Ronin

Tags

1990's, Jean Reno, John Frankenheimer, Jonathan Pryce, Natascha McElhone, Robert De Niro, Ronin, Sean Bean, Skipp Sudduth, Spy, Stellan Skarsgård, Thriller

Film Title

Ronin

Director

John Frankenheimer

Starring

• Robert De Niro as Sam
• Jean Reno as Vincent
• Natascha McElhone as Deirdre
• Stellan Skarsgård as Gregor
• Sean Bean as Spence
• Skipp Sudduth as Larry
• Jonathan Pryce as Seamus O’Rourke

A thrilling and exhilarating spy thriller cast to perfection and filled with excitement and intrigue, Ronin blends political undertones with pulse-pounding action for a film that will leave you breathless.

Ronin begins with a group of operatives from different agencies who have turned mercenary meeting in Paris. Present are quick thinking Sam, unassuming Vincent, getaway driver Larry, German tech expert Gregor and Spence . Assembling them is Irishwoman Deirdre, who informs the men of why they have been summoned. They are to obtain a metallic briefcase from Nice, of which the contents remain clouded as her superiors won’t reveal what is inside it. Doing this won’t be easy as it is heavily guarded, yet with all the skills of the group it could be achieved. Yet each of the group is weary of the other and simmering distrust builds slowly. Spence is exposed as a fraud by Sam and subsequently dismissed for his gung-ho attitude. Despite this hiccup, Deirdre sets in motion the plan with all involved receiving money and if they can get their hands on the case a larger sum. They put the plan into action and initially it seems as if the case is in their sights and for the taking. Yet loyalties become blurred and betrayals take centre stage as everyone vies for the case and the hunt begins for the mysterious object. In the game of spying, trust is something hard to come by and that is especially the case as Sam teams with Vincent to discover who out of the team is lying and what the case could possibly represent for the respective parties willing to kill for it. The chase is very much on in this spy thriller.

John Frankenheimer is excellent in his direction of Ronin; creating a sense of unease right from the slow-burning start. He is well equipped at building tension before unraveling the divided feelings and machinations of the group as they pursue each other for the mysterious briefcase( which in itself takes influence from Alfred Hitchcock and his love of the MacGuffin). A scintillating and cool script offers up exciting action and well-rounded characters in a constant game of dangerous cat and mouse. I like to be surprised in a spy thriller and it was provided in many forms in Ronin. Red herrings are tossed in and with all the distrust on display, it is a maze of a story that grips like a vice. The fact that the characters all have mystery to them about their affiliations and past careers gives the brain an exercise as you try to pinpoint who among the international crew is betraying who and the loyalty of each. A part of Ronin that marks it out as something special is its refusal to dumb things down for the audience. It treats them with respect and allows their imaginations to fill in what isn’t said between people.  The spectre of the Cold War is very much on the film and this in turn aids Ronin with the political slant and the feeling of an old-fashioned movie, sparked with modern intrigue. As convoluted and complex as the story becomes, Ronin doesn’t short change us on the action front. And when I say action, my oh my there is some creative highlights present. Most of all it is the car chases through the streets of France that provide the appealing and gripping centre of Ronin. These car chases are not glamorized and achieve a realistic edge to them that sets it way above the average chase scenes. You are left gasping for breath at the sheer intensity of these frenzied pursuits and that is in the best possible way. A classy and building score is just the ticket for conjuring the necessary tension and ghost of the Cold War that weighs heavy on the characters.

Whoever assembled the vast international cast of Ronin deserves a massive pat on the back as they did superb in their selection. Heading it is the wonderful Robert De Niro in a fantastic performance. With a quick wit, keen intellect and cynical attitude, his Sam is a character that we root for in the scope of the shifting maze of loyalties. He shares great chemistry with Jean Reno, who is equally as good as the quiet but very skilled Vincent. Out of the group of characters, these are the two that have an implicit trust throughout and have each others back. And with De Niro and Reno in the roles, they come to life vividly. As the lone female of the cast, Natascha McElhone infuses Deirdre with an icy personality and stand offish tendency, which makes her even more mysterious in the cloak and dagger proceedings. Stellan Skarsgård is marvellously cast as Gregor, who appears to be on the sidelines in the initial stages but reveals an unseen ruthlessness as the mission gets more intense. Sean Bean is present in mainly the first half of Ronin and he has the right bravado for his part as the lying Spence, who doesn’t quite have the stomach for this kind of spy work. Skipp Sudduth as the getaway driver has a smaller role that is still impressive, along with Jonathan Pryce as someone very interested in the briefcase too.

