The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (December 20/01)

The buzz surrounding the first installment in the already-filmed Lord of the Rings trilogy has gotten to a point where you almost forget that there's an actual movie in there somewhere. It's that incredible amount of hype that may lead to one of two reactions to the movie: You'll think it's an amazing, surreal journey into Middle Earth or, it'll come off as a slightly better-than-average fantasy flick.

If you've already read the books, then you're certainly the target audience for this movie. Director Peter Jackson has unwisely chosen to make the film for the fans, leaving those of us unfamiliar with the novel out in the cold. The film is still coherent enough to be enjoyable, but it's impossible to get totally wrapped up in the story since we're given mere scraps of background information on the various characters.

The story is far more complicated than it needs to be, but here's a truncated synopsis. Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm) is an old hobbit that, one day, stumbles upon a mystical ring. As we learn in the lengthy prologue, this ring was created with the sole intent of allowing its master to rule the universe. Bilbo holds onto the ring, with the intention of passing it on to his young cousin, Frodo (Elijah Wood). But when an old wizard named Gandalf (Ian McKellan) re-enters Bilbo's life, he warns of the danger that accompanies the ring. It's decided that the ring must be destroyed, but there's only one way to do so: Travel a great distance and drop it into a mystical constantly-burning fire. So, Frodo volunteers to make the journey, along with Gandalf and a host of other brave souls. On the way, the crew encounters various obstacles - many of which are determined to win the ring for themselves.

Running close to three hours, the primary problem with Lord of the Rings is sheer overlength. While it is compelling for roughly the first half, it's that second half that eventually becomes tedious and downright boring. A lot of that is the result of a plot-heavy first hour which eventually becomes one long chase scene. After Frodo and company embark on their journey, story-wise, nothing happens. The movie consists solely of the troupe evading enemies and determining which route to take. Some of the sequences during this long trip are stunning to look at - there's no doubt of that - but after the fourth or fifth scene of action, the whole thing just becomes tiresome.

But Jackson has created a world that's incredibly vivid and unique, there's no questioning that. From the peaceful county that Frodo hails to the rugged, snowy mountains along the way, everything in Lord of the Rings looks fantastic and surprisingly realistic. Shot entirely in New Zealand, the movie looks as though it takes place on some distant world. The actors are equally effective, with Wood making a fine hero. Among the supporting cast, it's Viggo Mortensen that steals all his scenes as the heroic Aragorn. But even bit players like Liv Tyler and particularly Christopher Lee as an evil wizard fill their scarcely developed characters effectively.

This movie will likely enthrall fans of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but Tolkien newbies will probably have a tough time getting into this complicated world filled with underdeveloped characters.