Released back in 2001 which doesn’t seem that far back for me but 20 years ago, which just makes me go WOW! Really well yep, its true. This was based on the 1954 novel from J.R.R. Tolkien this was produced by Barrie M. Osborne, Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Tim Sanders. ‘The Lord of the Rings – The Fellowship of the Ring’ had the screenplay created by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Peter Jackson with Jackson directing all three movies in the series. To list a few of the epic cast includes Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Sean Bean, Ian Holm, and Andy Serkis. And breathe. It took a whopping $93m to make this epic movie and it was instantly loved by so many people even the critics love it IMDb giving this one an epic 8.8 out of 10 IMDb whilst Rotten Tomatoes was pretty-close to me with a score of 91%. If you have been counting there you will know what this means. Its another entry on the Tri-Critic Sync Challenge and into the 5 point split column we have this entering. This could be the last entry into the list full stop (OK I am teasing you there as to quote Yoda – ‘there is another’) or is there more to come but we are running out of time for the remainder of this list. So, epic cast, epic scenery to use as a backdrop to an epic story, epic battles, epic technology used, epic amount of film used, epic run time, epic amount spent to create this epic trilogy it feels only natural to say it made an epic amount of money, well to me $887.9m is an epic amount of dosh so yes, this movie ticked all the boxes to way claim to the epic tag. In my opinion it does and that’s why you are reading this.
It’s at this point that I realise that I have to give a brief plot overview for the Lord of the Rings in one paragraph… GO! It’s the second age of Middle-earth and the lords of the Elves, Dwarves and men are given Rings of Power. Unknown to them the Dark Lord Sauron forges one final ring in Mount Doom to install power greater than the others and yield this power against them. In yet another epic battle (these films have many!) Sauron has his fingers severed and with it the ring is removed turning him into the spirit form. The ring is taken by Isildur of Gondor (a man) who is later killed by Orcs and lost in a river where it lies for 2500 years before it is found by a hobbit like creature who becomes its owner named Gollum. Gollum has it for 500 years before it was taken by Bilbo Baggins who is unaware of its history. He keeps the ring for 60 odd years where on his 111th birthday he leaves it for Frodo his nephew. Are you keeping up as this has little to do with the story of this movie? The ring now held by Frodo is investigated by the wise wizard Gandalf who believes it might just be the ring of Sauron. He suggests that Frodo flees the shire whilst he goes to consults with another wise wizard Saruman. When Gandalf arrives, Saruman reveals the he has sided with Sauron and takes Gandalf prisoner. Whilst Frodo and his gardener Samwise travel to Bree with another two hobbits that have tagged along where they were meant to rendezvous with Gandalf who does not show. They instead meet a ranger called Strider who helps them escape the Nazgûl (they were the former humans who held the rings of power who have been corrupted and turned into evil forms desperate to capture the final ring). The group reach the elvish settlement of Rivendell where they meet Gandalf who has escaped his prison and they form a council to make a fellowship to take the ring into the heart of Sauron’s lands and throw it into the lava of Mount Doom. The fellowship is made up of Gandalf the wizard, two humans, a dwarf, an elf and the four hobbits. All they have to do is travel across the entire lands of middle earth and drop the ring in a volcano. Simples.
I have said it before and say it again this was and is an epic story presented by Peter Jackson. He started with the end in mind and this was the beginning and the story that through error or blind luck the one that I have seen the most. This is a great epic story that takes the viewer on a journey whilst the heroes go on their journey. The journey of the fellowship splits at the end of this movie so you follow the two hobbits with the ring in one direction, the other two hobbits in another whilst the rest of the fellowship go off for political pressurising and sharing knowledge with various tribes and races. This is the story of the beginning the start to of the journey with the fellowship of hobbits, humans, a wizard, an elf, and a dwarf. The band have many trial’s and tribulations just to get beyond the mountain range so the journey could continue. This first part has enough action in it to fill two or three movies on its own but is just the beginning of a trilogy. That was made back-to-back to save on costs. This is an epic movie in all senses of the word and it to be enjoyed for all aspects of its three-hour run time. I enjoyed this movie as it sets the scene and kicks off the adventure for the films to come. Go enjoy but book out the afternoon or evening to do so.
Next up is the conclusion of the of a fantasy trilogy no other clues are needed.
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