The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

The Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the Ring 2001tt0120737.jpg poster

  • IMDb page: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
  • Rate: 8.8/10 total 721,631 votes 
  • Genre: Action | Adventure | Fantasy
  • Release Date: 19 December 2001 (USA)
  • Runtime: 178 min | 208 min (special extended edition) | 228 min (including extended credits)
  • Filming Location: Arrowtown Recreational Reserve, Arrowtown, Otago, New Zealand
  • Budget: $93,000,000 (estimated)
  • Gross: $36,116,967 (Europe) (19 December 2003)
  • Director: Peter Jackson
  • Stars: Elijah Wood, Sean Bean, Orlando Bloom | See full cast and crew
  • Original Music By: Howard Shore   
  • Soundtrack: May It Be
  • Sound Mix: DTS-ES | Dolby Digital EX | SDDS
  • Plot Keyword: Ring | Hobbit | Doom | Middle Earth | Quest

Writing Credits By:

  • J.R.R. Tolkien (novel "The Fellowship of the Ring")
  • Fran Walsh (screenplay) &
  • Philippa Boyens (screenplay) &
  • Peter Jackson (screenplay)

Known Trivia

  • Stuart Townsend was originally cast as Aragorn, but was replaced by Viggo Mortensen after four days of shooting because Peter Jackson realized that an older actor was needed.
  • Ian Holm, who plays Bilbo Baggins, was the voice of Frodo Baggins in the 1981 BBC Radio adaptation of “The Lord of The Rings”.
  • Sean Astin’s father, John Astin, auditioned for the role of Gandalf.
  • Eight of the nine members of the Fellowship got a small tattoo of the word “nine” spelled out in Tengwar, which is the Elvish script created by Tolkien. They got it at a tattoo parlor in Wellington, New Zealand, to commemorate the experience of the movie. The ninth member, John Rhys-Davies, declined and sent his stunt double in his place. Elijah Wood’s tattoo is on his lower stomach. Sean Astin and Billy Boyd have the tattoo on their ankles (to commemorate all those hours in the hobbit feet). Orlando Bloom, who plays the archer elf Legolas, has his on his forearm. His tattoo is visible during a fight scene in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Ian McKellen’s is on his shoulder. Dominic Monaghan’s is on his shoulder. And the eighth member, Sean Bean, has his tattoo on his right shoulder. Viggo Mortensen has his tattoo on his left shoulder. It is visible on some pictures from the movie Eastern Promises
  • Producer Tim Sanders left the project after principal photography had commenced.
  • Elijah Wood dressed up in breeches and a flowing shirt and went out into the hills to shoot his audition tape. His friend George Huang, directed the video.
  • Although David Bowie was said to be keen on playing Elf Lord Elrond, the part went instead to Hugo Weaving.
  • Daniel Day-Lewis turned down the role of Aragorn.
  • Howard Shore used the music of Richard Wagner as his primary influence for the films’ musical scores.
  • The two most renowned Tolkien artists are Alan Lee and John Howe, and so it was important to Peter Jackson to have those two on board. Lee was tracked down to a tiny little village in Dartmoor, England and was FedExed a package of Jackson’s Heavenly Creatures and a letter outlining his intentions. They monitored the progress of the FedEx package every step of the way, but were somewhat surprised when Lee rang them only 3 hours after delivery to say he’d love to work with them. Howe meanwhile was living in Switzerland, and because someone hadn’t worked out the time differences between Europe and New Zealand correctly, was rung about 2am. He says that the biggest frustration with that phone call was waiting for Jackson to finish his pitch before he could say yes.

Goofs: Crew or equipment visible: In the scene in which Merry asks where Aragorn is taking them after leaving Bree, and he replies "Into the wild,"

Plot: A meek hobbit of The Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring and the dark lord Sauron. Full summary »  »

Story: An ancient Ring thought lost for centuries has been found, and through a strange twist in fate has been given to a small Hobbit named Frodo. When Gandalf discovers the Ring is in fact the One Ring of the Dark Lord Sauron, Frodo must make an epic quest to the Cracks of Doom in order to destroy it! However he does not go alone. He is joined by Gandalf, Legolas the elf, Gimli the Dwarf, Aragorn, Boromir and his three Hobbit friends Merry, Pippin and Samwise. Through mountains, snow, darkness, forests, rivers and plains, facing evil and danger at every corner the Fellowship of the Ring must go. Their quest to destroy the One Ring is the only hope for the end of the Dark Lords reign! Written byPaul Twomey <toomsp@hotmail.com>

{tab=FullCast & Crew}

Produced By:

  • Peter Jackson known as producer
  • Michael Lynne known as executive producer: New Line Cinema
  • Mark Ordesky known as executive producer: New Line Cinema
  • Barrie M. Osborne known as producer
  • Rick Porras known as co-producer: WingNut Films
  • Tim Sanders known as producer
  • Jamie Selkirk known as co-producer: WingNut Films
  • Robert Shaye known as executive producer: New Line Cinema
  • Ellen Somers known as associate producer (as Ellen M. Somers)
  • Fran Walsh known as producer
  • Bob Weinstein known as executive producer
  • Harvey Weinstein known as executive producer

FullCast & Crew:

  • Alan Howard known as The Ring (voice)
  • Elijah Wood known as Frodo Baggins
  • Noel Appleby known as Everard Proudfoot
  • Sean Astin known as Samwise 'Sam' Gamgee
  • Sala Baker known as Sauron
  • Sean Bean known as Boromir
  • Cate Blanchett known as Galadriel
  • Orlando Bloom known as Legolas Greenleaf
  • Billy Boyd known as Peregrin 'Pippin' Took
  • Marton Csokas known as Celeborn
  • Megan Edwards known as Mrs. Proudfoot
  • Michael Elsworth known as Gondorian Archivist
  • Mark Ferguson known as Gil-Galad
  • Ian Holm known as Bilbo Baggins
  • Christopher Lee known as Saruman
  • Lawrence Makoare known as Lurtz
  • Andy Serkis known as Gollum / Witch-King (voice)
  • Brent McIntyre known as Witch-King
  • Ian McKellen known as Gandalf the Grey
  • Peter McKenzie known as Elendil
  • Sarah McLeod known as Rose 'Rosie' Cotton
  • Dominic Monaghan known as Meriadoc 'Merry' Brandybuck
  • Viggo Mortensen known as Aragorn
  • Ian Mune known as Bounder
  • Craig Parker known as Haldir
  • Cameron Rhodes known as Farmer Maggot
  • John Rhys-Davies known as Gimli
  • Martyn Sanderson known as Gate Keeper
  • Harry Sinclair known as Isildur
  • Liv Tyler known as Arwen
  • David Weatherley known as Barliman Butterbur
  • Hugo Weaving known as Elrond
  • Victoria Beynon-Cole known as Hero Orcs / Goblins / Uruks / Ringwraiths
  • Lee Hartley known as Hero Orcs / Goblins / Uruks / Ringwraiths
  • Sam La Hood known as Hero Orcs / Goblins / Uruks / Ringwraiths
  • Chris Streeter known as Hero Orcs / Goblins / Uruks / Ringwraiths
  • Phil Grieve known as Hero Orcs / Goblins / Uruks / Ringwraiths (as Philip Grieve)
  • Jonathan Jordan known as Hero Orcs / Goblins / Uruks / Ringwraiths
  • Semi Kuresa known as Hero Orcs / Goblins / Uruks / Ringwraiths
  • Clinton Ulyatt known as Hero Orcs / Goblins / Uruks / Ringwraiths
  • Paul Bryson known as Hero Orcs / Goblins / Uruks / Ringwraiths
  • Lance Fabian Kemp known as Hero Orcs / Goblins / Uruks / Ringwraiths
  • Jono Manks known as Hero Orcs / Goblins / Uruks / Ringwraiths
  • Ben Price known as Hero Orcs / Goblins / Uruks / Ringwraiths
  • Billy Jackson known as Cute Hobbit Child
  • Katie Jackson known as Cute Hobbit Child
  • Peter Corrigan known as Otho (extended edition)
  • Lori Dungey known as Mrs. Bracegirdle (extended edition)
  • Norman Forsey known as Gaffer Gamgee (extended edition)
  • William Johnson known as Old Noakes (extended edition)
  • Elizabeth Moody known as Lobelia Sackville-Baggins (extended edition)
  • Brian Sergent known as Ted Sandyman (extended edition)
  • Timothy Bartlett known as Hobbit (uncredited)
  • Jarl Benzon known as Elf (uncredited)
  • Jørn Benzon known as Rumil (uncredited)
  • Rachel Clentworth known as Goblin (uncredited)
  • Sabine Crossen known as Rivendale Elf (uncredited)
  • Taea Hartwell known as Cute Hobbit Child (uncredited)
  • Peter Jackson known as Albert Dreary (uncredited)
  • Alan Lee known as King of Men – Prologue Sequence (uncredited)
  • Thomas McGinty known as Hero Orcs / Goblins / Uruks / Ringwraiths (uncredited)
  • Bret McKenzie known as Elf at Council of Elrond (uncredited)
  • Kate O'Rourke known as Hero Orcs / Goblins / Uruks / Ringwraiths (uncredited)
  • Shane Rangi known as Witch-King of Angmar (uncredited)

..{tab=Supporting Department}Makeup Department:

  • Margaret Aston known as hair stylist
  • Margaret Aston known as makeup artist
  • Rick Findlater known as hair stylist
  • Rick Findlater known as makeup artist
  • Marjory Hamlin known as prosthetics supervisor
  • Nancy Hennah known as hair stylist
  • Nancy Hennah known as makeup artist
  • Mark Kinaston-Smith known as makeup artist
  • Peter King known as hair designer
  • Peter King known as makeup designer
  • Bronwyn Knott known as hair stylist
  • Bronwyn Knott known as makeup artist
  • Davina Lamont known as hair stylist
  • Davina Lamont known as makeup artist
  • Vivienne MacGillicuddy known as hair stylist (as Vivienne Macgillicuddy 'Bliss')
  • Vivienne MacGillicuddy known as makeup artist (as Vivienne Macgillicuddy 'Bliss')
  • Angela Mooar known as coordinator: makeup assistants
  • Peter Owen known as hair designer
  • Peter Owen known as makeup designer
  • José Luis Pérez known as key hair stylist (as Jose L. Perez)
  • José Luis Pérez known as key makeup artist (as Jose L. Perez)
  • Kerryn Roberts known as hair stylist
  • Kerryn Roberts known as makeup artist
  • Janine Schneider known as hair stylist
  • Janine Schneider known as makeup artist
  • Lenore Stewart known as hair stylist
  • Lenore Stewart known as makeup artist
  • Richard Taylor known as special makeup, creatures, armour and miniatures
  • Tera Treanor known as hair stylist
  • Tera Treanor known as makeup artist
  • Caroline Turner known as wig technician
  • Noreen Wilkie known as hair stylist
  • Noreen Wilkie known as makeup artist
  • Gail Wilson known as hair coordinator
  • Gail Wilson known as makeup coordinator
  • Jeremy Woodhead known as hair stylist
  • Jeremy Woodhead known as makeup artist
  • Jason Docherty known as prosthetics technician (uncredited)
  • Debra East known as hair stylist (uncredited)
  • Debra East known as makeup artist (uncredited)
  • Tracey Garner known as hair stylist (uncredited)
  • Tracey Garner known as makeup artist (uncredited)
  • Catherine Maguire known as hair stylist (uncredited)
  • Catherine Maguire known as makeup artist (uncredited)
  • Emma Moncrieff known as hair stylist (uncredited)
  • Emma Moncrieff known as makeup artist (uncredited)
  • Allie Rutherford known as hair stylist (uncredited)
  • Allie Rutherford known as makeup artist (uncredited)
  • Tanya Travis known as hair stylist (uncredited)
  • Tanya Travis known as makeup artist (uncredited)
  • Linda Wall known as hair stylist (uncredited)
  • Linda Wall known as makeup artist (uncredited)
  • Sarah Weatherburn known as facial hair maker (uncredited)
  • Laurelle Ziento known as makeup artist (uncredited)

