The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
★★★★★ — The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
By the turn of the millennium, J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings had spent decades being dismissed as unfilmable. The sheer scale of the world, the invented languages, the weight of reader expectation across three generations of devoted fans, all of it conspired to keep the story on the page and off the screen. Peter Jackson changed that in one fell swoop. Released in December 2001 by New Line Cinema, The Fellowship of the Ring is the first chapter of his trilogy adapted from Tolkien's novels, following a young hobbit named Frodo Baggins as he inherits a ring of immense and corrupting power from his uncle Bilbo, and is forced to flee his quiet home in the Shire before the ring's dark creator can reclaim it. A company of nine, drawn from the free peoples of Middle-earth, forms around him to ensure it reaches the only place it can be destroyed.
Jackson, a New Zealander whose career had moved from low-budget splatter comedies to the Oscar-winning Heavenly Creatures, was a somewhat unexpected choice for a production of this magnitude. The films were shot back-to-back in his home country, a decision that gave the trilogy an unusual coherence and allowed New Zealand's landscapes to stand in for Middle-earth with considerable conviction. The production was a joint effort between New Line Cinema, Jackson's own WingNut Films, and The Saul Zaentz Company, and the result, at nearly three hours for this opening instalment alone, is a polished but never mechanical piece of filmmaking. Howard Shore's score, including the now-legendary Concerning Hobbits theme, became as much a part of the film's identity as anything on screen. Jackson would later return to this world for the three Hobbit films, the first of which I've also covered here, and he directed King Kong in the years between the two trilogies.
The cast assembled for the trilogy is, by any measure, remarkable. Elijah Wood carries the central burden as Frodo, wide-eyed and earnest without tipping into naivety. Ian Holm brings warmth and a faint unease to Bilbo in the film's early scenes. Viggo Mortensen, as the ranger Aragorn, gives the film much of its physical authority. Sean Astin, as Frodo's steadfast companion Sam, provides its emotional grounding. And then there is Ian McKellen as Gandalf, a performance that had already, by the time the film reached cinemas, become something of a cultural touchstone. Wood would go on to appear in The Two Towers and The Return of the King, both of which I've reviewed as part of this ongoing look at the trilogy.
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.
That feeling of genuine care coming through every frame is something I keep coming back to when I think about this film. It's rarer than it sounds, especially in big-budget fantasy, where spectacle can easily crowd out soul. For me, Fellowship gets the balance right in a way that very few films of its size ever manage. The Shire sequence alone earns the film a place in the conversation about great cinematic openings. If you're working your way through the trilogy, or revisiting it after years away, start here and let it breathe. Three hours goes quickly when you're actually somewhere.
Rating: ★★★★★ | Year: 2001 | Watched: 2025-04-27
Trailer
▶ Watch the official trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) on YouTube
Where to watch
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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)
