3. Lord Of The Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
Brooking no argument, history should quickly regard Peter Jackson’s The Fellowship Of The Ring as the first instalment
of the best fantasy epic in motion picture history. This statement is worthy of investigation for several reasons.
Fellowship is indeed merely an opening salvo, and even after three hours in the dark you will likely exit the cinema
ravenous with anticipation for the further two parts of the trilogy. Fellowship is also unabashedly rooted in the
fantasy genre. Not to be confused with the techno-cool of good science fiction, nor even the cutesy charm of family
fare like Harry Potter, the territory of Tolkien is clearly marked by goo and goblins and gobbledegook. Persons with an
aversion to lines such as, “To the bridge of Khazad-dûm!” are as well to stay within the Shire-like comforts of home
(their loss).
With those caveats in place, it bears repeating: fantasy does not come finer. There are electrifying moments —
notably the computer-assisted swooping camera through Isengard as it transforms into a factory for evil — when
Jackson’s flight of fancy approaches the sublime as the romantic poets would understand it: inspiring awe.
Leaving aside the thorny issue of Tolkien die-hards and their inevitable gripes — “What no Tom Bombadil?” —
Jackson’s screenplay (written in collaboration with Fran Walsh and PhillipaBoyens) is both bolder and more judicious
than Steven Kloves’ surprisingly timid retread of Harry Potter. In particular, rescuing the romance of Arwen and
Aragorn from the footnotes and the elevation of Saruman to all-action bad guy actually has a corrective influence on
Tolkien’s often oblique and female-sparse source material.
There are problems, though. The three-hour running time is high on incident and low on discernible form. After
successive detours to Elf habitats Rivendell (the watery home of Elrond) and Lothlórien (the forest home of the Lady
Galadriel), the uninitiated might well ask why these crazy Elf kids can’t just live together and spare us all this
attenuated dramatic structure.
More importantly, the action clearly climaxes in the desperate flight from the Mines Of Moria, where the largely
seamless SFX is showcased in the best possible light — total darkness — but the narrative demands a
different, downbeat ending. Indeed, but for some fine emotional playing from Bean, Mortensen, Astin and Wood, the
final fight might feel like a particularly brutal game of paintball in Bluebell Wood. But then, the real battles are yet to
come...
Reviewer: Colin Kennedy Empire Magazine
Rating: 5 stars
4. Lord Of The Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
Unlike so many big budget productions, the first movie instalment of JRR Tolkien's
Middle Earth trilogy doesn't condescend to a teenage audience, but creates a
sophisticated universe which abides by its own laws: a primordial world older than
history and legend, back in the realm of myth. Here young hobbit Frodo Baggins
(Wood) comes into possession of the ring of power - a talisman of evil so potent it
corrupts everyone who touches it. Under the guidance of the wizard Gandalf
(McKellen), Frodo escapes the clutches of the fearsome ring wraiths along with his
faithful friend Sam (Astin), and heads for the kingdom of the elves, where they hope
to thwart the encroaching forces of doom. Mostly, the film makes light work of
Tolkien's richly Celtic imagination. You don't so much admire its virtuoso
camerawork as lose yourself in the grandeur of the Gothic design, the bucolic Shire
and mountain ranges riddled with mines and fire pits. Granted, there's a
sermonising element which invites parody, but it never wants for menace (parents
should probably steer young children clear). In unveiling the Holy Grail for action-
fantasy aficionados, director and co-writer Peter Jackson has begun a series to rival
Star Wars in the pantheon.
Reviewer: Time Out Film Guide IMDB
Rating: 5 stars
5. Lord Of The Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
A band of hobbits, elves, dwarves and men endeavor to destroy a magic ring that could bring down the world and
reinstate the dominion of an evil overlord. Its whereabouts were unknown for 3,000 years, and then the ring fell
into the possession of Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm), a well-to-do hobbit who had set out for parts unknown, a rare
move among the peaceful, home-loving people of the Shire.
On his "eleventy-first" birthday, Bilbo bequeaths the ring, which was forged to "control all others," to his
nephew, Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood).
To keep evil at bay, Frodo must return the ring from whence it came, Mount Doom in the fearsome land of
Mordor. Frodo, accompanied by loyal companion Sam Gamgee (Sean Astin), embarks on a long odyssey. Others
join the crew along the way, which is fraught with perilous clashes against monstrous foes. The opening sequences
on Mount Doom — juxtaposed with the bucolic world of the Shire — are breathtaking.
Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn has the best role among Frodo's crew — though in the book, where it initially was
unclear whether he was heroic or villainous, he was more intriguing. Ian McKellen has the gravity and right magical
touch as Gandalf, the good wizard who mentors Frodo, and Christopher Lee is frightening as Saruman, the great
wizard gone bad.
Liv Tyler plays Arwen, an elf princess, but she has such a minimal part that she is virtually forgettable. The only
other female is Galadriel, a queen of the elves, played commandingly by CateBlanchett.
One filmgoer's reaction to the meticulously designed epic — "It bored me, but I thought it was really good" — is
contradictory but not far off the mark.
The movie is beautifully realized. The production design is a marvel, and the special effects are dazzling, notably
a wizardly fireworks display and the enchanting elf town of Rivendell.
Rings has moments of edge-of-the-seat excitement, too, such as when the dark riders come looking for Frodo.
But it's occasionally tedious when it should be captivating. The battle scenes are presented more like video games
than fierce clashes.
Ultimately, this morality play will resonate powerfully in these post-Sept. 11 days. What's more, there's little
doubt that the movie will be the lord of the box office this week, running rings around the competition.
Reviewer: Claudia Puig USA TODAY
Rating: 4 stars
6.
7.
8. Get Out! – My review
Unlike a large amount of short films that I have seen
before, the French animation ‘Get Out!’ has an incredibly
original and psychological plot; it challenges the audience’s
expectations in the way that what we think we are seeing is
a man with severe agoraphobia when in actual fact we are
witnessing a very intelligent interpretation of the human
birthing process. Undoubtedly the most gripping part of this
short is the unexpected ending, even the most brilliant
minds would not have been able to foresee the conclusion
to this creative piece of film. Overall I feel that this short
film has been produced exceptionally well and would
recommend it to anybody.
9. Online reviews
In my opinion, online reviewing is more
important that conventional channels such as
TV, magazines and newspapers because we
not only get a professional opinion but we get
a review from the perspective of film fans.
Personally I would tend to trust an online
review more because they can be posted by
anybody, therefore the review is less likely to
be biased.
