The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
★★★★★ — The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Peter Jackson came to this project as the director of low-budget New Zealand horror comedies (Bad Taste, Braindead) and the acclaimed true-crime drama Heavenly Creatures, making him an unlikely but, as it turned out, inspired choice to adapt J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved trilogy. New Line Cinema took a considerable gamble, green-lighting all three films simultaneously at a combined budget of roughly $280 million, with production based almost entirely in New Zealand across a gruelling shoot that ran from 1999 to 2000. Tolkien's novels, published in the mid-1950s, had long been considered unfilmable at live-action scale, with a 1978 Ralph Bakshi animated version the most notable prior attempt. The Fellowship of the Ring was released in December 2001, earning nearly $900 million worldwide and effectively launching a new era of large-scale fantasy filmmaking.
A near-perfect introduction to one of the greatest stories ever told on screen. The opening in the Shire, paired with Concerning Hobbits, is pure cinematic magic, one of the warmest, most charming intros to any film ever. You immediately feel the world, and that's such a rare thing. I honestly love Fellowship almost as much as Return of the King. The sense of wonder, the world-building, the care and love poured into every frame, it’s astonishing. And of course, the "You shall not pass" scene... instantly iconic. Ian McKellen’s performance cements Gandalf as one of the greatest characters in film history. Timeless.
Rating: ★★★★★ | Year: 2001 | Watched: 2025-04-27
Where to watch (UK)
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Physical: Amazon UK
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Related on Movies With Macca
More from Peter Jackson: King Kong (2005) · The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) · The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) · The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
More with Elijah Wood: Green Street Hooligans (2005) · The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) · The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
More from New Zealand: What We Do in the Shadows (2014) · Mortal Engines (2018) · King Kong (2005) · 'Aho'eitu (2015)
More from the 2000s: Kirikou and the Wild Beasts (2005) · Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) · Daredevil (2003) · Apocalypto (2006)
More adventure: Alice in Wonderland (1951) · The Eagle (1925) · Louisiana Story (1948) · The General (1926)
More fantasy: Viy (1967) · Alice in Wonderland (1951) · Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain (2024) · Mononoke the Movie: Chapter II - The Ashes of Rage (2025)