Ronin is everything you could ask for in a spy film. It has atmosphere, excellent characters and espionage unease. Not to mention the fact that it knows how to deliver the thrills when needed and blow you away.

Silent Hill

Tags

2000's, Alice Krige, Christophe Gans, Deborah Kara Unger, Horror, Jodelle Ferland, Kim Coates, Laurie Holden, Radha Mitchell, Sean Bean, Silent Hill, Tanya Allen

Film Title

Silent Hill

Director

Christophe Gans

Starring

• Radha Mitchell as Rose Da Silva
• Sean Bean as Christopher Da Silva
• Laurie Holden as Cybil Bennett
• Jodelle Ferland as Sharon Da Silva
• Deborah Kara Unger as Dahlia Gillespie
• Kim Coates as Officer Thomas Gucci
• Tanya Allen as Anna
• Alice Krige as Christabella

For all its creepy visuals, well-designed sets and competent direction, Silent Hill falls surprisingly flat of the potential it could have reached. What could have been a truly terrifying and riveting adaptation of the video game is let down by a weak script and slow pace.

Rose Da Silva is concerned for the safety and health of her adopted daughter Sharon. For a long time, the young girl has experienced nightmares while sleepwalking, ending in her shouting the name of a town “Silent Hill”. While Rose’s husband Christopher wants to have the girl tested for psychological help, Rose doesn’t agree with this and takes drastic action. Taking Sharon with her after researching the town, she drives towards it in a quest for answers and truth. But on the way to it, Rose gets in a car accident and is knocked unconscious. When she wakes up, Sharon has disappeared. Rose then enters Silent Hill, which is covered in falling ash from a fire of long ago that devastated the town. Assisting her is cop Cybil Bennett, who witnessed Rose’s desperate attempts to reach the town. But as Rose ventures deeper into the town, the sinister past begins to emerge and the hellish depths of the place, which included religious fanaticism and witchcraft burning begin to engulf her. Meanwhile, Christopher frantically searches for his wife and daughter, and comes across the town only to find it to be an abandoned ghost town.

I must say that if Silent Hill was purely based on its style and overall visuals, I would declare it to be a masterwork. Christophe Gans confidently directs the film with panache, ratcheting up the creepy factor at every opportunity. And the fantastic sets of gloomy buildings that populate the eponymous town, filled with mutilated beings and bowels of hell are stomach churning at the very least. But as I’m judging the whole film, I really can’t step away from the flaws that riddle the film. I just feel that the technical aspects that at least make Silent Hill watchable can not save it from being a failure. The main issues I have with Silent Hill are the script, running time and the fact that it throws so many ideas at you without thinking about it. The script at times just feels lazily done, which results in some really bad dialogue. This also has a bad effect on the ideas it throws at you. Many of them have potential, but are not given enough meat on their bones to fully register. I also feel that if the running time had been toned down and given an injection of pace, I would have enjoyed it more. At least there is an unusual score to back up some of the suspense of the horror that occurs along the way.

At least, despite her character being sketchily written, Radha Mitchell shines in the role of Rose. She imbues her with a terrified core that is not going to be shaken as she goes head first into the pits of hell to retrieve her child. It may be something of a thankless role, but at least Radha Mitchell gives it something else. The same can be said of both Sean Bean and Laurie Holden, whose roles are not drawn well enough but they somehow manage to give that little bit extra to them. Holden especially gives her part her all and works well alongside Mitchell. Thank goodness we have these two actresses doing their level best when being given such poorly written and misguided material. Jodelle Ferland as the little girl whose dreams start the whole story is seen too infrequently during the film to really be memorable. Deborah Kara Unger, wrapped in grey sheets and scraggy hair, adds to the strangeness of the piece while Kim Coates is very bland as an officer who knows the history of Silent Hill. In small roles, Tanya Allen as a disturbed fanatic who babbles like a child and Alice Krige as the cult leader, add dashes of menace and malice to proceedings. Krige, although her role is small, makes the most of it and steals all the scenes in which she is present.

