Review of Lord Of The Rings, The: The Fellowship Of The Ring

Introduction

J.R.R. Tolkien took over a decade to write the sequel of the acclaimed book, The Hobbit. But when it was released, it was worth it. The Lord of The Rings was an epic in every sense: at heart it was a sheer battle of good vs. evil, but its sub-plots, character development and massive battles built on the simplest of foundations until it became a literacy classic.

A book of such amazing magnitude, a book that had millions of followers surely was an impossible task to bring to the silver screen. But then there was Peter Jackson. Jackson was reading the book on an 8 hour train journey when he fell in love with it. It hit him on a personal chord. And from then on, he eagerly awaited a movie adaptation. But (excluding the lacklustre, three chapters condensed into a measly 128 minute running time, animation) it never came. But due to his willpower, New Line Cinema finally agreed to fund what would become an epic production just like the subject material.

At first, they wanted to condense Tolkien`s words into just two movies, but fortunately this was fought until a three movie, $300 million plus production was given the green light. The Lord of The Rings was going, after 50 years, to see the lights of Hollywood.

And after a hugely successful box office run (and it taking 4 Oscars at the 2002 ceremony - Best Cinematography, Makeup, Music (Score) and Visual Effects), the first part of the trilogy graces DVD. The Fellowship of The Ring is where it all begins - where paths are made and where the journey begins. It is the springboard for the story. It is where past truths are told and a bleak future is predicted - unless a group of 9 people can avert it.

The story revolves around one ring, or make that the One Ring. It is the ring that the dark Lord Sauron desires...the tool that he will use to dominate Middle-earth, the place where many a race live, once in solitude, but now in a constant threat of danger. This Ring has found its way into the possession of Frodo Baggins - a meek hobbit who knows nothing of hate nor greed, and is happy living in the peaceful realm of the Shire: the home of many a hobbit. His uncle, Bilbo, found the Ring 60 years ago after finding it in the lair of Gollum, a creature who lives in the dark and whose mind has been poisoned by the Ring after he once possessed it too. And now, Frodo`s world has been turned upside-down. Gandalf the Grey, a longtime friend of the Baggins family, has instructed Frodo to travel to Mt. Doom, right in the heart of Mordor - the place where evil is rife and Sauron is mounting his campaign of destruction, and destroy the Ring. The fires of Mt. Doom are the only place in the whole of Middle-earth powerful enough to destroy the Ring. And the clock is ticking...

The movie fades up on the bleak slopes of Mt. Doom, years before there was a Frodo Baggins of Bag End, to a ferocious battle of good vs. evil. It then cuts to the Shire in the present day, and immediately begins to show the audience how these creatures live, how they aren`t intent on death and destruction, and how Frodo isn`t the type of person to lead a bitter resistance.

It is this type of character development and depth that is rife through its hefty 171 minute running time, but it never gets boring. Jackson co-wrote the Oscar-nominated adaptation with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, and together they have written a masterpiece. The action set-pieces are combined with real emotion, revelations and the kind of storytelling that will captivate you from beginning to end.

Video

It is presented in 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, and the transfer is flawless. The palette is used excellently, the visuals are deep and the colour definition is faultless, and the print is crisp and clear throughout. The Fellowship of The Ring, to put it bluntly, is one of the best example`s of the amazing picture quality of DVD.

One of the most impressive aspects of The Fellowship of The Ring in my opinion is the cinematography - the sheer scope of the locales and camera angles astounds me. Andrew Lesnie and Peter Jackson have proved that Middle-earth can be brought to life, and their much-deserved Oscar was just that: much-deserved.

The makeup is also excellent, from the fiendish faces of the Orcs to the hairy feet of the Hobbits, you will realise just how many hours of sheer blood and sweat went into the production even before the camera`s started to roll. And again, their Oscar was much-deserved.

And now, onto the visual effects. As you would expect of such a massive budget, the CGI is excellent. Unlike Star Wars, Jackson creates a perfect parallel between live-action and CGI, and when there are CGI moments you appreciate them more than the massive OD of CGI in Lucas` new trilogy.

Audio

A DD EX 5.1 track is on offer, and what a track it is. From the crispness of the dialogue to the boombastic nature of the surrounds during the action sequences, it is yet another testament to the power of DVD. The subwoofer has one hell of a workout throughout, and the ambience level is perfect.

The script adapts what has been called the weakest entry in The Lord of The Rings brilliantly - real care has been taken to present it exactly how Tolkien would have wanted it. Sure, one or two bits have been cut out (most notably Tom Bombadil), but it doesn`t detract from the viewing experience.

Howard Shore`s Oscar-winning score captures the mood of the scenes perfectly...it adds so much when trying to describe different locales.

Features

As most people know, this 2-disc version of The Lord of The Rings is not the definite version. The 4-disc version, containing an extra 30 minutes of footage (the movie will be spread accross 2-discs), will have even more special features upon its November 2002 release. But this version still has a plethora of extra material:

Documentaries - there are 3 documentaries here, with a combined running time of well over an hour. The pick of the bunch is the 41 minute `Passage to Middle-earth Sci-Fi Channel insight - it goes through the production process excellently. Each documentary has something good to offer, and footage is rarely repeated.

Featurettes - there are 15 featurettes on offer, and they each run for 2-5 minutes. They are like the featurettes supplied with The Phantom Menace, and offer even more insight. They focus on specific topics, and are well worth watching.

Preview of The Two Towers - one of the extras that have made fans eagerly await this release, this is a 10 minute preview of the next chapter of the trilogy, which takes a look at one of the battle sequences and the process of creating Gollum, as well as an interview with Peter Jackson. ETA: 18th December 2002.

Preview of The Extended DVD - it seems New Line Cinema are rubbing us consumers` faces in the dirt...after shelling out cash on this release, they give a preview of the even better version. This features some of the extra footage, but doesn`t delve into what the extra features will be, although a commentary has been confirmed.

Featurette: Preview of The Video Game - this is a 3 minute featurette previewing the forthcoming video game, featuring interviews with its producers.

Music Video - this is the video to the Oscar-nominated song, "May It Be" by Enya. It features footage from the movie.

Theatrical Trailer & TV Spots - take a guess at what these are.

The menus are animated excellently, with some clips from the movie and audio in the background.

The Fellowship of The Ring is presented in a black Amaray case, with 2 disc holders, and a 6-page booklet containing chapter listings and a list of the extras.

Conclusion

What can I say? It is a great blend of action and adventure, and it will captivate you. Period. I have to admit I didn`t enjoy this that much at the cinema, but now on DVD I can see what an epic it really is. The Fellowship of The Ring is the movie of the 21st century so far, and quite possibly could retain that title for many years to come. It is not perfect, but damn near it. And with the possibility of the next two chapters being even better and the amount of people who will flock to see them, it seems that New Line Cinema are going to make billions.

Disc wise, the extras are good, although a commentary is sorely missing. The documentaries and featurettes do tread on similar ground, but it`s good to see so much insight, and the three previews are well done. And when you combine this with excellent visuals and audio, you`ll realise this is a must-have disc.