Synopsis: Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) discovers that the ring given to him by his uncle Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm) is none other than the One Ring, the most powerful of the Rings of Power. The One Ring was made by Sauron, the Dark Lord but was lost for many centuries. Frodo is instructed by the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) to flee his homeland The Shire.
Frodo and his companions Sam Gamgee (Sean Astin), Pippin Took (Billy Boyd) and Merry Brandybuck (Dominic Monaghan) make their way to Rivendell with the help of Aragorn the Ranger (Viggo Mortensen), who helps them evade the Nazgul, or Black Riders of Sauron who are close on their heels.
At Rivendell, the home of the Elven Lord Elrond (Hugo Weaving), it is decided to destroy the One Ring. This quest will not be easy, since only place the One Ring can be destroyed is at the volcano known as Mount Doom, which sits in the heart of Sauron's own realm of Mordor.
Frodo volunteers to take the Ring to Mordor and Mount Doom and several companions join his company, forming the Fellowship of the Ring. Joining Frodo on the quest are Sam, Pippin, Merry, Aragorn, Gandalf, Legolas the Elf (Orlando Bloom), Gimli the Dwarf (John Rhys-Davies) and Boromir (Sean Bean), a Man from the realm of Gondor.
The Fellowship is forced to travel through Moria, where Gandalf is lost in a battle with an undead spirit known as the Balrog. After this encounter, the Fellowship makes it way to Lorien, where they meet the Elf Galadriel (Cate Blanchett). The Elves of Lorien give the Fellowship shelter, and help them on their way.
The Fellowship then makes its way down the Great River Anduin. They are eventually attacked by Orcs sent by the turncoat wizard Saruman (Christopher Lee). The Orcs kill Boromir and take Merry and Pippin prisoner. Frodo and Sam make their way towards Mordor, while Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli follow the Orcs in an attempt to rescue Merry and Pippin.
Review:
Of the three Lord of the Rings films, Fellowship of the Ring holds closest to the book version, and thus is by far the best.
Much of the early part of the story, particularly the time between Bilbo's party and Frodo's departure from the Shire, takes place over many years. The film's frenetic pace doesn't really give one a sense of a lot of time passing.
Sadly, Peter Jackson simply uses Merry and Pippin for comic relief. To be fair, Tolkien used these two hobbits for comic relief as well but certainly not in the broad sense that Jackson uses.
I didn't have a problem with the cutting of the Old Forest/Barrow-Downs/Tom Bombadil. Indeed, if I had been making the adaptation, that's something I certainly would have excised from the film. The stories are a side adventure that are quite entertaining to read, but with a film you simply don't have the time for side adventures.
I'll admit I was a bit surprised that Peter Jackson did include the attempt to cross over the Misty Mountains at the Redhorn Pass. That's something I would have excised as well, and simply had the Fellowship proceed directly to Moria in order to avoid using the Gap of Rohan.
Peter Jackson also made the wise decision to include the story from the first chapter of the Two Towers made sense, as it rounded out the story. Showing Boromir's funeral boat, and the decision made by Aragorn to follow the Orcs simply belong in the first film, especially since I've always felt the first chapter of the Two Towers should have been included as part of Fellowship anyway.
Like the more recent prequel The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Peter Jackson's own additions to the film do not fundamentally change the main plot line. While I'm not entirely sure we need to see how Saruman created the Uruk Hai, I can understand the arguments to the contrary. In any case, it doesn't change the storyline of the main characters, something that Peter Jackson seemed more willing to tinker with in the Two Towers and Return of the King.
The extra scenes from the Extended editions of Fellowship don't add much to this film, unlike the Two Towers and Return of the King. Basically, you aren't missing too much if you decide to stick with the theatrical version of Fellowship. That being said, since the release of the Extended editions, I've never gone back to revisit the theatrical versions.
