Lord of the Rings -The Fellowship of the Ring

 Director Peter Jackson must have been aware of the enormity of the task he had taken on when he decided to bring Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy to the big screen. The books have sold millions of copies, defining, to a certain extent, how the world of fantasy has been portrayed in recent years.

Tolkien's books are for some a notoriously difficult read, with many slow passages, where not much seems to happen.  Throughout the three plus hours of the film, there is little chance for the audience to catch a breath, never mind anything resembling a "slow passage".  

Following on from the events that take place in the Hobbit, Fellowship of the Ring tells the story of a ring, forged by the  Dark Lord Sauren, which controls the various rings of power given to various representatives of the "peoples" of Middle Earth. 

The ring falls into the possession of one Frodo Baggins, a Hobbit of the Shire.  Frodo quickly realises that Sauren wants the ring back and he will not be safe until it is destroyed.

Frodo is aided in his quest by the wizard Gandalf and a company comprising men, hobbits, an Elf and a dwarf, who proclaim themselves "The Fellowship of the Ring".

Jackson chose his native New Zealand  to double as Middle Earth and the scenery is at times breathtaking.  This land is populated by some of the most amazing creatures to grace the silver screen.  These are brought to life, either digitally, or by physical effects, by Weta Workshops (the in-house effects team formed by the director and his producing partners).

One aspect of the film's effects that I found quite impressive was the way that the height differences of the various  species of Middle Earth is so seamlessly achieved.  Humans, Dwarves and Hobbits all share the screen without hinting at the digital trickery that must be involved.  The opposite to this can be seen in Harry Potter, where Robbie Coltrane's Hagrid achieves his formidable form by simply standing closer to the camera than the other actors.

Fortunately the actors, without exception, turn in excellent performances, not allowing the stunning effects to detract from the narrative.

Many films over three hours long, struggle to hold the audience's attention, providing they ever manage to secure a cinema release in the first place.  This is certainly not the case with Fellowship.  The time seemed to pass so quickly when I watched the film, in fact there is one dull spot, it starts just after the end credits and lasts about a year.

Digital effects have a big part to play in a fantasy such as this.  As I have said, Weta Workshops have done a great job but while the effects here are far more convincing than say The Mummy Returns, it seems to me that Digital animators have still to crack a credible human walk.

When I left the cinema, I felt compelled to find out the fate of the remainder of the fellowship.  The only thing for it was to go home and begin reading "The Two Towers.

Update : It comes as no surprise that "Fellowship" has garnered no fewer than thirteen Oscar nominations.