LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (PG) reviewed by Richard King Firstly apologies to Mrs Morgan for not reading Harry Potter before reviewing the movie! Sorry but with a personal library backlogged like my own I have little time to read my kid's books too. Now I'm going to review another movie based on a book I have never read (although I have also never read Jaws, Cider House Rules, Monkey Planet or LA Confidential all of which have been turned into wonderful Movies). Books and Movies are very different forms of story telling one internal and one external - movies tend to cancel out large chunks of the imagination. So what must a director do? He has no idea what goes on inside the head of an author or reader. He only has his own vision. Fortunately Peter Jackson has great vision. Unlike Chris Columbus, who directed Harry Potter (as well as Home Alone, Bicentennial Man and Nine Months), he could never be referred to as a hack director. So Unlike Chris Columbus he has turned out a movie of truly magical proportions. Trust me you will not be disappointed.

For those unfamiliar with the story FOTR follows the first third of a quest to destroy the titular Lord of The Rings, a golden band created from evil with the power to take over the will of it's bearer (it also makes them invisible when worn) turning them to the dark side. The ring falls into the hands of hobbit, Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood), who sets off to destroy the ring by casting it into the volcano where it was created. Along for the ride he takes the 'Fellowship' a group of eight followers including a Ranger, an elf, a soldier, a dwarf warrior, three other hobbits and the great wizard Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen). Several incredible and often nerve wracking adventures follow - pursuit by Wraiths, Orc attacks, encounters with elves, Troll attacks, near death experiences at the hands of demons etc.

This movie is breathtaking. The imagery is so powerful it is impossible to turn away. Never have I seen an alternative world so lavishly recreated. I'm not a big fantasy fan (though I do dabble occasionally) but FOTR went way beyond mere fantasy. Both acting and action were of a standard rarely seen from today's churn-'em-out movie industry and the special effects? Well no, they were not computer generated they were real... Middle Earth simply must exist. Three hours of movie heaven. 180 minutes of what the silver screen is all about. I haven't a clue how anyone is ever going to top this. With parts two and three yet to see release my sympathies must lie with Peter Jackson as he has given himself the hardest job in all Tinseltown. If you see one movie this Christmas make it Fellowship of the Ring it's the best seasonal gift the cinema has given that I can remember. Merry Christmas to all my readers have an awesome time!