Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring

Awesome. Amazing. Great movie. Should not be missed by anyone, young or old. One might quibble over things left out or changed from the book but I think Peter Jackson deserves some freedom for the translation. The gorgeous New Zealand countryside makes a superb Middle Earth. Elijah Wood makes the transition from child actor (Radio Flyer, North, The Ice Storm) to adult in playing intrepid hero Frodo Baggins. Ian McKellen is craggy and strong as Gandalf, love the fight scene with Saruman (Christopher Lee is still going strong at 80). Viggo Mortensen breaks out as Aragorn and what can I say about Liv Tyler and Cate Blanchett? I love that the film is tops at the box office too. Can’t wait for The Two Towers next December, will it be the best film of 2002?