THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
Just because you want something, does not mean it was meant to be with you.
PLOT
Based on JRR Tolkien’s titular novel, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring takes place in the fictional universe of Middle Earth. In the Second Age, the species of Elves, Men and Dwarves created the Rings of Power to preserve their lands. However, The Dark Lord Sauron of Mordor forged one of his own to overpower all rings and conquer all life on Middle Earth. A last alliance of Elves and Men stood against his vile orc army, resulting in the man Isildur (Harry Sinclair) of Gondor to sever his ring finger in action. When that happened, Sauron would disappear and survive in spirit form. Despite the enemy losing strength (and begin the Third Age), Isildur would keep the ring for himself rather than destroying it. When orcs would try to take it back from him, he would die losing it. 2500 years later, it would be found by the hobbit Smeagol, who would transform into the disfigured Gollum (Andy Serkis) after keeping it for himself as well. It would take four and a half centuries for him to lose it too, only for the ring to take possession of another hobbit named Bilbo Baggins who would keep it for the next 60 years (unaware of its history). The film's present begins in the hobbit's 111th birthday being celebrated in the peaceful village of the Shire. He does reunite with his oldest friend, a wizard named Gandalf the Grey, but ends his celebration by tricking his guests into believing he vanished, using the ring to celebrate. Before officially departing to Rivendell to finish writing a book, Gandalf convinces him to leave the ring and his inheritance to his nephew Frodo. Unsure of its history as well, the wizard would do research to not only discover the ring's origin, but also learn that Gollum was recently captured and tortured to demand the ring's whereabouts, shouting the words aloud 'Shire' and 'Baggins'. Gandalf would share this information to Frodo and insists for him to leave to avoid being captured. The hobbit would be joined by his friend Samwise Gamgee who accidentally overheard their conversation of the ring. Gandalf would go to Isengard to seek answers from fellow wizard Saruman the White. The latter would share that Saruman still needs the ring to gain a new body and return to being a conqueror. Until the ring is his, his spirit is in the form of a giant flaming eye above the tower of Barad-dûr. Saruman admits to know this due to be align with the dark lord and his dispatched the deadly Nine Wraiths/Nazgûl to capture Frodo. The white wizard would hold his former friend prisoner, until he would ride a Great Eagle to escape. As the journey progresses, Frodo & Sam would encounter fellow hobbits Peregrine Took and Meriadoc Brandybuck, only to evade the Nazgûl together. They would take shelter at the Prancing Pony, hoping to meet Gandalf later. With their wizard friend held up, they would instead be protected by the ranger known to many as Strider, but is truly Isildur's heir Aragorn. He would choose to do so when Frodo inadvertently puts on the ring, which gets him detected by the Nazgûl. Despite the ranger’s attempts to protect all four, Frodo would be stabbed by the Nazgûl leader, the Witch King of Angmar. With the wound being deemed fatal, Aragorn gets the help of his she-elf lover Arwen to quickly take him to her home of Rivendell where he'll be healed. There, Frodo and his friends reunite with Gandalf and Bilbo. With Saruman being a new ally of Saruman, Arwen's father Elrond hosts a council between elves, men and dwarves on what to do with the ring. It is decided that the ring must be destroyed in the volcanic Mount Doom where it was forged, but all argue on who should take the journey to do so. This would lead to Frodo continuing the journey and volunteer to take the ring there. The hobbit would be accompanied by Gandalf, Aragorn, Sam, Merry & Pippin, as well as the elf Legolas, the dwarf Gimli and the man Boromir of Rohan. The newfound group would be named by Elrond as the 'Fellowship of the Ring'. As all nine people take the journey together, Saruman would be breeding a new army under Isengard. They originally intend to make for the Gap of Rohan, but must instead head for the snowy pass of Caradhras to avoid spies. Danger would only worsen when Saruman would summon a storm upon the mountain. This would put the fellowship with no choice but to travel through the Mines of Moria. When a Watcher in the Water blocks off the entrance, the fellowship would only journey to the exit on the other end. Gimli would only be devastated upon seeing most of his dwarf kind dead, including his cousin Balin. On their own, they would defend themselves from orcs, goblins and a huge cave troll. Frodo would briefly be stabbed by the latter, only to be saved thanks to the mithril made chainmail shirt Bilbo gave him in advance. On the way out, Gandalf would die defending the others from the demonic Balrog, falling to his demise. As the remaining fellowship reach outside Moria, they would head to Lothlorien, ruled by the elf queen Lady Galadriel. During their brief stay, she does convince Frodo to give her ring, only for her to quickly regain her senses and bid him to protect it until it is time to destroy it. After everyone gets to rest, the group moves on by travelling on the River Anduin towards Parth Galen. However, Frodo would make the decision to continue the journey alone after Boromir attempts to take the ring from him. He would be able to get away from him when putting on the ring again, which makes him invisible to others who don’t wield it. The only one that supports his decision to go alone is Aragorn, who gives him the chance to run for it when the group gets found by Saruman’s newly bred Uruk Hai army. Boromir would shockingly die protecting Merry & Pippin who would end up being abducted by the remaining army. Aragorn would then convince Legolas & Gimli to accompany him in saving the two, allowing Frodo to continue the journey alone. The film would end with the hobbit heading down the mountain pass of Emyn Muil with an insistent Sam by his side.