Art Department:

  • Tim Abbot known as props maker
  • Daniel Aird known as sculptor
  • Christopher Aitken known as painter
  • Jacqui Allen known as assistant art director
  • Ruben Allen known as art department production assistant
  • Judy Alley known as set dresser
  • Tristan 'Stan' Alley known as stand-by assistant props
  • Karl Anton known as carpenter
  • Andrew Baguley known as sculptor
  • Michael Baker known as hammer hand
  • Ben Beemsterboer known as props maker
  • Stephen Belsten known as sculptor
  • Brett Blenkin known as construction foreman
  • Michael Bonnar known as rock & foam technician
  • Kevin Bradshaw known as props maker
  • John Brien known as carpenter
  • Simon Bright known as stand-by props
  • Sam Brown known as hammer hand
  • Jason Browning known as carpenter
  • Pete Butters known as props maker
  • Anton Buys known as leading hand
  • Brian Campbell known as painter
  • Paula Carswell known as stand-by greens
  • Paul Carvell known as carpenter
  • Tanea Chapman known as set dresser
  • Jeff Clark known as hammer hand
  • Jules Cook known as assistant art director
  • Stephen Crene known as painter
  • Neil Cromie known as carpenter
  • Alan Davie known as carpenter
  • Henry Davies known as painter
  • Huia Davies known as hammer hand
  • Selwyn Davies known as hammer hand
  • P.M. de Rijk known as hammer hand
  • Joel Douglas known as hammer hand
  • Tony Drawbridge known as props maker
  • Matt Duncan known as hammer hand
  • Rei Duncan known as carpenter
  • Kerry Dunn known as supervising set finisher
  • Matthew Easton known as hammer hand
  • Grant Fahey known as construction foreman
  • Semi Feite known as hammer hand
  • Garrick Ferguson known as hammer hand
  • Kim Ferguson known as props maker
  • Duncan Field known as carpenter
  • Adam Fisher known as carpenter
  • Andrew Fraser known as greens
  • Alistair Fyfe known as hammer hand
  • Roxane Gajadhar known as art department coordinator
  • Clayton Gearry known as carpenter
  • Andy Gee known as hammer hand
  • Sam Genet known as supervising sculptor
  • Mike Gibson known as hammer hand (as Michael Gibson)
  • Chris Gifford known as carpenter
  • Trevor Gillan known as carpenter
  • Charles Goodwin known as hammer hand
  • Geoff Goss known as carpenter
  • Clarke Gregory known as draughtsperson
  • James Griffin known as hammer hand
  • David Guerin known as sculptor
  • Paul Halton known as painter
  • Simon Hames known as props maker
  • Troy Hannett known as painter
  • Wade Hannett known as painter
  • Simon Harper known as stand-by props
  • Andrew Hastings known as hammer hand
  • Wendy Hatfield known as hammer hand
  • Paul Hay-Chapman known as carpenter
  • Michael Heerey known as hammer hand
  • Mike Heffernan known as construction manager
  • David Hegglun known as sculptor
  • Chris Hennah known as art department manager
  • Vaughan Hickson known as hammer hand
  • Ross Hoby known as carpenter
  • Nick Hoddinot known as props maker
  • Jason Holland known as painter
  • Roger Houston known as carpenter
  • John Howe known as carpenter
  • John Howe known as conceptual designer
  • Gary Hunt known as sculptor
  • Murray Hunter known as props maker
  • Ian Hutton known as carpenter
  • Paul Isaacson known as sculptor
  • Gareth Jensen known as props designer
  • Daniel Kelly known as props maker
  • Shane Kenneally known as sculptor
  • Archie Kennedy known as steelworker
  • Heather Kilgour known as sculptor
  • Dan King known as greens
  • Gareth King known as carpenter
  • Robert King known as carpenter
  • Thomas Kipa known as carpenter
  • Erwin Koedijk known as props maker
  • Andrew Kolfe known as greens
  • David Kolff known as set dresser
  • Andre La Borde known as hammer hand
  • Jon Lambert known as carpenter
  • Brett Larsen known as painter
  • Bill Lawton known as hammer hand
  • Christopher Lawton known as rock & foam technician
  • Alan Lee known as conceptual designer
  • Virginia Lee known as sculptor
  • Setu Lio known as stand-by props
  • Andrew Lloyd known as leading hand
  • Richard Lomas known as painter
  • Douglas Lotoaso known as hammer hand
  • Paul Lovato known as hammer hand
  • Peter Loveridge known as carpenter
  • Simon Lowe known as stand-by greens
  • Anthony Marrow known as sculptor
  • Jim Marsden known as construction foreman
  • Alan Marshall known as construction foreman
  • Simon Marshall known as hammer hand
  • Brian Massey known as greensmaster
  • Graeme Massey known as greens
  • Fiona McDonald known as props maker
  • Sam McDougall known as stand-by greens
  • Basil McGahan known as greens
  • Ross McGarva known as assistant art director
  • Robert McGovern known as carpenter
  • Victoria McKenzie known as stand-by props
  • Andrew McLay known as sculptor
  • Brian McMillin known as carpenter
  • William McPhedron known as carpenter
  • Chris Meder known as set dresser
  • Matthew Mellor known as model maker
  • Gareth Mills known as stand-by assistant props
  • Derek Misseldine known as leading hand
  • Dave Moore known as carpenter
  • Chris Morrison known as carpenter
  • Andrew Moyes known as model maker
  • Ed Mulholand known as construction supervisor (as Ed Mulholland)
  • Russell Murray known as draughtsperson
  • Graeme Neal known as carpenter
  • Kirk Nicholls known as sculptor
  • Reece Nicol known as carpenter
  • Anthony Norris known as hammer hand
  • Mark O'Shea known as rock & foam technician
  • Matthew C. Oliver known as hammer hand
  • Blaise Orsman known as sculptor
  • Danielle Osborne known as art department production assistant
  • Danielle Osborne known as art department runner
  • Michael Paterson known as carpenter
  • Josh Patterson known as greens
  • Leon Pehi known as carpenter
  • Scott Peters known as carpenter
  • Raynia Pikari known as rock & foam technician
  • Jeerapong Pitakkul known as hammer hand
  • Ivan Poa known as carpenter
  • Tim Priest known as draughtsperson
  • Ben Pringle known as carpenter
  • Manu Pullyn known as painter
  • Chris Purdy known as carpenter
  • Trace Quinn known as construction foreman
  • Hamish Quinney known as carpenter
  • Chris Ramsay known as painter
  • Duncan J. Randall known as hammer hand
  • Robert Reedy known as props maker
  • Daniel Reeve known as props maker
  • Jack Reid known as hammer hand
  • Mark Relph known as carpenter
  • Amber Richards known as set dresser
  • Andrew Richardson known as greens
  • Scott Richardson known as greens
  • Nick Riera known as props buyer
  • Warren Robb known as carpenter
  • Quinn Roberts known as greens
  • Tony Roberts known as carpenter
  • Wayne Roberts known as props maker
  • Murray Robinson known as carpenter
  • Jonathan Rodgers known as sculptor
  • Dave Roy known as sculptor
  • Bill Ryalls known as sculptor
  • John Shearman known as props maker
  • Kevin Silvester known as greens
  • Vic Singe known as props maker
  • Stepan Skala known as carpenter
  • Dean Smith known as carpenter
  • Fraser Smith known as carpenter
  • Giles Smith known as painter
  • Warren 'Bino' Smith known as painter
  • Natalie Staniforth known as sculptor
  • Russell Stoupe known as leading hand
  • Chris Streeter known as props maker
  • Helen Strevens known as draughtsperson
  • Nigel Sturgeon known as steelworker
  • Brent Sutton known as carpenter
  • Ricky Sweeney known as hammer hand
  • Hokio Tarawhiti known as carpenter
  • Brent Tasker known as stand-by greens
  • Lesley Earle Templeton known as props maker
  • Rod Tervoort known as props maker
  • Nigel Thomas known as greens
  • Philip Thomas known as draughtsperson
  • Kate Thurston known as draughtsperson
  • Penny Towns known as art department production assistant
  • Penny Towns known as art department runner
  • Cathy Tracey known as carpenter
  • Mike Travers known as painter
  • Paul Traynor known as painter
  • James Tuapai known as rock & foam technician
  • Lisa Twort known as greens
  • Hans John Uivel known as carpenter
  • Phillip Unuia known as steelworker
  • Janice Van Rooijen known as carpenter
  • Dave Vernon known as carpenter
  • Ra Vincent known as sculptor
  • Hamish Wain known as props maker
  • Duncan Wait known as hammer hand
  • Rob Wait known as leading hand
  • Bryan Wakelin known as construction foreman
  • Hakota James Walker known as carpenter
  • Patrick Walker known as stand-by assistant props
  • James Wallace known as art department production assistant
  • James Wallace known as art department runner
  • Timothy Ward known as hammer hand
  • Nick Weir known as props master
  • Gillian West-Walker known as set dresser
  • Ben Whale known as set dresser
  • David White known as carpenter
  • Norman Willerton known as construction manager
  • Nick Williams known as rock & foam technician
  • Paul Williams known as hammer hand
  • Phillip Williams known as leading hand (as Phil Williams)
  • Alan Wilson known as leading hand
  • Matt Wratten known as supervising steelworker
  • Brigitte Wuest known as head sculptor
  • Alan Wyllie known as leading hand
  • Joseph Wynward known as stand-by props (as Joseph Wynyard)
  • Brigitte Yorke known as art department coordinator
  • Sonia Bass known as workshop assistant: Weta Workshop (uncredited)
  • Rob Brown known as props maker (uncredited)
  • Stephen 'Casey' Casey known as props maker (uncredited)
  • Zachary Cousins known as construction trainee (uncredited)
  • Colin Davidson known as construction leading hand (uncredited)
  • Antonio De Gregorio known as construction trainee (uncredited)
  • Coleman Fraser known as laborer (uncredited)
  • Peter Hill known as laborer (uncredited)
  • Amos Kane Ibell known as construction trainee (uncredited)
  • Mark Jephson known as laborer (uncredited)
  • P.E. Kilpatrick known as laborer (uncredited)
  • Jeff Kingsford-Brown known as laborer (uncredited)
  • Dallas Selwyn Tengore Kipa known as construction trainee (uncredited)
  • Tristan Leniston-Mahoney known as construction trainee (uncredited)
  • Troy Major known as laborer (uncredited)
  • Gerome Mills known as construction trainee (uncredited)
  • Steve Mitchell known as scenic artist (uncredited)
  • Sean Neal known as laborer (uncredited)
  • Shanon Newson known as laborer (uncredited)
  • Daena Nichols known as construction trainee (uncredited)
  • Richard Orrick known as laborer (uncredited)
  • Christian Rivers known as assistant art director (uncredited)
  • Solomon Saalmon known as laborer (uncredited)
  • Mark Sheridan known as laborer (uncredited)
  • Troy Stephens known as scenic artist (uncredited)
  • Alexander Still known as set finisher (uncredited)
  • Richard Sturkenboom known as laborer (uncredited)
  • John Suddaby known as laborer (uncredited)
  • Wayne Tawhara known as laborer (uncredited)
  • Richard Taylor known as supervisor: Weta workshop (uncredited)
  • Joel Toruragi Tomokino known as construction trainee (uncredited)
  • Axel Wakelin known as laborer (uncredited)
  • Graham Watkins known as hammer hand (uncredited)
  • Jill Westwalker known as assistant props master (uncredited)
  • James Whetu-Waten known as laborer (uncredited)
  • Michael White known as greensman (uncredited)
  • Dominic Williams known as construction trainee (uncredited)
  • Mark Cameron Williams known as greens art (uncredited)
  • Shane Wood known as laborer (uncredited)

