Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Director: Peter Jackson

Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom

A meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.

Even if you are not into fantasy films, you have to agree the Lord of the Rings movies are among the most incredible films ever made. One can’t help but marvel at the groundbreaking visuals, and unprecedented scale of the films. Prior to ‘Lord of the Rings’, director Peter Jackson mainly did horror movies – weird horror movies (think ‘Bad Taste’ and ‘Braindead’). How on earth he pulled off one of the greatest franchises of all time, is almost beyond comprehension.

One of the first things you’ll notice about ‘Fellowship of the Ring’ is the stunning cinematography in beautiful New Zealand. The scenery alone makes this film look incredible on screen. And then there’s the fantastic performances from the very well selected cast. Elijah Wood stars as the film’s unwilling hero, Frodo Baggins. Through a series of events, he becomes the bearer of the most powerful ring ever created.

For a film almost 3 hours long, there literally never is a dull moment. It is non-stop action, adventure, wizardry, and danger. The black horses with their equally scary riders are frightening creatures, and allow for some seriously creepy moments.

There are lots of characters here, with a few protagonists and antagonists. Although there are some characters purely for comic relief, the humor remains subtle and effective, and never ruins the suspense. The film also effectively illustrates humanity’s greed, and desire for power. ‘Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’ truly is the ultimate adventure film. The abrupt ending will hit you stone cold, though, so don’t watch this unless you intend watching the entire series.

‘The Fellowship of the Rings’ received 244 award nominations, winning 119 – including 4 Oscars (Best Cinematography, Best Makeup, Best Music/Original Score, Best Effects/Visual Effects). The list of awards are far too long to list here. The film was also a huge box office success, raking in $888 million on a $93 million budget.

Would I watch it again? Oh, absolutely!