So to summarise, Silent Hill may be appropriately unusual and well designed, but is lacking in other departments which drags it down in estimations.

Mirror, Mirror

Tags

2010's, Armie Hammer, Comedy, Fantasy, Julia Roberts, Lily Collins, Mirror Mirror, Nathan Lane, Sean Bean, Tarsem Singh

Film Title

Mirror, Mirror

Director

Tarsem Singh

Starring

• Lily Collins as Snow White
• Julia Roberts as The Queen
• Armie Hammer as Prince Alcott
• Nathan Lane as Brighton
• Sean Bean as The King

A visually splendid but somewhat lacking retelling of the Snow White fairy tale, Mirror, Mirror is opulent to look at but not a wholly successful update. It is a movie of both positives and negatives, yet this comedy/fantasy still leaves you somewhat deflated after watching.

Once upon a time, we see that a young princess by the name of Snow White was born, though her mother died in childbirth. Her grieving father the King married a most beautiful woman, before he mysteriously vanished in the dark forest and was presumed dead. The beautiful yet insecure Queen takes guardianship over Snow White and began to show her true colours by locking her away from the outside world out of fear that her beauty will outshine hers. Her reasoning for this is her magic mirror, which informs her that her beauty will be surpassed by Snow White. The envious Queen has also left the kingdom destitute as a result of her increasing vanity. She is advised to seek out a rich husband and she finds an ideal candidate in the form of the hapless but dashing Prince Alcott. The problem is that he is besotted with the beautiful and innocent Snow White. Enraged, she sends her servant Brighton out into the forest to kill her. Brighton can’t go through with it and lets the young girl escape deep into the forest. There she is taken in by a group of dwarf bandits, who steal what they can from people crossing through the woods. Exiled by the Queen, the seven bandits begin to teach Snow White the tricks of their trade, helping her to grow stronger in order for her to take back the throne that is rightfully hers by birth before the evil Queen can bewitch Prince Alcott into marrying her.

Director Tarsem Singh brings his usual control over splendid visuals and wonderous imagery to the table in Mirror, Mirror. It must be said that the sets are spectacular to look at and the costume design is simply breathtaking in its extravagance. Yet visuals and style are not enough to make Mirror, Mirror a film of originality or power. The jaunty tone of the film is something of a double-edged sword; in certain instances the anachronistic approach works excellently and allows for a lot of laughs. But other times it spills over into the realms of juvenile ridiculousness that is just too unbelievable to take seriously. Just like Into the Woods, I didn’t mind the occasional bending of classic stories. As a matter of fact, many of these switch ups where quite enjoyable, particularly making the seven dwarfs bandits. But at times, Mirror, Mirror just strayed too far over the line of keeping it classic but with added twists that are needless. There’s just something missing here that I can’t put my finger on. The same can’t be said about the score which contributes lively glee and carefree spirit to the uneven film.

Thankfully most of the acting can rise above the flaws of the movie and be very enjoyable. Lily Collins possesses the porcelain beauty and winsome charm for Snow White, but manages to give her a plucky attitude later on and show that she is no mere damsel in distress. The character could have easily been the fawning and helpless princess we are used to seeing, but Collins radiates something different with her version of Snow White. Julia Roberts sinks her teeth into her role as the evil Queen, displaying her insecurity and catty remarks to others with the aplomb of a supreme bitch. Roberts is having a great time here and makes the most of the part, at least managing to give the audience something to laugh about during the course of the movie. The standout performance in Mirror, Mirror comes from Armie Hammer. I liked how he didn’t take himself to seriously here and how he gave Prince Alcott a goofball charm, a penchant for walking into trouble and a certain silliness. He is the prince of the narrative, but the fact that he isn’t the main hero and is often quite hapless in a fight was really funny to view. Nathan Lane is suitably hilarious as Brighton, the Queen’s lap dog who often finds himself in over his head but Sean Bean is wasted in the small role as Snow White’s father. I must give compliments to the actors playing the dwarfs as they really do have a great repertoire with each other and help give Mirror, Mirror some charm that it desperately needs.