..{tab=Company}

Production Companies:

  • New Line Cinema (presents)
  • WingNut Films
  • The Saul Zaentz Company (licensor) (d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises)

Other Companies:

  • Hyperactive Broadcast  editing equipment
  • 4MC UK Ltd.  adr facilities
  • AFM Lighting  lighting facilities
  • AON/Albert G. Ruben Insurance Services  additional insurance
  • Abbey Road Studios  music mixed at
  • Abbey Road Studios  music recorded at
  • Air Lyndhurst Studios  music recorded at
  • BBVC/Kelly's Eye  video assist design and build (uncredited)
  • Background Talent  extras casting
  • Bank of New Zealand  investment services
  • Camperdown Studios  adr facilities
  • Colorfront  digital film grading system
  • Colosseum, Watford  music recorded at
  • DDA Public Relations (DDA)  international publicity
  • Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai  thanks (as Department of Conservation)
  • Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production
  • Flying Trestles  catering
  • Giant Studios  motion capture technology provided by
  • Global Music Service  music copyist
  • International Film Guarantors  completion guarantee
  • London Oratory School Schola, The  music performed by
  • London Symphony Orchestra, The (LSO)  music performed by
  • London Voices  music performed by
  • Mahony & Associates  insurance services: New Zealand
  • New Zealand Defence Force  thanks
  • New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, The  music performed by
  • Pacific Title  titles designed by
  • Packair Airfreight  international logistics
  • Redline Sound Studios  foley recording
  • Reprise Records  soundtrack released by
  • Spacecam Systems  spacecam aerial camera system provided by
  • Stunt Associates  stunt equipment
  • The Film Unit, Wellington  color and telecine dailies
  • The Film Unit, Wellington  re-recording facilities
  • The PostHouse AG  digital color grading
  • The Saul Zaentz Company  licensor
  • Three Foot Six  production service (uncredited)
  • Upper Deck Film Services  negative cutting
  • Wellington City Council  thanks
  • Wellington Regional Council's Parks and Forests  thanks
  • Wellington Town Hall  music recorded at
  • Wescam USA  Wescam provided by

Distributors:

  • New Line Cinema (2001) (USA) (theatrical)
  • A-Film Distribution (2001) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
  • Alliance Atlantis Communications (2001) (Canada) (theatrical)
  • Aurum Producciones (2001) (Spain) (theatrical)
  • Entertainment Film Distributors (2001) (UK) (theatrical)
  • Fox-Warner (2001) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
  • Metropolitan Filmexport (2001) (France) (theatrical)
  • Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2001) (Sweden) (theatrical)
  • Warner Bros. (2001) (Germany) (theatrical)
  • Warner Roadshow Film Distributors (2001) (Greece) (theatrical)
  • FS Film Oy (2001) (Finland) (all media)
  • Karo Premiere (2002) (Russia) (theatrical)
  • Medusa Distribuzione (2002) (Italy) (theatrical)
  • Warner Bros. (2002) (Argentina) (theatrical)
  • Warner Bros. (2002) (Brazil) (theatrical)
  • A-Film Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
  • Alexandra Video Club (2002) (Bulgaria) (VHS)
  • Argentina Video Home (2002) (Argentina) (VHS)
  • Entertainment in Video (2002) (UK) (VHS)
  • New Line Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
  • New Line Home Video (2002) (USA) (VHS)
  • Prem'er Video Fil'm (2002) (Russia) (VHS)
  • Warner Home Video (2002) (Switzerland) (DVD)
  • Warner Home Video (2002) (Germany) (VHS)
  • Warner Home Vídeo (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
  • Warner Home Vídeo (2002) (Brazil) (VHS)
  • Katholieke Radio Omroep (KRO) (2004) (Netherlands) (TV)
  • WB Television Network, The (2004) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
  • Alliance Universal (2006) (USA) (DVD)
  • A-Film Home Entertainment (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
  • Entertainment in Video (2010) (UK) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
  • New Line Home Video (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
  • Argentina Video Home (2002) (Argentina) (DVD) (2 disc)
  • Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (DVD) (1 disc)
  • Columbia TriStar Films de España (2002) (Spain) (DVD)
  • Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2002) (Spain) (DVD) (collector's edition)
  • Nelonen (2004) (Finland) (TV)
  • Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2004) (Spain) (DVD) (trilogy edition)

..{tab=Other Stuff}

Special Effects:

  • Animal Logic (visual effects)
  • Digital Domain (visual effects: "Ford of Bruinen" sequence)
  • EYETECH Optics (uncredited)
  • Gentle Giant Studios
  • Hatch Production (additional matte paintings)
  • Oktobor (visual effects)
  • Rhythm and Hues (visual effects)
  • Weta Digital (digital visual effects designer and creator)
  • Weta Workshop (special makeup, creatures, armour, weapons and miniatures)

Visual Effects by:

