Lord of The Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring Review

Good Points
Positive comment

There are several continuous positive themes that run throughout the film, the main being Good Vs Evil. The dark lord Sauron's spirit is loose and so has to be stopped from ever taking human form. This shows that even in a peaceful, happy, perfect world evil can exist. It is almost like modern day war situations. There is one main dominant evil figure causing havoc in the world so this individual has to be stopped.

This leads on to another main point, responsibility. Frodo was in love with the Shire and imagined himself living there happily ever after yet he still went on the quest to destroy the Ring. This immense pressure was given to him, which he could easily have given up but he didn't. This shows a great deal of strength and courage. Overall I feel that Frodo would make a great role model however the little guy is never seen as the hero.

The other main positive factor is friendship. This is shown through personal friendships such as Frodo and Sam or Pippin and Merry but also throughout the whole fellowship.

In conclusion I would say that there are a great deal of positive (hidden so not to diverse from the plot) moral issues that cause nobody any harm to brought up occasionally.

Bad Points
Negative elements

If analyzed, the Ring could be seen as a type of drug. Who ever wears or carries the ring becomes addicted to it and so can't bare the thought of living without it. After a while it consumes and controls the owner until they lose all pure and peaceful thought of there own. They lose touch of reality and so the ring takes control of the owners actions and feelings, after all the rings main objective is to be reunited with its master and so will achieve its goal at any cost.

The next possible biggest negative element is superstition and the use of witchcraft. Frodo gets stabbed by a Mordor blade and would have most certainly died however he was miraculously cured through elvish spells and herbal remedies. To some this may seem wrong however it is set in a fictional world so you could just put it down to cultural differences unlike other films like Harry Potter which are set in modern time settings.

However the film does defiantly glamorize magic and shows that it can be used to fix almost any problem, yet the film also shows that those who don't have the gift fear those with the magical powers. Sam shows this by saying "...please don't turn me into anything unnatural".

Other negative points worth mentioning are the mischievous antics of Pippin and Merry (such as stealing vegetables or fireworks however they are punished) and the hobbits trustful nature which leads them to go off with a stranger (however they did know that what they were doing and was dangerous but said they had no other choice) . All of these factors are relatively small and irrelevant as each action shows its consequences good or bad.

A negative element of the actual story is that with any adaptation of a novel to film certain aspects or sections are left out because of lack of time or equipment available. The general story is quite accurate to the book but to a Tolkien fan the most noticeable change is the lack of character development, especially with Sam Gamgee. Also to anyone who hasn't read the book this character may be slightly confusing as you might wonder why Sam always refers to Frodo as Mr. Frodo as it is not explained in the film (Sam is Frodo's servant as well as friend). Hopefully Sam's character, along with others like Pippin, will be seen more in the films to follow.

General Comments
Year Released: 2001

MPAA Rating: PG.

Director: Peter Jackson

Writers: Peter Jackson, Phillippa Boyens, Fran Walsh (based on the novel by J.R.R.Tolkien)

Cast: Elijah Wood, Ian Mckellen, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Liv Tyler, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davis, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving, Sean Bean, Christoper Lee, Ian Holm.





Introduction



One of the great works and classics of the 20th Century has finally been brought to the big screen through the incredible imaginative skills of director Peter Jackson. J. R. R. Tolkien's trilogy has been in almost every school child's hands at one time or another and during this time has come to the conclusion that they either love or hate the books. I, myself was with the majority who thoroughly enjoyed them and who's passion for the story re-emerged through this movie.



The first thing that will capture any Tolkien fans eye is the incredible cinematography and production design shown through out the film. Middle earth as you image it is brought to life in front of your eyes in true style and precision. The vivacious, unspoiled meadows of the Shire, the breathtakingly beautiful Rivendell to the hellish, monstrous Moria are perfectly portrayed just as Tolkien would have wanted.



However for the Lord of the Rings novice's out there you get to witness all the excitement right in front of you without all the hassle of imagining the characters and sets for yourself, and you never know you might even want to go away and read it to see what the book has to offer.



For those who don't know the basic plot, the story is based around One Ring. 19 rings were made and separated between the great leaders of the elves, dwarfs and men. However the dark lord Sauron secretly made another ring in the depths of Mordor. This Ring contained the evil essence of Sauron and was designed to corrupt and consume whoever possessed it. After lord Sauron was defeated by Isildur of Gondor the ring went on to the creature Golumn. After the Ring abandoned him it was unexpectedly picked up by a hobbit Bilbo Baggins who then passed it on to his nephew Frodo.



Gandalf, a family wizard friend and local troublemaker, realized that this was no ordinary ring so ordered Frodo to leave the Shire with it. The story follows the Ring Bearer and his companion's journey to destroy the Ring and so defeat the spirit of Sauron whose only chance of ever regaining a human form is through possession the Ring.



The film starts with the basic introduction to Middle Earth told by Galadriel, Queen of Lothlorien, played by Cate Blanchett, and although it sounds cheesy does send shivers down your spine.





Crude of Profane Language



None



Drug and Alcohol content



Hobbits and other Middle-earth creatures are well known for there enjoyment of smoking pipes. However it is not known if what they are smoking is harmful or not. Bilbo and Gandalf smoke their pipes together and make a joke out of blowing smoke rings or in Gandalf's case a smoke ship. They also enjoy a drink together "...tea, or maybe something stronger?".



The four hobbits also drink beer in the Prancing Pony and find it incredible that it comes in pint sizes. However when Pippin and Merry hurry to get one Sam acted concerned by saying "...but you've had a whole half already".



Violent content



As always the road to peace is never smooth and nobody is going to give up their power without a fight. This is no different in the mystical Middle-earth so expect some, not too graphic, violence.

"Are you frightened? Not nearly frightened enough", very small children may find some sections disturbing however even though its only a PG. film, older viewer will not be disappointed. The film does not have the spectacularly gory battles scenes found in films such as The Gladiator with heads flying through the air and limbs being cut off but there's still enough stabbing, shooting etc. to keep you on the edge of your seat.

The most violent creatures are the orcs and the black riders however elves, dwarfs and hobbits are quite violent when they have something to fight about (by the end of the film Gimli and Legolas are near to enjoying killing hundreds of orcs).

One factor, which is quite good for children, is the lack of blood. Frodo gets stabbed twice and Boromir gets approximately five arrows shot into him yet there's no blood. Legolas also seems to go throughout the whole film without a single bit of blood, sweat or dirt on him. You also don't see the black riders get hurt at all even though they are drowned, set on fire and scream a lot.

After seeing the film several times I do feel that certain fight scenes or supposedly scary dialogue does become funny, for example "...there is evil there that does not sleep", and "...a red sky has risen, blood was shead this night". Understandably the violence isn't that great however it's not bad for a PG. film and does mean that a large audience can watch and enjoy it.





Conclusion



The Fellowship of the Ring is only one third of the whole Lord of the Rings package so expect the other two films, The Two Towers and The Return of the King, to follow in the near future. To some this may be very frustrating as unlike other episodic films such as Star Wars and Harry Potter which have definite endings, this film just seems to cut off at an exciting point making you want to know what happens next. Will fans want to wait a whole year to see the next section?

Overall the film is a faithful adaptation and surprisingly reflects Tolkein's vision. This is probably thanks to the director, award winning actors and incredibly hi-tech special effects.