So all in all, Mirror, Mirror is a visually dazzling and handsomely designed take on a fairy tale. But that’s all it really is, save for some impressive performances and tweaks to the traditional Snow White narrative.

 

GoldenEye

Tags

007, 1990's, Alan Cumming, Desmond Llewelyn, Famke Janssen, GoldenEye, Gottfried John, Izabella Scorupco, James Bond, Joe Don Baker, Judi Dench, Martin Campbell, Pierce Brosnan, Robbie Coltrane, Samantha Bond, Sean Bean, Spy

Film Title

GoldenEye

Director

Martin Campbell

Starring

• Pierce Brosnan as James Bond
• Sean Bean as Alec Trevelyan
• Izabella Scorupco as Natalya Simonova
• Famke Janssen as Xenia Onatopp
• Joe Don Baker as Jack Wade
• Gottfried John as General Ourumov
• Alan Cumming as Boris Grishenko
• Robbie Coltrane as Valentin Zukovsky
• Judi Dench as M
• Desmond Llewelyn as Q
• Samantha Bond as Moneypenny

After Licence to Kill, the Bond series and producers had many legalities to sort out and these protracted battles extended for years. In 1995, the Bond franchise finally returned after years in the cinematic wilderness with a new man as 007, Pierce Brosnan. The film was GoldenEye and what a return for Bond it was to be. With pulse-pounding action, an interesting plot, eclectic characters and just about everything coming together amazingly, GoldenEye announced that the Bond series was here to stay.

The film begins in 1986 with 007 and Alec Trevelyan (006) infiltrating an illegal Soviet nuclear weapons facility. As they plant explosives, Alec is captured and killed by the corrupt General Ourumov, Bond in typically exciting fashion manages to escape before the place is blown up. Nine years later, Bond is in Monte Carlo investigating a link to the Janus group, a major underground crime syndicate. His first contact with the nefarious group is the sultry but sadistic Xenia Onatopp, a former Soviet fighter pilot and femme fatale who derives sexual pleasure from murdering people with her strong thighs. Onatopp manages to hijack a prominent helicopter and flies it to a Russian bunker called Severnaya, which doubles as a computer station and weapons division. With Bond’s old nemesis General Ourumov, she massacres the staff and arms a device known as the GoldenEye, a satellite with the power of EMP which destroys the bunker. Unbeknownst to them, someone did survive the blast, Natalya Simonova, a talented computer programmer who manages to flee as her name is marked and her life is in danger. There was another survivor in the form of the arrogant computer geek Boris Grishenko, but he is in league with the Janus group and left before the devastation took place. Meanwhile, having been informed of the destruction of Severnaya, the new M sends Bond on the trail of the Janus syndicate and instructs him to discover what they plan to do with the GoldenEye. Travelling to Russia, Bond teams with Natalya, who comes in very handy in matters of computers and technology. After being put in touch with an old adversary Valentin Zukovsky, he is lead to the head of the Janus syndicate. To Bond’s dismay, the head is revealed to be his old friend Alec Trevelyan, who faked his death all those years ago and now wants revenge against the United Kingdom for an incident involving his parents years ago. Pitted against a former friend and globe-trotting from the snows of Russia to the heat of Cuba, Bond must do battle with him and his other associates in order to avert financial and economic destruction to the United Kingdom of the highest order.