  • Holly Acton known as 2D colourist: Weta Digital
  • Richard Addison-Wood known as software development supervisor: Weta Digital
  • Matt Aitken known as digital models supervisor: Weta Digital
  • Greg Allen known as motion capture supervisor: Weta Digital
  • Jon Allitt known as senior massive crowd technical director: Weta Digital
  • Colin Alway known as compositor: Weta Digital
  • John B. Anderson known as shader writer: Weta Digital (as John Anderson)
  • Tony Anderson known as visual effects director of photography: Digital Domain
  • Malcolm Angell known as on-set survey technician: Weta Digital
  • Bernd Angerer known as character animator: Digital Domain
  • Elisabeth Arko known as 3D technical director: Weta Digital
  • Kyle Ashley known as motion editor: Weta Digital
  • Tim Baier known as additional artist: Weta Digital
  • Felix Balbas known as creature technical director: Weta Digital
  • Aaron Barclay known as compositor: Animal Logic
  • Lloyd Lee Barnett known as additional artist: Weta Digital (as Lloyd Lee Barnette)
  • Steen Bech known as visual effects supervisor: Oktobor
  • Kelly Bechtle-Woods known as 3D technical director: Weta Digital
  • Lyse Beck known as additional artist: Weta Digital
  • Cory Bedwell known as 3D sequence lead: Weta Digital
  • Darren Bedwell known as texture painter lead: Weta Digital
  • Paula Bell known as rotoscope artist: Weta Digital
  • Miles Bellas known as texture painter: Weta Digital
  • Laurent Ben-Mimoun known as matte painter: Weta Digital
  • Kyla Bendall known as digital modeller: Weta Digital
  • Patrick Bergeron known as compositor: Weta Digital
  • Nancy Bernstein known as visual effects executive producer: Digital Domain
  • Roger Bolton known as compositor: Weta Digital
  • Naomi Bowden known as sequence coordinator: Weta Digital
  • Jon Bowen known as compositor: Weta Digital
  • Lee Bramwell known as camera technical director: Weta Digital
  • Harald Brendel known as imaging technology supervisor
  • Ben Britton known as production engineer: Weta Digital
  • Loren Brookes known as render wrangler: Weta Digital
  • Chris Brown known as on-set survey technician: Weta Digital
  • Ian Brown known as 3D animator: Animal Logic
  • David Brunette known as rotoscope artist: Weta Digital
  • Julian Bryant known as 2D sequence lead: Weta Digital
  • James Bryson known as model technician: miniature unit
  • Stephen A. Buckley known as senior animator: Weta Digital
  • Joerg W. Bungert known as lead digital colorist: The PostHouse AG
  • Delphine Buratti known as effects animator: Weta Digital
  • Clare Burgess known as 3D coordinator: Weta Digital
  • Chris Burn known as additional artist: Weta Digital (as Christopher Burn)
  • Greg Butler known as 3D sequence lead: Weta Digital
  • Julian R. Butler known as 3D technical director: Weta Digital (as Julian Butler)
  • Andrew Calder known as senior animator: Weta Digital
  • James Callahan known as effects software developer: Weta Digital (as Jim Callahan)
  • Sonia Calvert known as compositor: Weta Digital
  • Paul Campion known as texture painter: Weta Digital
  • Aaron Caskey known as render wrangler: Weta Digital
  • Paul Charisse known as massive crowd technical director: Weta Digital
  • Kate Choi known as additional artist: Weta Digital
  • Glen Christie known as digital modeller: Weta Digital
  • Hannah Clarke known as on-set survey technician: Weta Digital
  • Peter Clarke known as unit technician: miniature unit
  • David Cole known as lead digital colourist: The PostHouse AG
  • Tony Cole known as Inferno artist: Oktobor
  • Paul Conway known as compositor: Weta Digital
  • Alexandra Cook known as technical systems assistant: Weta Digital
  • Randall William Cook known as animation designer: Weta Digital
  • Randall William Cook known as animation supervisor: Weta Digital
  • Shane Cooper known as 2D software developer: Weta Digital
  • Melanie Cordan known as senior animator: Weta Digital
  • Stephen Coren known as 3D sequence lead: Weta Digital
  • Martien Coucke known as imaging technology producer
  • Aaron Cowan known as visual effects coordinator
  • Frank Cowlrick known as motion control prop designer: Weta Digital
  • Jim Croasdale known as rotoscope artist: Weta Digital
  • Tim Crosbie known as digital artist: Weta Digital
  • Martyn 'Moose' Culpitt known as inferno artist: Oktobor Films
  • Yvonne Cuthbert known as CG modeller: Weta Digital
  • David Dally known as compositor: Animal Logic
  • Marion Davey known as pre-visualization coordinator
  • Chris Davison known as motion control operator: miniature unit
  • Bradford deCaussin known as digital modeller: Weta Digital
  • Steve Demers known as look supervisor: Weta Digital (as Steven Demers)
  • Graeme Demmocks known as render wrangler: Weta Digital
  • Max Dennison known as matte painting lead: Weta Digital
  • Geoff Dixon known as visual effects supervisor: Oktobor
  • Colin Doncaster known as 3D sequence lead: Weta Digital
  • Rebecca Downes known as technical support manager: Weta Digital
  • Peter Doyle known as supervising digital colourist: The PostHoust AG
  • Greg Duda known as technical developer: Digital Domain
  • Yanick Dusseault known as senior matte painter: Weta Digital
  • Theresa Ellis known as compositor: Weta Digital (as Theresa Ellis Rygiel)
  • Campbell Taylor Fairweather known as systems administrator: Weta Digital
  • Shine Fitzner known as 3D technical director: Weta Digital
  • Lindsay Fleay known as 3D animator: Animal Logic
  • Erina Fon known as camera technical director: Weta Digital
  • Mark O. Forker known as visual effects supervisor: Digital Domain
  • Keith Foston known as sequence coordinator: Weta Digital
  • Richard Frances-Moore known as pre-visualisation artist (as Richard Moore)
  • Evan Fraser known as systems administrator: Weta Digital
  • Paul Freeman known as Inferno artist: Oktobor
  • Dimitri Frost known as model technician: miniature unit
  • Alex Funke known as visual effects director of photography: miniature unit
  • Nicholas Gervay known as additional artist: Weta Digital
  • David Gilligan known as production engineer: Weta Digital
  • Chris Godfrey known as digital effects supervisor: Animal Logic
  • Randy Goux known as 3D sequence lead: Weta Digital
  • Kyle Gudsell known as model technician: miniature unit
  • Mike Gunn known as production assistant: Weta Digital
  • Mike Gunn known as runner: Weta Digital
  • Paul Gunn known as systems administrator: Weta Digital
  • Wayne John Haag known as senior matte painter: Weta Digital (as John Haag)
  • Jonathan Hairman known as compositor: Animal Logic
  • John Haley known as massive crowd technical director: Weta Digital
  • Jeff Hameluck known as senior software developer: Weta Digital
  • Kiki Hannan known as 3D sequence lead: Weta Digital (as Kiki Candela)
  • David R. Hardberger known as director of photography: miniature unit (as David Hardberger)
  • David R. Hardberger known as motion control programmer: miniature unit (as David Hardberger)
  • Mark Hardin known as motion control tutor: miniature unit
  • Sven Harens known as physical effects technician: miniature unit
  • Harry Harrison known as motion control (as J C 'Harry' Harrison)
  • Geoffrey Harvey known as 3D sequence lead: Weta Digital (as Geoff Harvey)
  • Emma Haughton known as animatics editor
  • Libby Hazell known as production manager: Weta Digital
  • Katie Hecker known as 2D sequence lead: Weta Digital
  • G.G. Heitmann Demers known as 2D sequence lead: Weta Digital
  • Quentin Hema known as paint artist: Weta Digital
  • Raymond Hetu known as effects animator: Weta Digital
  • Matt 'Chief' Hightower known as 3D technical director: Weta Digital (as Matt Hightower)
  • Hillary Hoggard known as senior paint artist: Weta Digital (as Hillary Covey)
  • Matt Holmes known as visual effects editor: Weta Digital
  • Carl Hooper known as additional artist: Weta Digital (as Carl W. Hooper)
  • Steven Hornby known as senior animator: Weta Digital
  • Gray Horsfield known as conceptual digital visualization: Weta Digital
  • David Houghton-Williams known as compositor: Weta Digital
  • Pania Howe known as unit technician: miniature unit
  • Bret Hughes known as software engineer: Weta Digital
  • Philip Hunter known as software developer: Weta Digital
  • Claire Inglis known as compositor: Weta Digital
  • Mel James known as texture painter: Weta Digital
  • Eric Jennings known as additional artist: Weta Digital
  • Verena Jonker known as model technician: miniature unit
  • Lisa Josephs known as assistant to R&D visual effects producer: Weta Digital
  • Sandip Kalsy known as effects animator: Weta Digital
  • Jocelyn Karaitiana known as unit technician: miniature unit
  • Piotr Karwas known as character animator: Digital Domain
  • Mark David Katchur known as visual effects production coordinator (as Mark Katchur)
  • Mike Kelly known as motion control operator: miniature unit
  • Cheryl Kerr known as sequence coordinator: Weta Digital
  • Jennifer Jung Kim known as texture painter: Weta Digital
  • Paul Kirwan known as 2D sequence lead: Weta Digital (as Paul 'Krusty' Kirwan)
  • Susie Kleis known as human resources assistant: Weta Digital
  • Heather Knight known as senior animator: Weta Digital
  • Jonny Kofoed known as Flame artist: Oktobor
  • Jake Koroi known as unit technician: miniature unit
  • Alex Kramer known as camera technical director: Weta Digital
  • Roger Kupelian known as senior matte painter: Weta Digital
  • Markus Kurtz known as 3d effects animator: Digital Domain
  • Joosten Kuypers known as massive crowd technical director: Weta Digital
  • Kelly L'Estrange known as visual effects producer: Digital Domain
  • Jon Labrie known as chief technical officer: Weta Digital
  • Suzanne Labrie known as facilities manager: Weta Digital
  • Laure Lacroix known as effects animator: Weta Digital
  • Zoe Lamaera known as assistant editor: Weta Digital
  • François Laroche known as motion capture supervisor: Weta Digital
  • Paul Lasaine known as visual effects art director
  • Andre Lawton known as on-set survey technician: Weta Digital
  • Jake Lee known as senior camera technical director: Weta Digital
  • Alex Lemke known as 2D sequence lead: Weta Digital
  • Dan Lemmon known as technical developer: Digital Domain
  • Mark Tait Lewis known as 2D sequence lead: Weta Digital
  • Sean Lewkiw known as effects animator: Weta Digital
  • Kent Lidke known as additional artist: Weta Digital
  • Seth Lippman known as 3D sequence lead: Weta Digital
  • Xiaohong Liu known as motion control technical director: Weta Digital
  • Michael Lloyd known as ghd: Rhythm & Hues
  • Matt Logue known as senior animator: Weta Digital (as Matthew Logue)
  • Jade Lorier known as editorial assistant: Weta Digital
  • Dean Lyon known as visual effects supervisor: Oktobor
  • Richard Mahon known as matte painter: Weta Digital
  • Michael Manza known as effects animator: Weta Digital
  • Campbell March known as systems administrator: Weta Digital
  • Nic Marrison known as on-set survey technician: Weta Digital
  • Florian Martin known as lead digital colourist: The PostHouse AG (as Florian 'Utsi' Martin)
  • Albert Mason known as production manager, R&D: preproduction, Weta Digital
  • Sean Mathiesen known as camera technical director: Weta Digital (as Sean Mathieson)
  • Sharon Maxwell known as motion tree designer: Weta Digital (as Sharon James)
  • Jolene McCaffrey known as additional artist: Weta Digital
  • Timothy McCallum known as camera technical director: Weta Digital (as Tim McCallum)
  • Charlie McClellan known as visual effects producer, R&D: preproduction, Weta Digital
  • Shane McEwan known as data operations manager: Weta Digital
  • Paul McInnes known as shader writer: Weta Digital
  • Steven McKendry known as 2D coordinator: Weta Digital
  • Nick McKenzie known as survey software developer: Weta Digital
  • Sarah McLauchlan known as visual effects coordinator
  • Deborah McNamara known as art director: Animal Logic (as Deborah MacNamara)
  • Brandon McNaughton known as digital compositor: Digital Domain
  • Alex Mein Smith known as rotoscope artist: Weta Digital
  • Matthias Menz known as 3D technical director: Weta Digital
  • Andrea Merlo known as digital modeller: Weta Digital
  • Barry Metin known as rotoscope artist: Weta Digital
  • Barbara Meyers known as additional artist: Weta Digital
  • James L. Millington known as systems administrator: Weta Digital (as James Millington)
