Jackson's ambitious first chapter is truly unlike anything you've seen this year. We were exhausted, but no one wanted to wait a year for more.
The movie ended with a stunned audience sitting on the edges of their seats, feeling somewhat bereft. The depth of his creation cannot be grasped in a few hours, and it doesn't need to be the struggle of good against evil explodes on the screen, and leaves little room for complaint. Those unfamiliar with Tolkien's world may quickly find themselves lost in it, but happily so. I left the theater om tensing every muscle during the fight and flight sequences-the breathless and compelling kind we haven't seen since Spielberg gave us a desperate charge onto the D-Day beaches of Normandy. The despair, terror, and determination of the Fellowship is all there, in spades. Ian McKellen's portrayal of Gandalf is nothing short of awe-inspiring, and Elijah Wood's Frodo is one of the most unexpectedly captivating performances I've seen in a long time. Sweeping vistas and hang-onto-your-seat camera shots send us zooming through the towering cities and citadels of Tolkien's imagination.īut even more impressive than the stunning visuals and sound-effects-like-you've-never-heard-before are the actors who breathe life into the characters. The scope of Tolkien's masterpiece may have eluded film-makers for decades, but director Peter Jackson makes good on his promise: he has not only brought us the tale of Frodo and his bold companions, he has brought us Middle Earth. Within minutes of the start of this first chapter of an undeniably epic trilogy, the audience was left gasping at the intensity of the images on the screen. MY biggest gripe is having to wait an entire year to see The Two Towers!īreathtaking.
What's wrong with this movie? I have no idea. I was also very impressed by the seamless shrinking of the vertically challenged characters. The special effects were incredible, the cave troll, the balrog, Gollum, and Sauron's Eye all looked amazing. Oh, and Andy Serkis does a PERFECT Gollum voice.
My hat's off to Sean Bean who delivers an excellent performance as Boromir, a character who's intentions are good but wrestles with the corrupting power of the Ring. Wood, Mortensen, Holm, Astin, everyone was fantastic. As I've read many many times in other reviews, McKellen doesn't play Gandalf, he IS Gandalf. Despite these minor changes, the screenplay stays extremely close to the book and flows very very well (and the prologue was a nice touch). I didn't mind Arwen's inflation and I'm actually glad Tom Bombadil was scrubbed (I felt Tom Bombadil was an unnecessary addition to the book). I'm not a crazed fanatic who gets worked up over every little detail. I read the Lord of the Rings very recently and I was surprised at how similar Peter Jackson's vision was to my own. Never before have I seen a 3 hour movie that didn't seem like 3 hours. Reviewed by NRGWasp 10 /10 An absolutely incredible film!