The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

UK Release: 19th December 2001

Watched on Extended Edition DVD: For the past few weeks ending on Friday 29th July 2011

Rating: PG

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama

Runtime: 3hrs 28 mins

Tagline: Fate Has Chosen Him. A Fellowship Will Protect Him. Evil Will Hunt Them.

IMDb Plot Summary: In a small village in the Shire a young Hobbit named Frodo has been entrusted with an ancient Ring. Now he must embark on an Epic quest to the Cracks of Doom in order to destroy it.

My Review: My brother adores Lord of the Rings. He has been on at me to watch the series for literally years. I’ve always resisted as they seemed so long and complicated and whenever I’ve caught bits when he was watching them it seemed a little boring. 

But seeing as it was the summer holidays I thought it was now or never and to give the film a chance, seeing as almost everyone has seen it. Even my brother said that the series gets better as it goes on and that the first film is his least favourite, so I knew it may get tedious. 

I think the fundamental problem I have with it is that it is so, so, so long! It drags and for someone like me who hasn’t read the book (as I have with all the other fantasy films I’ve seen) I felt particualy like I was missing something and didn’t understand half the things anyone was saying (not helped my the fact that everyone whispers the whole movie with annoying string music over the top of the dialogue - in the end we resorted to putting the subtitles on). I had to keep pausing the film to ask what the hell was going on, despite wanting to just sit and watch and get drawn in like I love to do with a film I know nothing about. I found that impossible however as there are so many characters who all have backstories and changing motives and locations it was hard to grasp it all.

That being said I did enjoy the beginning as it was quite simple with the hobbit’s and a big dragon firework, but once Gandalf had come round and Frodo had set off it just unravelled completely.

I may watch the Two Towers to test my brother’s theory that it gets better but not for a while. I just can’t help thinking that, yes it looked lovely and there are great special effects and all, but if I don’t know what’s going on it is just a waste of three and a half hours of my life. Perhaps I should try my luck with Star Wars instead...

Score: 4.5/10