  • Saki Mitchell known as 2D sequence lead: Weta Digital
  • Chad Moffitt known as senior animator: Weta Digital
  • Rob Mokaraka known as production assistant: Weta Digital
  • Rob Mokaraka known as runner: Weta Digital
  • Elizabeth Moore known as 2D sequence lead: Weta Digital (as Elizabeth 'Lisa' Moore)
  • Eileen Moran known as visual effects producer: Weta Digital
  • Mike Morasky known as lead massive crowd technical director: Weta Digital
  • Sarah Morse known as production assistant: Weta Digital
  • Sarah Morse known as runner: Weta Digital
  • Matt Mueller known as camera technical director: Weta Digital
  • Jemma Mulholland known as rotoscope artist: Weta Digital
  • Hiroaki Muramoto known as environment technical director: Weta Digital
  • Alfred Mürrle known as 2D sequence lead: Weta Digital
  • Amber Naismith known as digital effects line producer: Animal Logic
  • Sergei Nevshupov known as texture painter: Weta Digital
  • Milton Ngan known as digital operations manager: Weta Digital
  • Jens Normann known as motion control operator: miniature unit
  • John P. Nugent known as 2D supervisor: Weta Digital (as John Nugent)
  • Jane O'Callaghan known as 3D technical director: Weta Digital
  • Robert O'Neill known as digital modeller: Weta Digital
  • Cyndi Ochs known as sequence coordinator: Weta Digital
  • George Oliver known as rotoscope artist: Weta Digital (as George Oliver Jr.)
  • Helen Paul known as paint artist: Weta Digital
  • Patricia Pawlak known as creature technical director: Weta Digital
  • Mike Perry known as effects animator lead: Weta Digital
  • Dana Peters known as creature technical director: Weta Digital
  • Tomek Piatek known as production engineer: Weta Digital
  • Gerard Benjamin Pierre known as on-set digital effects supervisor: Weta Digital
  • Jamie Pilgrim known as 3D technical director: Weta Digital
  • Alan Pilkington known as model technician: miniature unit
  • Fred Place known as compositor: Weta Digital
  • Emrys Plaisted known as rotoscope artist: Weta Digital
  • Ed Plant known as additional artist: Weta Digital
  • Darren Poe known as compositing supervisor: Digital Domain
  • Ema Pomare known as assistant to visual effects producer: Weta Digital
  • Erik Pope known as visual effects coordinator: Digital Domain
  • Murray Pope known as visual effects executive producer: Animal Logic
  • Kelly Port known as digital effects supervisor: Digital Domain
  • Niklas Preston known as technical assistant: Weta Digital
  • Brennan Prevatt known as digital compositor: Digital Domain
  • Wesley Priest known as unit technician: miniature unit
  • Henk Prins known as motion control operator: miniature unit
  • Thomas Proctor known as compositor: Weta Digital (as Tom Proctor)
  • Jacqui Pryor known as production assistant: Weta Digital
  • Jacqui Pryor known as runner: Weta Digital
  • Dale Pugh known as on-set survey technician: Weta Digital
  • Lucas Putnam known as assistant editor: Weta Digital
  • Bay Raitt known as creature technical director: Weta Digital
  • Mohan Ramachandran known as scanning and recording technician: Weta Digital
  • Ollie Rankin known as massive crowd technical director: Weta Digital
  • Donny Rausch known as paint artist: Weta Digital
  • Stephen Regelous known as crowd software developer and supervisor: Weta Digital
  • Stephan Remstedt known as camera technical director: Weta Digital
  • Katherine Remus known as imaging technology production assistant
  • Nick Richardson known as imaging technology producer
  • Missy Rika known as unit technician: miniature unit
  • Lauren Ritchie known as executive in charge of visual effects
  • Ramon Rivero known as lead performance animator: Weta Digital
  • Christian Rivers known as visual effects art director: Weta Digital
  • Carlos M. Rosas known as senior animator: Weta Digital (as Carlos Rosas)
  • Mark Ross known as unit technician: miniature unit
  • Patrick Runyon known as motion editor: Weta Digital
  • Jim Rygiel known as visual effects supervisor
  • Eric Saindon known as creatures supervisor: Weta Digital
  • Adrian Samuels known as digital resource manager: Weta Digital
  • Brian Samuels known as 3D sequence lead: Weta Digital
  • Robert Schajer known as line producer: Weta Digital
  • Iwan Peter Scheer known as motion editor: Weta Digital (as Iwan Scheer)
  • Jason Schleifer known as creature technical director: Weta Digital
  • David Scott known as creature technical director: Weta Digital
  • Sue Scott known as rotoscope artist: Weta Digital
  • Rasha Shalaby known as additional artist: Weta Digital
  • John Sheils known as digital effects supervisor: preproduction, Weta Digital
  • Doug Sheppeck known as senior animator: Weta Digital
  • Greg Shimp known as rotoscope supervisor: Weta Digital
  • Roger Shortt known as 3D technical director: Weta Digital
  • Robert Shrider known as shader writer: Weta Digital
  • Chuck Shuman known as director of photography: miniatures unit (as Chuck Schuman)
  • Martin Simcock known as editorial assistant: Weta Digital
  • Jens-Peter Sjøberg known as Inferno artist: Oktobor
  • Hugh Smith known as motion control operator: miniature unit
  • Kevin Andrew Smith known as shader writer: Weta Digital (as Kevin Smith)
  • Andy South known as unit technician: miniature unit
  • Wayne Stables known as 3D supervisor: Weta Digital (as Wayne 'Taz' Stables)
  • Mark Stetson known as effects consultant: Weta
  • Mike Stevens known as senior animator: Weta Digital
  • Rainer Stolle known as texture painter: Weta Digital
  • Daniel Story known as production assistant: Weta Digital
  • Daniel Story known as runner: Weta Digital
  • Paul Story known as creature technical director: Weta Digital
  • Charles Tait known as 2D sequence lead: Weta Digital
  • Mark Tait known as 3D sequence lead: Weta Digital
  • Dion Tamihana known as unit technician: miniature unit
  • Chu Tang known as shader writer: Weta Digital
  • Jon Tanimoto known as additional artist: Weta Digital
  • Anne Taunga known as matte painting coordinator: Weta Digital
  • Richard Taylor known as supervisor: special makeup, creatures, armour and miniatures
  • Sandy Taylor known as sequence coordinator: Weta Digital
  • Tim Teramoto known as additional artist: Weta Digital
  • Carrie Thiel known as motion tree designer: Weta Digital
  • Gerald Thompson known as motion control operator: miniature unit
  • Rachel Thompson known as facilities manager: Weta Digital
  • Geoff Tobin known as massive crowd technical director: Weta Digital
  • Rob Townshend known as model technician: miniature unit
  • Neville Turner known as unit technician: miniature unit
  • Alastair Tye Samson known as production assistant: Weta Digital
  • Alastair Tye Samson known as runner: Weta Digital
  • Stephen Unterfranz known as creature technical director: Weta Digital
  • Adam Valdez known as animation supervisor: Weta Digital
  • James Van Der Reyden known as motion capture technician: Weta Digital
  • Phil Van Der Reyden known as paint artist: Weta Digital
  • Paul Van Ommen known as model technician: miniature unit
  • Brian Van't Hul known as visual effects cinematographer: Weta Digital
  • Kara Vandeleur known as rotoscope artist: Weta Digital
  • Kosta Vatselias known as unit technician: miniature unit
  • Lila Vesely known as additional artist: Weta Digital
  • Lila Vesely known as massive crowd technical director: Weta Digital
  • Jenny Vial known as editorial visual effects coordinator
  • Mary Victoria known as senior animator: Weta Digital
  • Marco Vidaurre known as render wrangler: Weta Digital
  • Mike Wallis known as production assistant: Weta Digital (as Michael Wallis)
  • Mike Wallis known as runner: Weta Digital (as Michael Wallis)
  • Sandra Warren known as motion editor lead: Weta Digital
  • Morris Wassman known as motion control camera engineer: miniature unit
  • Christine Watkins known as rotoscope artist: Weta Digital
  • Imery Watson known as 3D pre-visualization artist
  • Matt Welford known as additional artist: Weta Digital
  • Jessica Dara Westbrook known as digital effects coordinator: Digital Domain
  • Wayne 'Red' Wickman known as unit technician: miniature unit
  • Lisa Wild known as massive crowd technical director: Weta Digital
  • Guy Williams known as pre-pro shading supervisor: Weta Digital
  • Pete Williams known as head of digital imaging: Weta Digital
  • Katy Williamson known as rotoscope artist: Weta Digital
  • Joseph Winiata known as unit technician: miniature unit
  • David Woodland known as art director: Animal Logic
  • Tracy Woolley known as unit technician: miniature unit
  • Annette Wullems known as production manager: Weta Digital
  • Cathy Adams known as human resources assistant: Weta Digital (uncredited)
  • Nancy Adams known as 3D integration lead: Digital Domain (uncredited)
  • Erik Akutagawa known as scan/record manager (uncredited)
  • James G. Anka known as model maker (uncredited)
  • Charlie Armstrong known as digital compositor (uncredited)
  • Andra Bard known as digital production manager: Weta Digital (uncredited)
  • Richard Bluck known as visual effects director of photography (uncredited)
  • Nick Booth known as on-set survey coordinator (uncredited)
  • Nick Booth known as senior preproduction coordinator (uncredited)
  • Dan Breckwoldt known as data I/O operator (uncredited)
  • Norman Cates known as digital artist (uncredited)
  • Chad E. Collier known as scanning and recording operator: Digital Domain (uncredited)
  • Daniel Aristoteles Collins known as systems/operations: Rhythm & Hues (uncredited)
  • Brandon Craig known as render supervisor (uncredited)
  • Todd Daugherty known as render support (uncredited)
  • Lisa de la Garza known as visual effects senior staff: Digital Domain (uncredited)
  • Ben De Luca known as systems administrator (uncredited)
  • Rebecca Downes known as systems administrator (uncredited)
  • Malcolm Eager known as animation coordinator (uncredited)
  • Deak Ferrand known as matte painter: HATCH (uncredited)
  • Peter Fisher known as visual effects executive producer: GMD (uncredited)
  • Morgane Furio known as Inferno artist: Animal Logic (uncredited)
  • Matthew Gidney known as senior 3D animator (uncredited)
  • Taigne Hammock known as resource administrator (uncredited)
  • Phil Holland known as scanning & recording operator (uncredited)
  • Graham Hopkins known as production engineer: Animal Logic (uncredited)
  • Scott Hunter known as 3D animator (uncredited)
  • Jimmy Jewell known as digital compositor (uncredited)
  • Darren Jones known as digital imaging supervisor (uncredited)
  • Penelope M. Jones known as visual effects art department assistant (uncredited)
  • Richard Karnes known as assitant visual effects editor: Digital Domain (uncredited)
  • David Krause known as technical coordinator (uncredited)
  • Stefan Litterini known as digital artist: Animal Logic (uncredited)
  • Richard Mahon known as digital matte painter (uncredited)
  • Todd Maugh known as technical services (uncredited)
  • Genevieve McMahon known as schedule coordinator: Weta Digital (uncredited)
  • Ivan Moran known as digital compositor (uncredited)
  • Heather J. Morrison known as visual effects editor: Digital Domain (uncredited)
  • James Ogle known as render wrangler (uncredited)
  • Alfie Olivier known as effects animator (uncredited)
  • Paul George Palop known as technical director: Digital Domain (uncredited)
  • Dan Patterson known as data I/O operator: Digital Domain (uncredited)
  • Adrian Paul known as production engineer: Animal Logic (uncredited)
  • Chris Paxson known as motion control technician (uncredited)
  • Dane Rapaport known as systems administrator (uncredited)
  • Dean Rasmussen known as digital artist (uncredited)
  • Jeff Renton known as 3D animator (uncredited)
  • Sandra Roach known as compositor (uncredited)
  • Campbell Rose known as digital compositor (uncredited)
  • Robert Rowles known as video I/O (uncredited)
  • Marian Rudnyk known as digital artist: Digital Domain (uncredited)
  • Mahria Sangster known as animation department coordinator (uncredited)
  • Todd Sarsfield known as digital artist (uncredited)
  • David Scott known as previs artist (uncredited)
  • Glen Sharah known as systems administrator (uncredited)
  • David Short known as senior 3D animator: Animal Logic (uncredited)
  • Fred Simon known as systems support: Rhythm & Hues (uncredited)
  • Tess Spaulding known as system administrator (uncredited)
  • Kevin Tengan known as systems administrator (uncredited)

