#50 The Fellowship of The Ring

Title: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

A.F.I. Ranking: 50

Director: Peter Jackson

Starring: Ian McKellan, Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Bean, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys Davies, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan

Release Year: 2001

Brief Synopsis: Frodo, a sweet innocent Hobbit, inherits a magical ring from his uncle. When it is discovered to be the ring to rule all rings, the ring of Lord Sauron, Frodo and his friends set out on an epic quest to destroy the ring in the only place it can be destroyed, the fires of Mount Doom. This is the first movie in the trilogy.

My Thoughts: This movie was not yet released when AFI first released their list, but when AFI did a tenth anniversary edition of this list, it was a few years after this movie had been released and made it to number 50 on this list. It is amazing that this movie was considered a classic, so soon after it was made. I read the books before I saw the movie, and I apologize to any Tolkien fans reading this, but this is one of the very few, perhaps only, times where I will say the movie is better than the book. Peter Jackson did a great job at brining these books to life. He took out the hundreds of pages in the book where they are just walking through a grassy field, and filled in the pieces with a great cast who brought humor to a rather dull (sorry) book. My one complaint of this movie is one that a lot of people say, but having read the books I understand. It is so long! The story is told in three movies, each of which is over three hours long. When it is all said and done you feel like you, yourself went to Mordor and back.

When I watched this movie today, I felt a little old. It took me back to 2001 when I was in college, working at a book store, living at home, and would spend the summers going to the movies with my younger sister. Who knew I would ever long for 2001 like I do for the 1980s. God I am old!!!

“Be on your guard. There are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world.”

Rating: List Worthy!