The unfilmable fantasy, which many studio execs believed would never see the light of day, took the Hobbit-esque Peter Jackson five years to bring to the big screen. It was well worth the wait.
Ironically, trying to secure a viewing of The Fellowship of the Ring and its assortment of extras proved as difficult as it did Jackson finding a studio to write him a cheque for $300 million! Nevertheless, the bearers of the Ring succumbed and here we are.
Filmed simultaneously-which is why New Line Cinema is able to release in sequential years- The Fellowship of the Ring is the opening chapter in what is destined to be the greatest trilogy cinema, and DVD, has ever known.
In a time we cannot remember in a place no more, the plains of Middle-earth were ruled by Sauron, a Dark Lord, who forged one ring to enslave the keeps of the elven-who each accepted a Ring of Power, unaware they would become Sauron's slaves.
Centuries after the ring was taken from the Dark Lord and thought forever lost, the precious ring found its way into the possession of an adventurous Hobbit name Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm) However, the ring's re-emergence spells terrible danger for its beholder, this friend to the Hobbits, and powerful wizard, Gandalf the Grey (McKellen) entrusts Bilbo's young nephew Frodo (Woo) to venture on a hazardous quest into the shadows of Sauron to destroy the ring within the pits of fire.
Accompanied by three friends, Sam (Sean Astin), Pippin (Billy Boyd) and Merry (Dominic Monaghan), Frodo leaves all he knows within the small village of the Shire and begins his perilous path. Join by Aragorn (Mortensen), Boromir (Sean Bean), Legolas the Elf (Orlando Bloom), Gimli the Dwarf (John Rhys-Davies) and Gandalf, the Fellowship of nine set out to destroy the ring and prevent eeevil Sauron from covering the world in darkness.
The Fellowship of the Ring is an outstanding film that is one of a few in recent years to truly feel like a blockbuster experience; although director Jackson is quick to point out that nothing is fantasy : "It's real, it's brutal and it's believable.: Every detail, no matter how poignant is simply stunning, with the exceptional special effects intertwinginw ti the beautiful landscapes of New Zealand-"What England once was," according to McKellen, on one of the many interviews sccessible within the special features.
Naturally presented in widescreen with a 5.1 soundtrack, the appearance was never a question. However, the bonus material (comparable wti the excessive four-disc status and fully enhanced 6.1 soundtrack of the Extended Edition, which is available November 12 and contains over three hours of additional special features) is a little underwhelming. For started, the Fox Network TV and Sci-Fi Channel specials contain overlapping interviews, reducing running time of original material somewhat. However, the Sci-Fi Channle featurette is undeniably essential viewing; bacjgrounds to Hobbits, Elves, Dwarves, languages and more are revealed, either by crew specialists of by the stars themselves. A revealing-and superbly intriguing- Two Towers preview is another highlight. The remainder, however, is not so special, with internet documentary shot, TV spots, theatrical trailers and an EA game preview merely padding out a disappointing line-up.
Although the film itself warrants the purchase, we would advise you to wait patiently for the all-powerful and 'precious' Extended Edition this November.
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