Release Date:

  • UK 10 December 2001 (premiere)
  • Austria 19 December 2001
  • Belgium 19 December 2001
  • Canada 19 December 2001
  • Denmark 19 December 2001
  • Finland 19 December 2001
  • France 19 December 2001
  • Germany 19 December 2001
  • Greece 19 December 2001
  • Ireland 19 December 2001
  • Netherlands 19 December 2001
  • Norway 19 December 2001
  • South Africa 19 December 2001
  • Spain 19 December 2001
  • Sweden 19 December 2001
  • Switzerland 19 December 2001 (French speaking region)
  • UK 19 December 2001
  • USA 19 December 2001
  • Venezuela 19 December 2001
  • Israel 20 December 2001
  • Malaysia 20 December 2001
  • New Zealand 20 December 2001
  • Philippines 20 December 2001 (limited)
  • Singapore 20 December 2001
  • Switzerland 20 December 2001 (German speaking region)
  • Bolivia 21 December 2001
  • Guatemala 21 December 2001
  • Mexico 21 December 2001
  • Panama 21 December 2001
  • Portugal 21 December 2001
  • Turkey 21 December 2001
  • Colombia 25 December 2001
  • Australia 26 December 2001
  • Iceland 26 December 2001
  • Thailand 28 December 2001
  • Brazil 1 January 2002
  • Peru 1 January 2002
  • Chile 3 January 2002
  • Lithuania 4 January 2002
  • Philippines 4 January 2002 (Manila)
  • Uruguay 4 January 2002
  • Croatia 10 January 2002
  • Czech Republic 10 January 2002
  • Hungary 10 January 2002
  • Estonia 11 January 2002
  • Slovenia 17 January 2002
  • Italy 18 January 2002
  • Taiwan 18 January 2002
  • Slovakia 24 January 2002
  • Argentina 31 January 2002
  • Hong Kong 31 January 2002
  • Romania 1 February 2002
  • South Korea 4 February 2002
  • Indonesia 6 February 2002
  • Russia 7 February 2002 (premiere)
  • Kazakhstan 8 February 2002
  • Poland 15 February 2002
  • Kuwait 19 February 2002
  • Japan 23 February 2002 (premiere)
  • Bahrain 27 February 2002
  • Russia 1 March 2002
  • Japan 2 March 2002
  • Egypt 13 March 2002
  • India 15 March 2002
  • Bulgaria 22 March 2002
  • Sweden 15 November 2002 (re-release)
  • South Korea 13 December 2002 (re-release)
  • France 3 December 2003 (re-release)
  • Spain 5 December 2003 (extended version) (re-release)
  • Sweden 5 December 2003 (re-release) (extended version)
  • Japan 10 January 2004 (extended version) (re-release)
  • Canada 5 February 2011 (Digital Film Festival)
  • USA 14 June 2011 (extended version) (re-release) (limited)
  • USA 8 December 2012 (re-release)

MPAA: Rated PG-13 for epic battle sequences and some scary images

..{tab=Gallery}{/tabs}

Filmography links and data courtesy of The Internet Movie Database

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10 Responses to The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

  1. Nachtritter from Quebec, Canada says:

    …but oh was I thankful for it!!! All through the movie I kept on havingthis big large smile sculpted into my face. For the record, I’m 25 yearsold, and I’ve read "The Lord of the Rings" in three times for the first timewhen I was six or seven years old. Ever since then, I read it at least onceor twice a year – therefore you can count me as a fan, for I follow the samecult fan procedure with "The Hobbit" and "The Silmarillion" as well. Nowonto the movie… Gosh, I saw it more than one time, and I keep wanting moreof it. It just never gets boring! I really enjoyed the little stuff that isfound throughout the movie for fans of the books (the map on Bilbo’s tablein his house comes to mind, it is exactly as the one in "The Hobbit" bookthat I own), and I also incredibly enjoyed the intro sequence with there-telling of the battle against Sauron from the Silmarillion, never has anultimate evil being been so well depicted on the screen. It truly is Sauron. Those who argue the movie cuts too many parts or that it changes the storytoo much are totally wrong. This movie could not have shown the whole firsttime in its entirety – keep in mind that the audiobook version of’Fellowship of the Ring’ lasts well over ten hours, making a movie this longwould, well, make it way too long and besides, how would you financiallysustain such a project? I’ve read a reviewer saying he’d make all threebooks with the time allowed for the first movie alone. I think it would be avery fast-forwarding experience of a movie with ‘Alvin and the Chimpmunks’kind of voices, incredibly stupid to say the least.Ok, so there are changes in the movie – well, this is Jackson’s vision ofit. All of us have our own visions of the books, which may or may not becompatible with that of Jackson’s, but I can safely assume that nobody cansay they have a hundred percent the same vision of the story as Tolkien;that’s the thing with books: each reader has a different vision of it. Asfor me, I was blown away. Never before have I felt so much at home in amovie, it is as if I had taken a walk in the town where I grew up, theShire, Rivendell, Moria, Lorien, everything felt so much like home, I wasmoved. I cannot tell of another movie that had me shed tears just by seeinga landscape on screen.As for the changes, well, I found good reasons behind all of them, and letme tell you right away, I was happy that Arwen saved Frodo, yes, maybecoming from a fan it will look like absolute heresy, but I enjoyed the scenea lot. I did not enjoy it because it was supposedly politically-correct todo so, or that I find Liv Tyler to be absolutely attractive; it was justbecause I felt like even though it was a big change from the book, it was avery good one indeed, it makes you discover the power, determination, andcourage of elves and the fact that even elven women, although great in theirbeauty and seemingly fragile in appearance do not have anything to envy totheir male counterparts. And beside, as Arwen is to become a Queen later on,it was pretty good to see her have a great first appearance.The actors were great, they were a lot into their characters, and for thefirst time, I saw elves as they were, quick, agile, terrifyingly effectivein battle – just look at how Legolas dealed with the hordes of enemieswithout a single hint of fear in his eyes – these are elves as they shouldbe. Gimli was great too, I know people seem to think many characters werenot developed enough, but by the actions you can learn a lot. With Gimli alot can be learned about the dwarves, their pride, deep sense of honor andfamily, their mistrust of elves, their love for strong beer and a good fightagainst anything bigger, and their sheer hatred for orcs and the likes.Aragorn was totally the ranger character, the ending scene as he walkedtoward the horde of Uruk-Hai warriors was great, his attitude, his clothes,everything about him just cried "ranger". Boromir was very well depicted,desperate to save the people of Gondor, by any mean necessary, robbed of allhope, yet in the end he redeems himself by showing his true valour, deepdown, he’s willing to die to defeat evil, and when he recognizes his king inAragorn, on his last breath, I felt like watching a hero die, it was moving.The hobbits were all great, Frodo is deeply sad and fatalist, and Sam isjust the ‘best friend’ everyone would like to have, just as it should be.Finally, we have Gandalf, quite frankly, he looks mighty, Ian IS Gandalf.The faceoff against the Balrog in the Moria is a memorable sequence, andjust shows how strong he really is, to be able to vanquish such a foe. Ican’t wait for his return.Quite frankly, I can’t wait for the two other movies… In the meantime,I’ll watch this one over and over again. This movie has everything that agood movie needs to have, and more. Plus, it just might bring more people toactually read books that have more pages than the average little 25¢ novelthat has no value in it, which is great. Parents, maybe some scenes willfrighten your kids, but this movie has almost NO blood (even though it has agood share of battle) and the foes are undeniably evil, plus it has goodvalues in it – friendship, courage, responsiblity, sacrifice for a goodcause, and the belief that anyone can help to change things. This is worthyof Tolkien, this is a movie that will go down in history as being one of thebest ever, for sure.

  2. David Gallegos (dgallegos@nbtymfg.com) from Anaheim, United States says:

    Star Wars has been dethroned. Although George Lucas’ movies are good intheir own right (except for the juvenile elements he puts in to sell toys tofinance the franchise), his scripts (which borrow heavily fromJ.R.R.Tolkien, mythology & religion) can’t compare with the brilliance ofthe literary trilogy `The Lord of the Rings’. Granted, Lucas took on aherculean task in writing & directing his story himself, but Tolkien’swords, along with Peter Jackson’s faithful adaptation & inspired vision,have created something no one man could equal. Of course, it helps that Jackson insisted on at least a 2 picture deal, &New Line Cinema was brave enough to foot the bill up front for 3 movies.They spent $180 million to film all 3 simultaneously. With the New Zealandexchange rate, that equals $360 million ($90 million ea.), but since theyused many of the same sets, and FX development costs were spread throughout,we’re seeing $120-$150 million on the screen. This will ensure consistencyin plot, casting, tone, etc.In 3 hours, Jackson has crammed everything essential from the first novel &then some into the film, rewriting some scenes & dialogue with lessercharacters for the leads, leaving out only what there wasn’t enough timefor. Basically, you have two 90 min. movies running back to back. Thereare no slow spots, just one climax after another. From the opening 10 min.backstory where the Dark Lord Sauron is shown on the battlefield wiping outmen & elves 10 at a time with each swing of his mace, I was blown away. Theromance between Aragorn, king in exile, and Arwen, daughter of the elf-lord,is played up for the "Titanic" quotient, but it’s well done. The story, sets, costumes & FX are so rich, you’ll have to see the filmseveral times to absorb everything. The unspoiled New Zealand locales arespectacular, providing a variety of environments to represent the differentsettings on the characters’ journey. The location sets are imaginative,detailed & weathered, adding to their believability, while the studio setsmatch them in meticulousness. The costumes are at once familiar & strange,drawing on both the medievil & the fantastic, but more important, they’realso functional & practical. The music by Howard Shore is appropriatelysweeping, Celtic & folky in keeping with the novel, although it lacks thememorable themes of John Williams or Jerry Goldsmith, but neither wouldcommit a year or more to a 3 picture project. The FX are as they should be,unobtrusive & unnoticed most of the time, there only to support the storynot draw attention away from it as in most Hollywood movies which try tocoverup illogical plots & bad acting. I’m particularly gratified by the casting of Viggo Mortenson as Aragornwhich was a last minute stroke of luck when the actor first chosen for thepart backed out due to differences with the director. I’ve always thoughtMortenson had an intensity & striking but not pretty-boy looks that couldportray a flawed, dangerous hero instead of the villains Hollywood alwayspicked him for.A stellar cast giving some of their best performances, visuals that deliverbeyond what I imagined, a perfect mix of humor, passion & tragedy, and afeeling of grandeur, scope & impending doom. Perhaps as an ensemble piecewith so many characters & the inability to concentrate on any one, it can’tbe measured against some of the classic character study films, but even thecasual moviegoer can grasp the ideas & not get lost As far as I’mconcerned, it’s one of the greatest films of all time.

