"The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring"
2001
PG-13
Produced by: Peter Jackson, Tim Sanders, Barrie M. Osborne, Fran Walsh
Directed by: Peter Jackson
Written by: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson
Starring: Alan Howard, Elijah Wood, Noah Appleby
New Line Cinema

5/5 Stars
Consensus: A film that continues to blow my mind every time I watch it. After several viewings you just don't get sick of it, at all, with one of the most enthralling plots, some of the most lovable characters, and the best film work of all time, The Lord Of the Rings is a series and classic that will go down as one of the great films of our time.

Plot: Set in Middle Earth and first of a 3 part epic based around a legendary ring of power. Young "Frodo Baggins"(Elijah Wood) comes into possession of this ring after his uncle, "Bilbo Baggins"(Ian Holm), leaves it to him. Frodo soon comes to learn of the ring's great power, and of the dangers that surround possessing it. He comes to the conclusion to destroy it and sets out with 8 other companions on his quest.

Directing: This is a prime example of good directing, Jackson has an eye for absolutely everything. His directing is spot on in every aspect. Even Aerosmith's daughter(Liv Tyler) looks good and convincing. They filmed all three movies at once so there is a wonderful congruencey and unity in all films that comes from both good directing and spending lots (years) of time to make a high quality film. Jackson spared no expense and had everything done exactly the way it needed to be. Wonderful. *****

Acting: Every single actor within the film melts into their role, owns their character, and creates a vivid and lovable world not soon forgotten. With talents such a Vigro Mortenson, Ian McKellan, Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom, and Christopher Lee you can hardly go wrong, and you don't in this epic fantasy tale. The Lord Of the Rings trilogy would go on to jumpstart the careers of names like Orlando Bloom, and Andy Serkis. The acting is outstanding. *****

Editing: Also wonderful, the composition and shots so well thought out and plotted to please both fans of the original books who know an extensive amount about middle earth and the surrounding universe, as well as newcomers who know little or nothing. Every shot is selectively and masterfully composed and linked together. Especially considering the extensive hours of footage to choose from, the editing in film is the best. Both extended and theatrical additions are wonderful and gripping. *****

Art Direction: This is sublime for the Shire alone. The ability to fabricate an entire universe strictly for our imaginations in the breath-taking New Zealand landscape it was shot in is, well... lets just say the art direction must be seen to be believed, its outstanding. From dwarves, to elves, to men, and hobbits, wizards, orcs, and middle earth as an in general the film is loaded with aesthetic appeal and near perfect re-creation of fantasy worlds. The research and eye for detail in these films is flooring. *****

Cinematography: Breathtaking shots of middle earth so epic my retinas will never be the same caress this film with the gorgeous exterior it needs to be the flawless gem it is. Fight sequences are nice and clear, and shot after shot is composed so gorgeously you desperately wish the world you're viewing was real. *****

Screenplay: Witty dialogue, to epic wizard duels, a plot ever thickened by an evil ring of power, the demented, the war-torn, romance,to the elegance of elves are all perfectly captured in the screenplay. Its genius. There are no short comings to it. "One does not simply walk into Mordor". *****

CGI/Special Effects: Especially for 10 years ago, the special effects in this film are eye-popping. Even by today's extreme high def standards the special effects are fantastically envisioned and executed. Here is a film I love that relies heavily on CGI, and pulls everything together wonderfully. Simply gorgeous. *****