For those of you who’ve been on a desert island for the last few months, Lord of the Rings is a new movie based on the first book of a trilogy by British authour J.R.Tolkien. It is based on a very old myth, dealing with a magical ring of power. Whoever possesses the ring, and is strong enough to use it, will rule the world - and not just this one. The battle is between good and evil.  The immeasurable evil housed in the ring will give control of all the peoples and kingdoms who live on Earth - dwarves, elves, Hobbits - the list of cute and cuddly creatures, and also the not so cute - in fact quite frightening creatures, demons etc, is long. The bearer of the ring must be strong enough to wear it and use it, otherwise he will lose himself and his soul.
    This is not just a child’s movie - in fact I would say that unless your children are well into their teens, they are too young to see Lord of the Rings. The images are too frightening and realistic for younger children to be exposed to. In fact, Lord of the Rings is so fabulous in it’s imagery that it has been nominated for 13 Oscars!!
    There is a huge cast of characters in the LOR. Ian McKellan has been nominated for best supporting actor for his role as the sage wizard Gandalf. He is perfectly cast in the part and plays his part with relish, eyes twinkling, or blazing, as the situation demands.
    Frodo Baggins (Elijah Woods) is the hobbit at the center of the storm who must destroy the ring of power. On his journey he is accompanied and supported by a motley band of characters ranging from dwarf kings to Elvish princesses. Always though, he is being pursued by the frightful, faceless tormentors on horseback...and whenever he puts on the ring of power to escape, it gives you a good idea of what a bad ‘trip’ is like. His pursurers are truly frightening.
    The Fellowship of the Ring is the first part in a trilogy, and some viewers may be disappointed that there isn’t more fanfare at the end of the film (3+hours). There’s plenty of over-the-top ‘haven’t I seen this before’? special effects throughout the movie - in fact, I could’ve skipped some of those parts, and concentrated more on the more pastoral/lyrical scenes. Many would disagree with me and just goes to show - there’s something for everyone is LOR.
    If you’ve read the books, you wil have to see the movie. If not, you should still see LOR - I think it is probably the best fantasy/sci-fi movie to come out in years. At your local theaters everywhere.