Bringing the series back to life is the talented Martin Campbell. He balances the espionage thrills with superb action and allows the script to incorporate some interesting themes. The main one is the subject of change, since Bond last had an outing the world around him has changed. The film highlights this by the using the fall of the Soviet Union as a backdrop( one scene takes place in a graveyard of broken down monuments of Soviet times) and casting the role of M as a woman. The question of whether or not Bond is relevant in a modern era is also brought up in a very interesting fashion ( although of course we know the answer is a resounding yes). Pitting Bond against an old friend who has turned is another successful attribute of GoldenEye’s arsenal of goods, as we watch the friendship disintegrate into hate and hurt as Bond and Alec come to violent blows. Explosive action abounds with the highlights being a chase through the streets of St. Petersburg in which Bond uses an army tank, a flame engulfed train ride and a brutal fight between Bond and his treacherous old friend. Eric Serra provides the often discussed score to GoldenEye, which has divided opinion on its merit since the release of it. I stand in the middle ground, I believe that there are some excellent pieces of music here and that some are wholly out-of-place in the world of 007. The theme sung by Tina Turner is a highlight of the music, with her soulful and sultry vocals belting out the song with gusto. It provides the perfect complement to the title sequence which features women clad in revealing lingerie dancing and destroying Soviet statues.

Stepping into the role of James Bond, Pierce Brosnan is fantastic in his first outing. Combing urbane charm with a streak of menace and ruthlessness, he really brings the character alive and ensures that Bond is a character that will stay in the minds of millions. Sean Bean makes for an interesting nemesis due to Alec’s history with Bond and he successfully plays him with understated skill. The dynamic between the two gives GoldenEye that extra feeling of danger as we watch the inner conflict Bond must face in knowing that he has to kill a former friend. Izabella Scorupco brings cynicism and determination to the role of resourceful Natalya Simonova, while letting the audience glimpse a touching vulnerability beneath the steely surface. Famke Janssen clearly has a blast playing the sadistic Xenia Onatopp, who is looking to put the literal squeeze on Bond for her own twisted and perverse satisfaction. Combing outrageous zeal, extreme sexual aggression and unnerving glee, she makes for a highly charged and unforgettable Bond girl gone bad. Joe Don Baker, returning to the world of Bond after his portrayal of Whitaker in The Living Daylights, is far more successful here as the amusing CIA contact Jack Wade, while Gottfried John gives physical presence and unusual menace to the role of the increasingly corrupt General Ourumov. Alan Cumming embodies the rat like tendencies of the geek Boris and Robbie Coltrane makes for a reluctant but very helpful ally for Bond in the guise of Valentin Zukovsky. In her first performance as M, Judi Dench is a marvel. Not only can she handle herself with great authority but she can put Bond in his place to( Case in point when she refers to him as a “Sexist, misogynist dinosaur”). Series stalwart Desmond Llewelyn is once again on hand for the usual banter in his gadgets lab, while Samantha Bond is great as the witty new Moneypenny, who can match Bond in terms of innuendos.

With a talented cast and excellent direction, GoldenEye proudly takes its place as one of my favourite Bond movies.

The Dark

Tags

2000's, Abigail Stone, Horror, John Fawcett, Maria Bello, Maurice Roëves, Sean Bean, Sophie Stuckey, The Dark

Film Title

The Dark

Director

John Fawcett

Starring

• Maria Bello as Adelle
• Sean Bean as James
• Maurice Roëves as Dafydd
• Sophie Stuckey as Sarah
• Abigail Stone as Ebrill

The Dark is a strange little horror film that took me more than a little by surprise. Mixing Welsh mythology, strange occurrences and the levels one is willing to go to bring a child back, it is frightening to say the least. Although the ending becomes way too confusing, The Dark up until then is a generally effective horror flick with eerie, gothic menace.

