Review: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

'Fly You Fools.'

★★★

I'll be honest here. I never really watched Lord of the Rings until 2023, one year before I'm writing this review. It was a big film franchise when I was growing up, but I just never really paid attention. I was more into Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Spider-Man. I guess I just never was intrested in films that long. My attention span as a kid was much short than it is now, or maybe, I didn't care much for fantasy. But when I decide to finally give it a go, I went over to a Goodwill after the gym one day, bought the DVD, and popped it into my Blu-Ray. To my surprise, I was hooked.

"The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)," directed by Peter Jackson, begins J.R.R. Tolkien's epic saga with the discovery of the One Ring by Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood), a young hobbit from the Shire. Tasked by the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen), Frodo must embark on a perilous journey to destroy the ring, which holds immense power and the potential to plunge Middle-earth into darkness under the Dark Lord Sauron. Joined by a diverse group—including Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies)—the Fellowship faces treacherous landscapes, fierce battles, and internal conflicts as they strive to protect the ring and each other, culminating in the breaking of the Fellowship.

The casting, story, set design, and emotion is very fun. The whole film feels like an adventure with how fast it goes. You can really feel the sense of entertainment and wonder. The cast is just enough to make you fall in love with this series, they're all perfectly cast. Yes, I'm well aware that every girl had a massive crush on Orlando Bloom. My favorite character is Samwise. He's the perfect example of what a friend should be: a person who will always be by your side, not matter the situation; a person who will always support your decisions and even push you to strive for greatness. We need more people like him in this world.

For an adaption, this is pretty consistent. It does tell the story in a well mattered way. At least the main storyline. I'd safely say this film is more faithful to the book, when comparing to the other two. However, my biggest problem with this film is how it focuses less on the Hobbits and more on the other members of the Fellowship. It isn't noticeble here, but it becomes a problem later on. You may call me out for complaining, but I challenge you to read the book and tell me otherwise.

You may also call me out for giving this 4/4 stars, even though I was complaining about the Hobbits getting less focus, unlike the other members of the Fellowship. That may be the case, but remember, no matter what ranking I give a movie, it doesn't meant it's perfect. I gave this movie 4/4 stars because of how well made this is as a movie. To make that clear. Peter Jackson knows how to direct a movie, and it shows. Sure, they're very long, but there's so much you can tell with the amount of information from Tolkien's original novel. That's is, however, meant for the theatrical cut. The extended cut has more to offer, and if you're a fan of the films, I highly recommend you check them out.

This, alongside Harry Potter and the Philosopher/Sorcerer's Stone (2001) came in the same year, 2001. The two biggest book series getting a film adaption in the same year. While many, and I mean the majority prefer this movie over Harry Potter, I personally am not one of those people and prefer Harry Potter over this film. Mostly because of how faithful and fun that movie is. But that doesn't mean I hate this movie, It's wonderful to enjoy and it's great for younger people to start watching if they're getting into movies.