  3. Daniel Carrapa from Évora, Portugal says:

    It is with no surprise that Peter Jackson’s The Fellowship of the Ringfilmhas received such mixed critics. Many viewers refer to it as beingchildish,boring and uninteresting. Seems to me that it is bound to the same fateofTolkien’s books, destined to be a target for the same type ofmisunderstandings that keep attacking this literary masterpiece manydecadesafter it’s first publication.Having read the books several years ago, I went to see this `impossible’film when it came out with many doubts on my mind. I really liked it, butleft the theater with as many doubts as I had before. Was it perfect?Well,maybe not, but what an achievement.After watching it a few times on DVD, and thinking about it for some timenow, I find myself loving this film more and more. Let me tell youwhy…The Lord of the Rings is a fairy-tale of myth and fantasy. Peter Jacksondirected a film that was considered, for a very long time, impossible tomake, and not only for technical reasons. The narrative roots areincrediblylong and detailed, and the storyline is deeply connected with thecreationof a fantastic continent from a time unknown called `Middle Earth’. It’sauthor, Tolkien, dedicated a considerable part of his life developingthiscontinent’s background, it’s mythology and origins, it’s different kindsofpeople, cultures and languages, and therefore it’s geographic referencesaredeterminant to the unfolding of the story of the One Ring.Peter Jackson went out to achieve the impossible and came out with arecreation of the original that is pure and true to the story in everydetail. The first time the four hobbits meet a black rider on the road,forexample, is absolutely faithful to the feeling of the book. The assaultofthe riders at Weathertop is another great example, and it captures thatfeeling of danger, density and atmosphere that are the maincharacteristicsof the tale.Jackson also took some liberties with the story, and made some rightchoicesalong the way. If the so called `purists’ may not approve the removal ofTomBombadil altogether, it should be comprehensible that the travel fromHobbiton to Rivendel is a very long and detailed one and could easilymake amovie on it’s own. I felt more uneasy with how short the Council ofElrondwas. In the book, the council is where the whole story of the rings isfirstexplained, and many passages from the past ages of Middle Earth areunveiled. It is a fascinating moment of the story, that had to beshortenedfor obvious reasons. Still, after some consideration, I now agree withtheoptions made by Peter Jackson, and think that the movie prologue narratedbyGaladriel was the wisest choice.The magic is all there when Gandalf shuts his eyes the moment Frodostandsin the council and says `I will take the ring’. It is there at Moria’sGate,and at the fall of Boromir. It is a powerful film that doesn’t fit therhythm of the standard Hollywood action movie. It is a film that breeds,that takes time to unfold, it’s tale branching in everydirection.I could go on and on, talking about all the different elements that bringthis film close to perfection, but I’ll end saying that deep down, thisisnot about action, beards and big monsters. The greatest thing about thisfilm, to me, is that it brought me back to a time when I was in love withadifferent world where everything was possible. Reading The Lord of theRingsnight after night, I came to understand what this thing of `mankind’reallywas all about. The corruption of absolute power, the importance and valueoffriendship, the inevitability of growing up, the strength of hope… Thatthis film could capture that magic, and be a new bearer to it’s messageofhumanism, is a statement to it’s greatness. Gandalf’s words, that eventhesmallest person may change the course of the world, and have a part toplayin the destiny of all, are immortal.In the end, this is a wonderful film, but that doesn’t mean you are goingtolike it. I cannot tell you what it is like to see this film if you don’tknow or love the book. But I hope it may plant a seed on your heart todiscover a great world of fantasy, beauty and humanity. I believe Tolkienwould have liked that.

  4. Scarlet13 from Smalltown, Ohio says:

    When I first saw the trailers for "The Fellowship of the Ring," I hadneverhad any interest in reading the lengthy tome of a trilogy. But seeing thepossibility of the movie, I immediately went out and read the whole thing,insisted on receiving it for Christmas, and enjoyed every minute of it.Thefeelings I had while reading the series were heightened seeing it come tolife in the stunning movie. I thought it was a fabulous work ofart.I thought that having Galadriel tell what was basically the prologue ofthebook was a good idea, as it helped those who had never read the story. Italso immediately involved me in the film; I felt I had an insider’sadvantage on the rest of the audience. Cate Blanchett has a wonderfullydeep and emotional voice; the way she speaks Galadriel is almost aseffective as her appearence as the Elven queen. Also, showing the lastbattle of Isildur and Sauron helped unfog a part of the novel that had meatrifle confused.The entire movie is full of beautiful sets and landscapes. The Shire wasalmost exactly as I’d pictured it. Hobbiton is cute and very whimsical.Mordor was frighteningly well done, extremely real. Rivendell had alittlebit of a European-tourist-trap look, but was beautiful all the same. Theentire backdrop of the movie (the mountains, Moria, Isengard) was perfect;it’s amazing that "Fellowship" was filmed in one country.Now to the characters. All I can say is, "Wow." I was a littleapprehensive about the casting at first; I’d created such real images ofthecharacters in my imagination, I almost didn’t want them spoiled for me.However, I was not disapointed in the least. Elijah Wood, though not oneofmy favorite actors, was believable. You could tell from the first glimpsethat Frodo was special; Wood’s pale, sharp features contrast sharply withthe more ruddy, robust look of the rest of the hobbits. He also crieslikea little girl. But his weaknesses and strengths make his Frodo an aptchoice for the starring character. The rest of the Hobbiton gang waswell-chosen, too. Sean Astin ("Rudy" forever to me) was loyal and a bitbumbling, just like the Gamgee of Tolkien’s telling. Pippin and Merrywerecongenial, slow-witted lads, but very brave nonetheless. Viggo Mortensenisoutstanding. He has the ability to make Aragorn both menacing and kind.Hephysically represents Strider to the nines with his strength and virility;the action sequences of his are very passionate and exciting. Some mayhavecomplained about Arwen’s character being slightly expanded; I thought it agood change. In the books, you have to read the whole trilogy and thenrifle through the appendix in "The Return of the King" to learn thehistorybetween Aragorn and Arwen. Liv Tyler is ethereal and breathtaking, but atthe same time displays the courage and magic that make the Elves thebeingsthey are. Speaking of Elves, I can’t help but gush over the handsome andever-so-talented Orlando Bloom as noble Legolas. Bloom captured thearcher’s very movements; he treads lightly and fights fearlessly.Legolas’sbowmanship was amazing; he looked so natural loosing his arrowsmachine-gunstyle. He was my favorite character in the books, and his essencetranscends the film. Gimli was pompous and brave, as well. He iswell-represented in the movie. Boromir was hopelessly lost, but at thesametime valiant and strong. Sean Bean gave an emotionally-chargedperformanceas the tortured warrior. Hugo Weaving was very good as Elrond. He wasnoble and cold at the same time. And Gandalf. What more can be said ofIanMcKellan’s showcase portrayal of the wizard? He was magnificent. Hecouldbe Gandalf, the kind old conjurer who set off pyrotechnics forhobbit-children. Then he could turn around and stun the life out of youwith Gandalf the powerful wizard, facing the balrog with defiance and aniron will. His Oscar nomination is well-deserved.Peter Jackson is a brave soul to take on a project that could havebackfiredin so many places. Instead of bringing us uninspired kitsch, he serves upraw emotion, graphic battles of good and evil, chilling and wonderfulcharacters, and enough special effects (realistic, mind you) to make JohnCameron’s mouth water. Knowing that "The Two Towers" was my favorite ofthebooks, I eagerly anticipate the second helping of "The Lord of theRings."

  5. Yrneh from New Zealand says:

    I think it is important to remember that Peter Jackson took up this filmnotin order just to make a film of `The Lord of the Rings’ but because hewanted to make a ‘fantasy just like the `The Lord of the Rings’" as hehimself put it. After repeating that phrase on a number of occasions thequestion popped into his mind: "Well, why not the `The Lord of the Rings’itself?". In doing this he, of course, set himself an enormous challenge:he had to make a really good `fantasy’ film, one which would stand on itsown and be true to what he had originally wanted to do but he would also,and here the task he had set himself was enormous, be true to the originalbook and to make a film which the legions of people who have loved thisbookwould feel happy with. In the latter task he was certainly not helped bythe author or the book: Tolkein, it would seem, hated cinema. The bookitself is `HUGE’: this was not going to be the kind of task that the JamesIvory team set themselves, or Scorsese nor the kind of task facing Branaghwith Hamlet; nor was it going to be like the puny task that faced Columbuswith `Harry Potter’ who had the bigger budget ($130 million for one filmascompared with Peter Jackson with $300m for three).I have just seen the first `volume’ and can say without hesitation that hehas succeeded in both his goals. It is not the book but a reading of thebook which is inventive and fascinating. It is the kind of experiencethatmakes you want to go back and reread the whole thing in the light of theemphases that Jackson has brought to the story. He focuses on thecorrupting influence of the ring and, through this focus, the character ofthe chief protagonists of the story are revealed. Clearly those mosttempted by it are mortal men (Boromir and even, in one moment, Aragorn),those who already have power (Elrond – `The ring cannot stay here’;Galadriel; Gandalf and Saruman), and, of course, those who would notnormally desire it but who by accident become ring bearers – Gollum,Bilbo,Frodo. I can see why, in this reading, Jackson decided to leave out theBombadil episode. Bombadil, like the Balrog, is beyond the ring but thelatter is important to the unfolding of the story of the fates of all thecharacters, Bombadil isn’t.It is a miracle of this reading of the first volume of the book that onecansee where Jackson is going and one can get a feel of how the reading isgoing to unfold. In a sense, Jackson’s real trial – as far as those whoknow the books are concerned – will come with the second film in theseries.He has lived up to our expectation by creating even bigger ones: how canhehandle the story of the chase andrescue of Merry and Pippin, the stormingofIsengard etc – stories which don’t really add much to the core theme thatisemerging. Or is he now going to add the theme of the great contest ofgoodversus evil to the unfolding reading?All of this points to the fact that the film, even though it is a feast ofspecial effects, focuses on character. And this also explains why Jacksonchose the actors he did for their roles: they are not `big’ names – no`SeanConnery’, no `Alan Rickman’, no `Brad Pitt’, no `Sam Neill’etc. He didn’twant them getting in the way of the story of character. Ian McKellan’stalents, in particular, are used to tell a large proportion of the story:anenormous amount is conveyed simply through his facial expressions and evenby the language of his body. The other miracle in all of this is ElijahWood. Like many others, when I first heard of Jackson’s choice, Igroaned:but Wood has been extraordinary. He brings, as one friend said, a strangekind of androgyny to the role and this is just perfect. McKellan hasalreadybeen knighted: give Wood the Oscar.And then there is Middle Earth: this is, as someone put it, anothercharacter in the story and the New Zealand landscape, digitally enhancedonoccasion, lives up to its role too.Enough. See this film! Greatest film ever made? How can one make aclaimlike that! Silly really; as silly as claiming that `The Lord of the Rings’is the greatest book ever written. Can’t one simply love a story, enjoyreading it a number of times amd lose oneself in it. One CAN claim thatitis the greatest work in its genre as is the film.10/10

  6. minionlost from Santa Ynez, CA says:

    Breathtaking. Unique. Captivating. Enchanting.Within minutes of the start of this first chapter of an undeniably epictrilogy, the audience was left gasping at the intensity of the images onthescreen. And we had nearly three hours to go.The scope of Tolkien’s masterpiece may have eluded film-makers fordecades,but director Peter Jackson makes good on his promise: he has not onlybrought us the tale of Frodo and his bold companions, he has brought usMiddle Earth. And believe me, it is BIG. Sweeping vistas andhang-onto-your-seat camera shots send us zooming through the toweringcitiesand citadels of Tolkien’s imagination.But even more impressive than the stunning visuals andsound-effects-like-you’ve-never-heard-before are the actors who breathelifeinto the characters. Ian McKellen’s portrayal of Gandalf is nothing shortof awe-inspiring, and Elijah Wood’s Frodo is one of the most unexpectedlycaptivating performances I’ve seen in a long time. The despair, terror,anddetermination of the Fellowship is all there, in spades. I left thetheateraching…from tensing every muscle during the fight and flightsequences–the breathless and compelling kind we haven’t seen sinceSpielberg gave us a desperate charge onto the D-Day beaches ofNormandy.Those unfamiliar with Tolkien’s world may quickly find themselves lost init, but happily so. The depth of his creation cannot be grasped in a fewhours, and it doesn’t need to be; the struggle of good against evilexplodeson the screen, and leaves little room for complaint.The movie ended with a stunned audience sitting on the edges of theirseats,feeling somewhat bereft. We were exhausted, but no one wanted to wait ayear for more.Jackson’s ambitious first chapter is truly unlike anything you’ve seenthisyear. George Lucas and Chris Columbus take note: this is how you deliverona cinematic promise.For everyone else: don’t you dare miss it.

