other that they plot to kill their own parents in order to stay together. Another film Jackson Directed was called Dead Alive. The film was a cross of gory horror and frantic comedy which developed a cult following. Peter Jackson's first attempt in a Hollywood film was The Frighteners. While the film starring Michael J. Fox was a rather funny horror film, it didn't do well at the box office. In 1999, rumors were flying that a new attempt in filming Lord of the Rings was in the works. And when it was confirmed that Peter Jackson was going to direct, the fans were dizzy with anticipation, the skeptics were waiting for a train wreck, and the skeptical fans were teetering between both (guess which one I was). But I'm happy to say that this film is one of the best movies ever made!

While the film doesn't follow the story to the letter (a problem some people had mentioned in Harry Potter), they so far have made a movie that's a wonder to behold and you don't have to be a fan of the book to follow the story. Jackson had mentioned that out of all of the three parts (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and Return of the King) that would suffer the most cuts would be the first. I do admit that when I started to read the story, I kept picking up and putting down the first book. But somewhere along the line, I was caught and I never stopped reading. And the two books that followed went by quickly. And strange enough, when reading the story again, I found myself doing the same thing over again. But Jackson managed to get a hold of you from the first frame on forward. The opening prologue was a good move. The brief history of the One Ring brings those who have never read the book up to speed with the story while setting up what's to come. And when the story goes from the One Ring's past to the present at Bilbo Baggin's home turf of Bag End, Hobbiton, we are not in some sound stage in Hollywood that looks like Hobbiton, we are in Hobbiton! Jackson's choice of using New Zealand for on location filming was the best idea! After seeing this film, I want to take a trip to New Zealand. Not to visit the filming sites, I want to go there for the sights alone! I mean where else can you see a grand epic and a very subtle tourist advert? But I digress. Jackson's homeland was the best choice for location filming. His approach was quite unique. When he was commissioned to make the film Peter Jackson created Hobbiton a year before the filming itself was to begin! His reasoning, he felt the best possible way to weather down his sets is by simply letting mother nature do all the work for him. And it works! Hobbiton does look lived in, and growing out of the hills!

In the subject of special effects, Jackson made good use of computer graphics when it comes to things like sweeping camera angles over the battle at the foot of Mount Doom in the film's prologue, the wizard's duel Between Gandalf and Saruman, seeing the dwarves underground city of Moria along with Gandalf's battle with a fearsome creature called the Balrog, and even something simple as having people like Elija Wood and Ian Holm look as tall as 4 foot height to Gandalf's 6 feet works well also. But in the latter case, Jackson sometimes used the simple concept of "forced perspective" (an optical illusion by placing things in front of the camera in such a way to give an illusion of a difference of size).

I haven't heard much of Howard Shore's music outside of Silence of the Lambs, but it did leave a mark for me. This film might be his breakthrough. And while some people cringed over the concept of Enya singing a couple of songs, I reserved judgment until I heard the soundtrack. What I liked was that her songs were made for the film! They were not "Inspired" by the film. I'm thankful that no Hollywood movie maker didn't make this film, otherwise Brittany Spears would have been singing the songs. I think a full blown riot would have broken out before the film was halfway done if that idea was true!

And what could be said of the actors? All of them did a splendid job. I was a bit hesitant when I heard some of the casting choices. Elija Wood as Frodo? Liv Tyler as Arwen? But I was surprised that it did work out! I mean I'm still wrapping my head around Liv Tyler in this film! I think after watching Keanu Reeves attempting anything in a classical style (Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, Dangerous Liaisons, and Bram Stoker's Dracula) I had a rather bad taste in my mouth whenever any contemporary actor attempts to work in any sort of classical piece. Sir Ian McKellen IS Gandalf! I have seen his range from a doomed homosexual doctor stricken by AIDS in its early years in the true story of And The Band Played On, to the villainous lead in an updated version of Richard III, to the eccentric Director of the Frankenstein movies in Gods And Monsters, not to mention Magneto in X-Men. This is my first time watching Viggo Mortensen acting at all, and I have to say well done! He plays a good Aragorn. And every other cast member has pulled their weight with ease. I have to say how humorous it was to see Sir Ian Holm come full circle playing Bilbo Baggins in the movie after playing Frodo Baggins in the BBC Radio Drama. As always Sir Ian (Both of them) Pulled it off very well! And with the help of Director Peter Jackson this film was a sight to see with the emotional punch very few films have to offer.

I feel that if the following two films remain at least consistent in quality to Fellowship Of The Ring, the I will say without hesitation, we will not be disappointed! To tell you how well this film is I ask you this question, how many movie theaters do you know sold out on New Year's Eve on a 10 PM screening with an audience comprising of mostly groups and couples? Enough said! Have a good one people!