Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Movie Review

Overview

Young Frodo Baggins has inherited a mysterious ring from his guardian Bilbo Baggins. No sooner does he then his old friend Gandalf the Grey informs him that this ring is the One Ring, the master ring, the "One Ring to Rule Them All". The Dark Lord Sauron has long sought for this ring so he can cover the world in a second darkness. Frodo must find a way to escape, without the ring falling into the hands of the ever hunting servants of the Dark Lord. 

Positive

The heroes repeatedly put their own lives at risk to further their cause and protect their friends. Two die to protect the Fellowship. All of the characters have to resist the ring's, which represents sin, temptation, and they all give something up. One of the characters gives up immortality to be with the one who she loves. The overall themes of courage and sacrifice echo strongly throughout the story. Gandalf tells Frodo to be merciful to his enemies and also gives a lesson on time management strangely enough... 

Negative

 The film has received tons of criticism for its violence, which, to be fair, there is a lot. The worst scene is a duel between Aragorn and an orc (Who can't feel pain.). The orc loses an arm and is impaled by Aragorn's sword. The orc pulls himself forward to sneer in Aragorn's face before Aragorn decapitates him (The entire scene is completely bloodless). We briefly see a battered and bloody body floating down a river. Also briefly, the hands and arms of a creature being tortured (Bloodless). One character stabs an enemy with an arrow and shoots another in the head (Also bloodless).    

Conclusion

The film is a masterful recreation of Tolkien's novel, with much of the dialogue taken directly from the book. The violence is to be expected from a movie with war as part of the plotline. The films, though diverge slightly from the storyline, still echo with the Christian themes and morals of Tolkiens world and characters. In short, the film is a masterpiece for older children. I would recommend 10 and above. This movie get's a 👍 from me.