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 I
don't know, maybe it's just me...
...but I never got into the whole Lord of the Rings thing.
Sure, I remember watching the cartoon version of The Hobbit
on TV when I was a kid, but as much as I hate to admit it, I never
came within an inch of reading any of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic books.
I can certainly relate to the passion behind the mythology--especially
since I'm so passionate about another mythology (that would be Star
Trek)--but for me, the long-awaited big screen adaptation the
first chapter in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Fellowship
of the Ring, was just another movie that I was looking forward
to seeing.
After all, what's not to look forward to? From a cinematic standpoint,
The Lord of the Rings was one of the biggest gambles in Hollywood
history. New Line Cinema committed almost $300 million to shoot
all three films back-to-back, and despite notable big screen credits
to his resume, director Peter Jackson was a relatively unknown in
the big-budget Hollywood ballpark. Principle photography in New
Zealand lasted a whopping 274 days over the course of 15 months.
Oh, and did I mention the hard-core group of loyal fans who were
waiting with incredible anticipation to see if their beloved books
would be done justice by the Hollywood hitmaking machine?
The verdict? Well, let me start off by saying that The Fellowship
of the Ring is easily the most beautifully shot film I've ever
seen. From the picturesque cinematography to the incredible special
effects to the lavish costume design, it's safe to say that every
penny of its $90 million budget was well spent. Actually, considering
how magical, breathtaking, and sublime the movie is, $90 million
is a relative bargain. On the other hand, given that Jackson had
the unenviable task having to explain so much about Tolkien's world,
it's hard not to be overwhelmed by the tremendous amount of information
being thrown at you. Now once again, since I didn't read any of
the "Rings" books, I'm just analyzing the film from the standpoint
of a clueless moviegoer. So, be warned...
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away (well, OK, so maybe it
wasn't in a galaxy far, far away, but it was definitely a long time
ago), an enormous battle took place over the possession of an all-powerful
ring, which in the wrong hands, could spell doom for the peaceful
citizens of Middle Earth. By some miracle, it found its way to Bilbo
Baggins (Ian Holm), a friendly Hobbit who eventually passed it onto
his nephew Frodo (Elijah Wood). The naive Frodo is coaxed by the
wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) to embark on an incredible journey
to Mordor, the only place where the ring can be destroyed once and
for all. With the help of his friends and other interested parties,
Frodo must fight hoards of evil-doers and overcome incredible obstacles--including
the irresistible power of the ring--if he is going to restore peace
and save his world once and for all.
There's no doubt that Fellowship is a complex fantasy epic
in every sense of the word, but it's underlying theme--the battle
between good and evil--couldn't be much simpler. Actually, given
that Tolkien's 1,000-plus page trilogy preceded another trilogy--the
"Star Wars" trilogy--by more than 20 years, it's easy to see where
George Lucas got much of his inspiration. In fact, the similarities
between the two projects are hard to ignore. Frodo's internal struggle
to resist temptation from the ominous power of the ring recalls
Luke Skywalker's constant battle to resist the dark side of the
Force in "Star Wars." The all-knowing, all-wise father figure Gandalf,
who teaches Frodo without actually forcing him to do anything, easily
recalls the teacher-protege, father-son bond between Luke and Obi-Wan
Kenobi. The list continues, but why spoil the fun?
OK, now the bad news (and the sacrilege!). One can only imagine
Jackson's desire to incorporate so many elements of the book into
the film, and while that may please true believers, I'm not too
sure that it was good for the movie. Maybe it's just me, but I was
so overwhelmed by the barrage of information as to who was doing
what to whom and why, I found myself somewhat disconnected and--dare
I say it--bored by the progression of events. Also, as breathtaking
as the battle sequences were, there were so many in such a steady
succession that they became redundant and lost their sense of urgency.
As far as the cast is concerned, Jackson couldn't have picked a
better Fellowship. Elijah Wood is so perfectly cast as Frodo, you
would think that he rehearsed his whole life just to make this movie.
The same goes for Ian McKellen, whose Gandalf is so commanding and
wise, he could run "rings" around Alec Guiness's Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Liv Tyler and Cate Blanchett show up in brief, but crucial roles
as elves who help the Fellowship on their journey, and Viggo Mortensen
gives his strongest performance yet as the protective, soft-spoken,
sword-wielding Aragorn.
The
Fellowship of the Ring has the most effective non-ending for
an epic since 1980's "The Empire Strikes Back," and like that film,
"Fellowship" will leave fans hungry for the next chapter. As for
me, the over-abundance of information that tarnished this Ring
will hopefully give way to a more polished and cohesive film the
next time around. Which in this case, is exactly one year away.
That's when part two of the series, the ominously titled The
Two Towers, hits theaters. As for The Fellowship of the Ring,
I guess I need to see it again. Now that I've had time to absorb
all the information, maybe I can actually enjoy it the next time
around. As for my first viewing, I can't help it. I was just bored
of the Rings.
But then again, maybe it's just me.
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