THOUGHTS
The 2000s was a special decade for us all because while Warner Bros. got the momentum going with JK Rowling's Harry Potter, New Line Cinema kept up with their fantasy epic series and it goes without saying it exceeded expectations as well because it's aging like fine wine since first released. Director Peter Jackson and co-writers Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens pull us into a fictional setting not many would imagine to be part of. But by the time you begin listening to Howard Shore's fantastic score, you know there is no turning back. And for the next three hours, the only feeling is being blown away because you couldn't believe how entertaining it is. Scene by scene, every set piece, every costume and every set of makeup, this world couldn't be any more alive than it is now. The biggest strength definitely goes to the visual effects because it makes the impossible become a reality. So at first being in awe of a Great Eagle, there will definitely be moments of intimidation when witnessing unordinary creatures like trolls, orcs and the almighty Balrog that may or may not be stuck in your nightmares. The fight scenes that occur in Moria and Parth Galen were well edited and incredible to behold. The older I have gotten, the more I choose to love this film and its overall series. The reason it starts here is because it inspires me as it inspires others. It inspires me to not be afraid of entering the unknown because what you would explore can be for the better. The feelings of inspiration definitely strike us thanks to an array of characters we never thought we would ever be attached to. I feel like there is a Frodo Baggins in all of us because Elijah Wood presents him as the most thoughtful living being out there. He never intended to be part of such an important journey, but apart from not having an exact choice, he knew it was too important to ignore. He is observant enough to see how easy it is for others to be seduced by the ring and at the time, he had the will strong enough to wield it without succumbing. And with every step he was taking at this point, he also knew each one was going to be worth it. With that being known, it's hard to not be inspired from his actions. Lucky for him, he was joined by a valuable array of friends and allies by his side to take part of this difficult task. The world is in love with Gandalf because he is without a doubt the wisest character to ever behold in this franchise. Sir Ian McKellen assures us this from every time he controls the scene. He is so integral to the story because he is able to remind Frodo to maintain the right path and never regret the actions meant for the greater good. It was a difficult moment to watch him fall because he was giving the same motivation to everyone else and although he found his way back to us, it didn't change how unprepared we were at the time. On the brightest side of this, he went out heroic when confronting the Balrog. Every time your hear him shout “You shall not pass”, my heart skips a beat because his determination to protect everybody is moving to say the least. Sean Astin stole our hearts because he made Sam the bravest without even trying. The whole time, he chose to be a great friend towards Frodo because he wasn't going to bare losing him. His friend means so much to him because he gives him confidence to be himself and he would lose it if he was gone. If you don't think he is brave, then seeing him almost drown to join Frodo would prove you wrong. It made sense for him to be by his side because even though they're not the strongest of individuals, having each other's back would be essential when confronting the various amounts of danger that would come their way. It is easy to look at Merry & Pippin as comedic relief because they love eating more than anyone else. However, Dominic Monaghan & Billy Boyd remind us that both of these hobbits have hearts big enough to put an effort into seriousness. They could be clumsy, but neither intend to be. They even prove their heroism here when not only distracting Uruk Hai, but also taking on a troll. You can't deny heroism when seeing that. Although they get separated, it would only spark a very memorable part of the journey ahead. It is crazy when you look back and realize this journey probably would've been avoided had it not been for one curious hobbit. Before Martin Freeman gave his own set of depth in the Hobbit trilogy, Ian Holm made the role his own by showing Baggins as one who quietly lost his way for such a closeted obsession. He knew what was wrong deep down and struggled to find a way out and thankfully, Gandalf had his back and encouraged him to let go. Would we call Bilbo a great individual? I'm not sure, but his love for his nephew will forever be immortal because even he trusted him to do the right thing. Going back to the central group, it is always satisfying to see how great allies can come from unexpected places. We realize just that when Aragorn enters Frodo's life. Viggo Mortensen makes sure he is arguably an ideal leader because he is indeed a noble and fearless man, which only makes him more worthy to be king of Gondor. Gandalf has faith in him to unite all men to rally against the enemy because he's incorruptible and doesn't succumb to pressure overall. He did the right thing in letting Frodo go because even he agreed it was too big of a risk to wonder if others like Boromir would be seduced by the ring. In another way, we are shown that even love takes it own shape and form. As for Aragorn, he found his greatest love through Arwen. Liv Tyler made the most of her screen time for making her a resilient figure who shared the same fearlessness that defines her lover. She proves to be a hero in her own when summoning a tsunami to protect the Nazgul