Review by Howard Anderson © 2002 Howard Anderson

Story

"One ring to rule them all, One ring to find them. One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them."

The future of civilization rests in the fate of the One Ring, which has been lost for centuries. Powerful forces are unrelenting in their search for it. But fate has placed it in the hands of a young Hobbit named Frodo Baggins, who inherits the Ring and steps into legend.

A daunting task lies ahead for Frodo when he becomes the Ringbearer - to destroy the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom where it was forged. But he can't do it alone. A Fellowship bands together to lend Frodo the wisdom of Gandalf; the loyalty of his friends Sam, Merry and Pippin; the courage of Aragorn and Boromir; the skill of Legolas; and the strength of Gimli. They are aided in their quest by Arwen, Galadriel and Elrond, whose knowledge of the One Ring brings to light the true danger and importance of their journey.

Review

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien completed his epic tale, "The Lord of the Rings", in 1948, and when the first two volumes were published in 1954, a critic for the London Sunday Times stated that the world would forever more be divided into two types of people: those who have read "The Lord of the Rings" and those who are going to. Nearly half a decade later, and now the exact same thing can be said about Peter Jackson's amazing and awe-inspiring feature film adaptation.

For anyone who has ever read the books, that statement may seem almost too good to be true, as the harrowing journey of these four Hobbits and the many people they meet along the way has been deemed unfilmable by most, an impossibility to make reality. But yet, somehow a brave band of filmmakers on the faraway shores of New Zealand were able to do just that. "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" is a film that has been forged with all the artistic and cinematic might of a thousand rings of power, and its genuine magic is one that will be felt and treasured just as dearly by new followers as well as old.

The Shire, Bag End, Isengard, Rivendell, Moria, Lothlórien, and even Mordor itself. The recreation of Tolkien's world by the production designer and set decorators is a stunning and remarkable achievement unlike anything ever attempted. But what is equally mind-boggling, is the fact that not only has Peter Jackson succeeded in conjuring up all of these fantastic images of Middle-earth, but he has also been able to capture and convey every single grain of atmosphere and emotion that were present in Tolkien's books. The friendship and warmth so evident in the reunion of Gandalf and Bilbo, the heartpounding fright of the fleeing Hobbits as the Black Riders give chase, and the ethereal enchantment of the Elves as Frodo and his companions find themselves in their midst. It is all there and more.

At the very heart of the story lies, of course, the characters, and the cast that had been assembled here is simply exceptional. Elijah Wood is the embodiment of Frodo Baggins, and such is also the case with Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn, Ian Holm as Bilbo Baggins, Liv Tyler as Arwen, Cate Blanchett as Galadriel, Sean Astin as Sam Gamgee, and so on and so forth. The list is practically endless. From the old Gatekeeper to the foul Orcs, there are no misfires to be found anywhere in this film.

"The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" is a story about magic, sacrifice, courage and friendship, and to deprive oneself of this cinematic journey, is the same as never having taken in the sun on a warm summer day.

Image

The 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen image is as seductively flawless as the corrupting whispers of the One Ring itself, and the landscapes of Middle-earth are rendered with such amazing detail that it will take far more than one viewing for a mere mortal to absorb it all. The colors and black level are as stunning as anything I've ever seen, and there really is nothing at all about this transfer for me to speak ill of. Not a single thing. New Line Cinema has once again stepped up to the plate and hit it right out of the ballpark.

Sound

The Dolby Digital 5.1 EX soundtrack is a force to reckoned with, and that is a fact made perfectly clear already during Galadriel's opening narration. To say that this mix packs a punch, is like saying the Grand Canyon is a nice little crack in the face of the earth. Time and time again, it will make you feel its god-like power, with a dynamic range that covers the whole spectrum. All five channels are kept constantly active with anything and everything you can possibly imagine, creating a soundstage that has no problem completely engulfing you in its enormity. The dialogue is crystal-clear and intelligible throughout, and the LFE channel will make you furniture dance to Howard Shore's fantastic score.

Features

There are no extra features at all located on Disc One, but on Disc Two there is quite a selection to be found. First there are three documentaries, starting with something called "Welcome to Middle-earth: Houghton Miffin In-Store Special", and what you get here, in addition to a behind the scenes look at the making of the film, is basically an introduction to the books of Tolkien from the vantage point of the publishing house. The second documentary is, "Quest for the Ring: Fox TV Special", and this is more of a traditional making-of segment, featuring interviews with the cast and crew, as well as more behind the scenes glimpses. The third and last documentary is, "A Passage to Middle-earth: Sci-Fi Channel Special", and this is definitely my favorite of the three. It is also by far the most thorough look at the production, and also the longest. Then there are the fifteen Featurettes made for lordoftherings.net, that cover everything from "Finding Hobbiton" and "Ringwraths: The Fallen Kings", to "Music of Middle-earth" and "Weathertop: The Windy Hill."

Next up are the Theatrical Trailers, presented in anamorphic widescreen and Dolby Digital 5.1, and that is then followed by the TV Spots. The Enya "May It Be" Music Video is presented in Dolby Surround 2.0 and non-anamorphic widescreen, but still looks very good. The three-minute "Special Extended DVD Edition Preview" makes the longing for November 12th seem almost unbearable, which is when that amazing Four Disc set will see the light of day. And then there is the ten-minute Behind the Scenes Preview of "The Two Towers", which makes the longing for December 18th seem even more unbearable. Rounding out the disc is "The Two Towers" Video Game Preview by EA.

Overall Opinion

"The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" is a true testament to masterful storytelling and the talents of the 2400 people that all made it happen. It is a fantastic adventure that is not to be missed, and one that I can't recommend enough. But then, you already knew that. The DVD is simply amazing, with an impressive selection of special features, so even though the 4-Disc set is less than six Months away, there is still no reason on earth why you shouldn't get this one, as well.