Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring has got to be one of the most imaginative stories ever written. The cast are brilliant, each bringing their characters to life. Elijah Wood plays the Hobbit Frodo, who is the ringbearer and who's job it is to destroy the ring in mordor. With him on the journey are Aragorn (played by Viggo Mortensen), Legolas the elf (Orlando Bloom - Pirates of the Caribbean), Gimli the Dwarf, Arwen (Liv Tyler), the Wizard Gandalf (Ian Mckellen),Borimir and of course the hobbits Sam, Pippin and Merry - who remind me of Ant and Dec.
This film has everything that a decent film always does - action, incredible special effects, a good cast, a love storyline, the battle between good and evil, but most important of all - the relationship between a group of friends and how they help each other to destroy the ring.

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.

This is a very nice and exiting movie. I Give the movie 9. In general the rolls are good casted... But: The Elver king is very badly casted (you know, the agent from Matrix. Not enough of Liv Tyler, Christoffer Lee, dark scenes. The DVD is VERY over estimated, course of the 30 minutes of extra, the 13 minutes goes to extra L O N G running text!! So I give the DVD 7+. ;-/

The locations and added graphics on The Fellowship of The Ring weaved together a back drop for an adventure that allows grown ups to be children again. And as children they join their heroes on the adventure they all wished they had taken part in....Each new character, met with knowing nods and appreciative murmurs reminicent of old friends meeting again. 'oohs and aahs' were heard from all corners as daydreams and mental pictures came to life on the screen. Tension, laughter and sadness were all sampled in abundance leaving each and every viewer heading for the exits questioning his/her earliest availability for the next installment of a jouney that captivates and thrills to the maximum.

The Lord of the Rings is a great film for older children especially those that have read the book. The shortest 3 hours spent in a cinema. The special effects are fantastic and the acting superb. Simply one of the best films I've ever seen. However, I dont think its suitable for anyone under the age of 10 due to fight scenes similar to those at the beginning of Gladiator.