from Frodo. It has grown for me to believe that she and Aragorn are so compatible together because they're hopeful beings that are comfortable enough to admit there is something to be afraid of. And at the same time, they're not afraid of doing anything for each other. Arwen is willing to convert to mortality because that is how comfortable she is around him. On the other hand, Elrond may not support this relationship completely, but it never changes how strongwilled and wise of an individual he is. Hugo Weaving is able to capture all of that in his performance overall. He is someone who does and doesn't have regret with the past. He knows he could've stopped/killed Isildur in order to destroy the ring, but knew he couldn't because it would've led to a terrible race war between elves and men. And because of what Isildur did, it was hard for him to approve of Aragorn being worthy of his daughter's hand. He did however approve of the overall friendship because he knew everyone would become valuable by the end of the journey. It is hard to find majestic individuals, that is until you find people like Lady Galadriel. In her given time throughout the entire franchise, Cate Blanchett is able to make her own impact by showing this character as one who is willful. She is a powerful figure deep down, but holds back because she knows no one deserves her wrath. Even she was right to warn Frodo of possible dangers because without Gandalf, no one else would tell him to keep his guard up. And without her advice, I don't think Frodo would have gone as far as he did. In another perspective, Aragorn is not the only badass in the fellowship because there are other warriors who prove their worth every time they take action. The first one that comes to mind will always be Legolas because Orlando Bloom makes him the sharpest of people as he is smart enough to say what has to be said and resourceful enough to come up with a solution. And he proves it every step of the way. As for Gimli, John Rhys-Davies makes him a standout as well for portraying him as the fiercest of the group. While speaking his mind is not the best trait about him, due to ancient beef between elves and dwarves, it doesn't change how loyal he will be to the cause. He proves these traits every time he takes action as well. He definitely gets a kick out of it as each orc he kills is an act of vengeance towards his kin. Boromir was the most complicated one of the fellowship because although he is valiant when taking part of the fight, Sean Bean says there is more to it than that. As the curtains pen up, he is someone who is under pressure in doing right by his people and that is what makes him quickly succumb to the ring's seduction. It is a low point for him to do so because we know he doesn't want to be selfish about it and thankfully, he actually regrets it at the very instant. And in shocking fashion, he would redeem himself when dying in the battlefield to protect Merry & Pippin. It was heroic and defiant simultaneously since it took three arrows to bring him down and it's hard to find protagonists with that much of a will and the last thing I want is to see others like Aragorn in that pickle. If his death proved anything, it was to show the consequences of losing hope. With such memorable protagonists, there is no way the journey would feel such without villains. Of course the Uruk Hai are a breed you don't want to cross, they wouldn't even exist without such a deadly duo. Sauron may be shown mostly as a demonic spirit, but it doesn't change what a cruel being he was beforehand and off of that, it easy for him to seduce various figures with and without the ring. And Alan Howard succeeds in embracing all of the evil traits. Because of him, there is another being that does the bidding. The iconic Christopher Lee made impact by embracing Saruman to be one who lost his wisdom due to becoming mad with power. You can say his fear drives him to take the ring for himself, but it doesn't really change the path that has undermined him. This film was without question a mind blowing experience, but it never excused some issues I caught onto upon re-watching. For example, why would Gandalf not worry of Bilbo’s intent to not return to the Shire before he later puts on the ring? Since they journeyed to Erebor together in The Hobbit, you know Gandalf has known Bilbo’s had the ring for the past 60 years. With that in mind, it’s insane he wasn’t worried at all hearing such a proclamation. And why did Frodo take so long to go to Bilbo’s home to look for him? He lives there with him, so that should’ve been the first place since by the time he reached the house, he was calling for him like he had looking outside for a long time. And the Nazgûl kinda suck at their jobs when you think about it. When they first encountered Frodo and company, they were hiding under a tree and didn’t notice at all. It’s stupid to see deep down because it’s supposed to detect the ring the way Sauron can. And let’s be honest, Saruman could’ve saved trouble by killing Gandalf instead of keeping him as prisoner. I mean there is no point to keep him around especially if he would never give Frodo away. I hate to say it, but there was a big continuity error I spotted and it’s weird once you notice: At least twice, Frodo’s sword Sting was not glowing during the fight against the orcs and when being surrounded by the goblins. Other than that, this film will remain incredible. In conclusion, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is one of the finest fantasy films ever made for making every bit of world building fascinating to behold and having us invested in a journey unlike anything ever written before. If fantasy is your preferable genre, see this movie now.
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