Adelle brings her teenage daughter Sarah to a remote Welsh farmhouse in order to mend her relationship with both her daughter and estranged husband James. But before any fixing of fractious relationships can begin, a tragedy befalls Adelle and James. Whilst searching the rocks near the cliff side, Sarah vanishes and is presumed dead. Adelle refuses to believe that her daughter is dead, but secretly feels maternal guilt for feeling that she wasn’t there for Sarah. In flashback, we see the broken relationship between the two of them and how it has affected them. Not long after, Adelle finds a young traumatized girl in the old abandoned abattoir, who bears a strong resemblance to her daughter . In the midst of this tragedy, Adelle discovers the strange and disquieting history of the farmhouse from the farm hand Dafydd. The farm was once owned by a minister who believed in ancient folklore. According to Welsh folklore, there is a place called Annwyn, which is the afterlife. He had a sickly daughter by the name of Ebrill, who he gave to the ocean. He then convinced his followers to sacrifice themselves by throwing themselves into the oncoming waves in order to bring his daughter back. She did return, but this time tragic consequences followed as a result. The girl who Adelle found appears to be Ebrill, but James doesn’t believe this at first and thinks Adelle is diving into something she shouldn’t. Adelle becomes convinced that Ebrill has taken Sarah’s place and that her daughter is still alive. This throws her into the realms of folklore and terror as she attempts to find an answer.

John Fawcett creates a creepy atmosphere of tension and ominous warnings by using the Welsh setting and mythology to chilling effect. The cliffs and raging waves that are repeatedly seen add to the strange history of the place and the revelations that Adelle uncovers whilst in mourning for her lost daughter. Some of the scares within The Dark may be cliché, but they don’t half make you jump all the same. Plus, under the grey and melancholy colours that saturate The Dark there is many a startling use of imagery, particularly in two gruesome scenes of trepanning and a menacing flock of sheep that charge without warning. Where The Dark stumbles is its final half, in which the story becomes too confusing and hard to follow. Which is a shame considering the gothic menace and chills it has conjured up before this lapse into uncertainty and confusion.

Maria Bello is great as Adelle, capturing her sense of guilt and belief that her daughter isn’t gone with her moving delivery and intense determination. Sean Bean, though more than a little underused, at least gives his character a touching sensitivity and broken heart as we watch him mourn his daughter, but worry about the actions of his estranged wife. Maurice Roëves is interesting as the farm hand aware of the tragic and sinister history of the farm. While Sophie Stuckey is seen too infrequently as Sarah, Abigail Stone gives the role of the returning Ebrill a haunting menace and sadness.

A generally eerie and menacing horror film, only let down by the baffling ending, The Dark is a good enough movie to give you chills.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Tags

2000's, Billy Boyd, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Dominic Monaghan, Elijah Wood, Epic, Fantasy, Hugo Weaving, Ian Holm, Ian McKellen, John Rhys-Davies, Liv Tyler, Orlando Bloom, Peter Jackson, Sean Astin, Sean Bean, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Viggo Mortensen

Film Title

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Director

Peter Jackson

Starring

• Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins
• Ian McKellen as Gandalf
• Sean Astin as Samwise “Sam” Gamgee
• Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn
• Liv Tyler as Arwen
• Cate Blanchett as Galadriel
• John Rhys-Davies as Gimli
• Billy Boyd as Pippin
• Dominic Monaghan as Merry
• Christopher Lee as Saruman
• Orlando Bloom as Legolas
• Hugo Weaving as Elrond
• Sean Bean as Boromir
• Ian Holm as Bilbo Baggins

The other day, I was rooting through my DVD collection when I came across The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. It has been an age since I last saw the films and so along with my brother I sat down and watched the films in one go. To say the experience was epic is an understatement. To start my reviews of the trilogy is The Fellowship of the Ring.

Many said it was unfilmable but Peter Jackson sure proved them wrong. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings is the absorbing, stunningly executed and all round epic first entry into the trilogy. Fantasy has rarely looked this amazing and majestic onscreen and I may just run out of adjectives to describe the sheer scope and beauty of the film. Anyway enough of my rambling, onto the review.

