One Trilogy to rule them all. Peter Jackson’s The Fellowship of the Ring, the start of this epic journey, remains unmatched in its reverence for Tolkien’s work – not merely as an epic tale, but as a moral and mythological construct with its own internal gravity. Unlike many contemporary fantasy productions, which often treat Tolkien’s world as a loose template to be re-skinned, Jackson’s film operates as a careful translation, not a reinvention. Every creative decision, from script to score to set design, reflects an understanding that Middle-earth is not a playground, but a legendarium – a world with its own laws, languages, and deeply rooted cosmology. It is this sense of literary responsibility that makes Fellowship not just a good adaptation, but a great one. Too many modern shows, even those cloaked in Tolkien’s vocabulary, feel less like adaptations and more like speculative reinterpretations – injecting modern anxieties and tropes into a narrative that was already rich in timeless concerns. Where those newer productions often flatten the moral contours of the story into grey ambiguity or impulsive spectacle, Jackson’s Fellowship preserves the text’s theological seriousness and philosophical clarity. It understands, crucially, that Tolkien was not writing about swords and sorcery, but about humility, sacrifice, and the perilous allure of domination. The Ring is not a mere object of power – it is a spiritual test – and the film never lets us forget it. The performances reflect this deeper understanding. Ian McKellen’s Gandalf is not a stock wizard, but a being of deep time, burdened by knowledge and reluctant authority. Elijah Wood’s Frodo captures the very soul of Tolkien’s hobbit – a creature of small stature and immense will, shouldering a task no one would envy. Sean Astin’s Samwise is played not for comic relief, but as a paragon of unsung virtue: loyalty without ambition, courage without ego. Viggo Mortensen’s Aragorn is a man wrestling with history, shaped by the burden of lineage, not the thrill of it. These portrayals are not just emotionally effective; they are textually faithful. Cate Blanchett’s Galadriel deserves special mention. Her portrayal embodies the strange, luminous power of the Elves as Tolkien wrote them – otherworldly and terrible in equal measure. Her temptation scene is delivered with haunting restraint, the grandeur of her voice a vessel for ancient sorrow and quiet wisdom. This Galadriel is not a warrior queen in the modern sense, but a bearer of deep time, whose greatness lies in her refusal to grasp at power. It is a performance that understands the Elvish condition: to be fading, beautiful, and bound to a world no longer theirs. Blanchett’s screen time is brief, but the echo of her presence lingers – like Elven light in dark places. Jackson’s adaptation respects Tolkien’s languages and mythic structures with near-obsessive care. Elvish is not set dressing; it is spoken with phonetic integrity, tied to cultures that feel ancient and real. The geography, costumes, architecture – each bears the mark of deep lore, not just visual flair. Howard Shore’s score, informed by the same gravitas, does not accompany the film so much as inhabit it. His themes are not just musical motifs but narrative threads, echoing the rise and fall of kingdoms and the quiet dignity of small acts of heroism. What distinguishes The Fellowship of the Ring is that it treats Tolkien’s world as something already complete – something to be entered humbly, not reshaped. In doing so, it achieves a rare artistic feat: it becomes an extension of the text, not a commentary on it. While newer works may borrow Tolkien’s lexicon and aesthetics, Jackson’s film believes in his world. It does not merely entertain; it partakes in a mythology. That belief, that reverence, is what endures.

So now that the picture houses across the UK are beginning to reopen, this is the third film I've settled down to watch in front of a huge big screen - and it's a belter. You can only wonder at the sheer imagination of JRR Tolkien and of Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens as they adeptly adapt this epic tale of power for a new generation. Certainly, it over-hams the accents - maybe just a few too many "rrrs" in "Arrragorrrrn" but otherwise it's a feast for senses. When the hairy-footed Hobbit "Bilbo" (Sir Ian Holm) gets to eleventy-one he sets off to write his life-story with the elves. He leaves his possessions - including a mysterious ring - to Frodo (Elijah Wood). When visiting wizard "Gandalf" (Sir Ian McKellen) identifies it as the epitome of wickedness that puts all of their lives are in danger, "Frodo" and his lifelong friend "Sam" (Sean Astin) must flee their bucolic happiness. This first instalment of the trilogy tracks the journey of the hobbits as they meet "Stryder" (Viggo Mortensen) and together try to evade the pursuing wraith attempting to get to "Elrond" the Elvish king in "Rivendell" and decide what is best to do with this evil, seemingly indestructible talisman. Their only solution proves to be returning the ring to the lava-filled cavern of "Mount Doom" where it was forged: only there can it's corruption be defeated. The brave hobbits, together with two men, an elf and a dwarf set out to accomplish this all but impossible task fighting the weather, evil orcs, malevolent magic and the harsh terrain on their treacherous way. It's the ultimate fantasy adventure; that sticks to the spirit, if not to every word, of the original work. The effects both in make-up and from the computer are expertly applied creating a real sense of tension and peril that compliments, rather than subsumes, the actual action and beautiful cinematography of the New Zealand scenery through which our intrepid gang must travel. This is probably the weakest of the three episodes as it takes a good hour to get going; but once it does and the "Fellowship" takes firmer form with a superb John Howard-Davies; a handsome Orlando Bloom and even the usually wooden Sean Bean raises his game to give us as a truly cracking, at times quite scary adventure that is magnificently scored by the inspired Howard Shore. This is not really a film that works on the telly - however large the screen may be. To do justice to the creativity of all concerned it just has to be given the respect it deserves and be seen in the cinema. If you get a chance, you should go see it (again!).

This film may be perfect. Based on the fantasy world written by Tolkien, we see the halfling hobbits, the most unlikely of heroes, a breed of human type beings who indulge in pleasures, games, and fun, and do little evil. In the same world are more powerful beings, some good, like the elves and wizards, some evil, like the orcs, trolls, and dragons, and some in between, like the dwarves and men. And one evil super being, Sauron, the second in command to the "devil" of this world called Middle Earth, and that devil called Melkor is now in chains and powerless, so Sauron rules all evil. That said, we get a very faithful version to the book, only improved. This is the first of three segments called "The Lord of the Rings". The parts left out are parts best left out. Tom Bombadil, for example, along with his wife, represents a very Hitler like Aryan ideology of supremacy that Tolkien often engaged in. The film begins with a narrative and action sequence that is awesome, and then goes into the "status quo" setting of the "shire" of hobbits, much like the status quo setting of films like "Women of Dolwyn". From there, we get an amazing story of four hobbits who embark on a journey of utmost importance, joined by a wizard, an elf, a dwarf, and two men. The direction is stunning. The motivation even better explained than in the Tolkien books. This is a masterpiece.