As the triumphant start of a trilogy, The
Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the
Ring leaves you begging for more. By necessity, Peter Jackson's ambitious epic compresses J.R.R. Tolkien's classic The
Lord of the Rings,
but this robust adaptation maintains reverent allegiance to Tolkien's
creation, instantly qualifying as one of the greatest fantasy films ever
made. At 178 minutes, it's long enough to establish the myriad
inhabitants of Middle-earth, the legendary Rings of Power, and the
fellowship of hobbits, elves, dwarves, and humans--led by the wizard
Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and the brave hobbit Frodo (Elijah Wood)--who
must battle terrifying forces of evil on their perilous journey to
destroy the One Ring in the land of Mordor. Superbly paced, the film is
both epic and intimate, offering astonishing special effects and
production design while emphasizing the emotional intensity of Frodo's
adventure, and ends on a perfect note of heroic loyalty and rich
anticipation.
After the breaking of the Fellowship, Frodo and Sam journey to Mordor with the creature Gollum as their guide in The Two Towers.
Meanwhile, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and
Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) join in the defense of the people of Rohan, who
are the first target in the eradication of the race of Men by the
renegade wizard Saruman (Christopher Lee) and the dark lord Sauron.
Fantastic creatures, astounding visual effects, and a climactic battle
at the fortress of Helm's Deep make The Two Towers a worthy successor to The Fellowship of the
Ring, grander in scale but retaining the story's emotional intimacy.