Set in the vast lands of Middle Earth, Fellowship follows the tale of Frodo Baggins, a young hobbit living peacefully in the Shire who is entrusted with a dangerous task. His uncle Bilbo is leaving the Shire to live with the elves of Rivendell. He leaves Frodo a ring, yet this is no ordinary ring. It is the ring of power, forged centuries ago by the dark lord Sauron. There were originally other rings forged given to the different races of Middle Earth. Bound in the ring is the power to dominate the other bearers of rings and succumb to the rings dark trappings. Sauron was believed dead but his presence has survived and is now intent on retrieving the ring. Upon hearing of the ring, Bilbo’s old friend, the wise wizard Gandalf instructs Frodo to flee the Shire as the forces of darkness will soon come looking for him. Aiding Frodo is his loyal best friend Sam and two others hobbits named Merry and Pippin. Later he is joined by a mysterious ranger Aragorn who has a claim to a throne, archer and elf Legolas, dwarf Gimli and warrior Boromir. The future of Middle Earth is at peril because of the ring and only by destroying it can the danger it brings be erased. And so Frodo sets off with the others, known as the Fellowship, on a perilous journey to destroy the evil ring before it falls into the wrong hands. Prepare for a handsomely mounted fantasy tale of bravery, kinship and a dangerous quest filled with uncertainty directed with dedication and visual splendour by Peter Jackson.

The first thing to praise in Fellowship is the New Zealand locations that make up the vast lands of Middle Earth. Mountains, woodlands and vast fields appear breathtaking and we as an audience are sucked into the arduous journey that Frodo must take. The intelligent screenplay gives us a thrilling fantasy adventure with characters we can root for and features some amazing fight scenes against the dark forces that terrorise Middle Earth. We become immersed in the various legends that abound and the various people who make up the lands. Also, we get see the friendships of the main characters, embodied by the loyal and sincere Sam who would do anything for his best friend Frodo.

Sonically, Fellowship is a marvel. From the high-pitched screech of the Nazgul, wraith like beings attempting to return the ring to the dark lord to the evocative and splendid score by Howard Shore, it really is amazing to say the least. Special effects are of the highest order, creating menacing beings such as the vicious orcs and a particularly memorable cave troll. The many fight scenes are executed to excellent standards, especially when the Fellowship face the orcs. Fellowship of the Ring is a film of many memorable moments it really is hard to choose just a few to mention. Highlights for me are the chase of Arwen, a beautiful she elf who risks her life to save Frodo from death, by the evil Nazgul through woodlands, the Fellowship battling orcs in a catacomb and the kissing of Frodo’s forehead for good luck by Galadriel, a wise elf of immense power and wisdom.

But the biggest impact on the film is made by the supremely talented cast assembled to flesh out the various beings of this fantasy tale. Heading this is the ideal casting of Elijah Wood as Frodo, the one who the task weighs heavily upon. Wood embodies the initially frightened realisation of his task and later his bravery that will lead him on his way. Ian McKellen is excellent as the wizard Gandalf, showing us the wise man with immense power who is an invaluable ally on the quest. As the loyal, stout-hearted Sam, Sean Astin is perfectly cast as he is one of the driving forces behind Frodo. Without Sam’s wisdom and pluck, Frodo’s journey would not have been as interesting. Viggo Mortensen is suitably heroic as the skilled ranger Aragorn, while Liv Tyler is earnest and beautiful as Arwen, the elf who he has fallen in love with. Their relationship is beautifully observed as we watch the conflicted desires of both as Arwen questions whether to give up her immortality for love, her line ” I would rather share one lifetime with you than face all the Ages of this world alone” is haunting. Cate Blanchett is suitably ethereal and full of intelligence as Galadriel, the presence of her engaging voice in the prologue of the ring’s journey is a stroke of genius.  John Rhys-Davies provides some comic relief as the belligerent dwarf Gimli, further adding to this humour is Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan as the mischievous Pippin and Merry.  Christopher Lee is gleefully evil as the wizard who has turned to the dark side. Orlando Bloom makes for a skilled ally of Legolas, an elf with a talent for archery. Hugo Weaving exudes respectability as Elrond, lord of the elves while Sean Bean makes a deep impression as Boromir. In the small but pivotal role of Bilbo, the one who found the ring, Ian Holm shines.

Crafted with meticulous and faithful detail by Peter Jackson, Fellowship of the Ring is a fantasy film to treasure for its engaging storyline, glorious scenery and its ability to transport us into a world of magic, danger and hope.