  7. (phil.cooper@blueyonder.co.uk) from Manchester, England says:

    There’s a very obvious problem when transferring any book to the big screen,namely that some of us may already have seen it. It’s not that the story holds no surprises (save for the occasionalcontroversies that surround the fate of characters like Hannibal Lecter),it’s just that many of us have already read the book, and thus we’ve alreadydirected our own version of the story. We’ve already seen it in our mind’seye. And this is the problem that plagues The Fellowship of The Ring. You’ll seea lot of reviews here proclaiming it as nothing short of the second comingof cinema, and a few that dare to knock its serious shortcomings. Let meclear this up right now. The first issue that many may raise is that this is not a faithfuladaptation of the book. Quite right, while taking pains to ensure that theystayed faithful to the novel, Jackson et al have not simply been able tolift their screenplay directly from its pages without a few necessarychanges. There is a great deal of mindfulness in the film about the portionof the audience (and it will be large) who are unfamiliar with the novels.Accordingly a great deal more emphasis has been placed upon pacing andstorytelling more appropriate to a classic film narrative. Hence we need tosee Gandalf’s protracted bid to escape the clutches of Isenguardinterspersed with the Hobbit’s journey to Rivendell. It simply isn’tappropriate to expect an audience to bear with the Hobbits’ journey, nomatter how good the actors are or how enthralling the story is, for upwardsof an hour without constant reminders of the films other protagonists OR thethreat of the evil they face. Having Gandalf just turn up at Rivendell andtell his story via CGI-filled flashbacks simply wouldn’t have had thenecessary effect. Secondly, the omission and reworking of characters. Yes, it was sad thatBakshi felt his animation didn’t need Tom Bombadill, and given that hefeatures strongly in Tolkien’s other works this has to be frowned upon bythe die-hard fanatics, but introducing diverting, but ultimately pointlessepisodes into the list of the challenges the Hobbits face is hardly going tokeep you riveted to your seat is it? I mean, a man who stops the Hobbitsbeing eaten, very slowly, by a tree with his power of song is just quitefrankly ludicrous in this day and age. The film is already stretching theaudience’s suspension of disbelief as far as it can go. Hence the chaff ofBombadill is cut. He isn’t relevant to the rest of the story so he can bedone without. It’s sad for Tolkien fans for him not to be there but there’sonly so much celluloid available, even with a film this long. And yes, Arwen Undomiel never saved Frodo from the Dark Riders, but please,remember your girlfriend needs to have something to sink her teeth into aswell, not just midgets and men with beards looking mean or scared as theyfight monsters. So, for gender representation and a bid to prevent half thepotential market (please remember that like all film, this is a product tobe packaged and sold) her character gets a drastic overhaul. Go sister! There are numerous other issues relevant to the faithfulness of theadaptation from novel to screenplay but please, let’s be content with whatwe’ve got here. It’s a hard task to do all this well and Jackson, along withthe rest of the boys and girls at Wingnut and WETA, should be commended forwhat they have achieved. That said there are some definite flaws in the film, even those that can’tbe overlooked by justifying the needs to relate to the popcorn and nachosaudience. Firstly, we’ve got the Fellowship itself. Now, Merry and Pippin, while notreally being established as Frodo’s friends and thus not having the samekind of bond with him as they do in the novel are moderately wellintegrated. However, at the arrival of Boromir, Gimili and Legolas we justget left in the dark. None of these three characters, all representingimportant races, cultures and locations of the world of Middle Earth aregiven no more than token arrival-shots to introduce them, and little or noback-story as to how they came to be where they are or why they feelcompelled to join Frodo’s quest. Offering their various weapons is noble,and it sounds fantastic in the trailer, but when we finally get down to itwe just don’t know who they are or what they’re about. Accordingly we don’tever really have time to care about any of these three, save for Legolaswhose fighting proficiency alone makes him stand out. Sadly, Sean Bean isallowed little more than to switch from foreboding bad guy to friendlycompanion and back again (thus betraying his characters ultimate fate fromthe first time he opens his mouth) and John Rhys Davis is left with littlemore to do than scowl and look short. It doesn’t help that both thesecharacters seem to get a pretty raw deal for screen time, especially Gimli,who is barely in the film at all. We won’t even begin to go into theseemingly superficial relationship we see between Sam and Frodo. All of this is indeed a shame. The film’s greatest strength after its storyare its strong characters. However, whereas in the book they have the spaceto develop and flesh themselves out here they have little more to do thanlook in awe at Gandalf, perhaps not with a humble air so much as a wonderthat he’s being allowed to soak up all the screen time. And yes, what you’ve heard is true; the fight sequences are shockingly bad.Well, perhaps that IS an overstatement. The fight sequences aren’t exactlybad, they’re riddled with good ideas and clever moves, but the cameraworkand editing is so erratic that you’ll have a hard time picking out anythingto inspire awe or respect. The problem here is that the benchmarks for onscreen fighting have all been established nowadays by The Matrix, CrouchingTiger and The Phantom Menace, and all of these films use lengthy shots toallow us to soak up the fight imaginative fight choreography, rather thanhave us crane our necks and dart about the screen with our eyeballs tryingto glimpse it like a rare bird or nipple-flash at a premiere. Now, these, yet again, are only a few of the problems. There’s thegeography of Middle Earth, some ropey special effects moments and the clumsyending to deal with. But you can read the books and see the film foryourself; I’ve already typed enough about all that here. BUT, now that I’ve just spent the main chunk of this review telling youabout the shortcomings of The Fellowship of the Rings as both a movie and anadaptation let me tell you, it is good, exceptionally good. There is no denying that the storyline itself, acting, effects, props, setsand so on and so forth are all spot on. Visually the film is a triumph andWETA has now, without question placed itself ahead of Industrial Light andMagic in terms of industry leading special effects. There are bags of styleto proceedings, with some sequences displaying the sheer amount of vision ofthe whole team to bring somewhat vague sections of the novel to life.All parts are played to perfection by the cast, and the casting is literallysome of the best and most appropriate seen in years, none of thiswho-hot-and-who’s-not Jerry Bruckheimer trash, it’s a case of the bestpossible person for the part at every stage of the film. We’ll giveparticular credit to Sir Ian Mckellan, Christopher Lee, Ian Holm and ElijahWood again here. No doubt they’ve had scores of favourable and lovingreviews already but these performances truly are worth mentioning just onceagain. The film is a masterpiece from start to finish. Yes, it does takeperseverance, no it’s not entirely faithful to Tolkien’s work and there aresome serious flaws, but in a year that has been so barren of even fivedecent mainstream movies I think it’s safe to say that no matter when thisfilm had been released it would have outshone its competitors.

  8. David D Lowery from Chicago says:

    The reason why this first part of Jackson’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ issuperiorto his latter two parts is because of restraint. Jackson was restrainedfromover doing it with the CGI and "epic" battle sequences, which in myopiniondoes not make a story epic. Part of the reason was simply because Tolkiendid not have very many battles in the first part of his book, whichthankfully forced Jackson to focus on creating a believable world ratherthan a believable hack-n-slash action movie.I don’t find much entertainment in watching people mutilate each other,butI love it when a movie engages me in a world, and ‘The Fellowship of theRing’ does just that. Certainly the most breathtaking scenes in the movieare the moments of patient observation, when the camera pans around andcaptures the beautiful settings of Middle Earth. I must give Jacksoncredit.He did hire some very extraordinary artists that have envisioned one ofthegrandest interpretations of Tolkien’s world.There are about five particular moments that stick out in my mind and gaveme that tingle of goosebumps down my spine when I saw them for the firsttime. The first is the introduction to Hobbiton. After the somewhatawkwardprologue, I was beginning to have my doubts to whether the movie wouldliveup to the book. But the movie surprised me. Hobbiton is perfect. Thehouseshave flower patches and old fences, the roads look worn and made throughdecades of travel, and the Old Mill spins with the laziness of a quiettown.Every color is vibrant and every moment looks as through it was taken outofa picture book. Although I still don’t agree with the particular look oftheHobbits, I believe everything else in Hobbiton is worthy of Tolkien’swords.The second moment comes after Frodo’s awakening in Rivendell, and thethird,during the exploration of the Halls of Moria. In both moments, the camerapans away from the characters and outward into a static shot of theirsurroundings. The moments make us feel like we’re turning our heads andgazing at the world around us just as the characters do. The goldenwaterfalls of the elven city mark an interesting contrast with the darkhalls of the dwarfish mines, but each are inspiring in their own ways andadd to feeling of being engaged in a living world.My other favorite moments come during the exploration of Lothlorien andthepassage down the Anduin. And while I won’t go into detail about thescenes,since they really should be experienced without any prior expectations,theyare monuments in imaginative cinema. ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’ is oneofthose rare movies that I always wish I could reexperience for the firsttime. Unfortunately, Jackson turned away from exploring Middle Earth inhisnext two movies, and instead, turned to fighting and warfare. He seems totake a lot of pride in the love story and battle sequences he created in’The Two Towers’ and ‘The Return of the King,’ but it is was in his firstmovie when he really got it right. In ‘The Fellowship of the Ring,’ it’sokay if the characters are uninteresting and have silly dialogue. MiddleEarth is the star, and the characters are the ones seeing it for the firsttime.

  9. Alexander Christie-Miller from England says:

    ‘The Lord of the Rings’ is one of my favorite books, I have read it severaltimes, and remember thinking the last time, about 3 years ago that if I madea film I’d want to make it of this, but wouldn’t it be almost impossible.You can then imagine how strong my expectations were when I went to see theeagerly awaited first installment. This film impressed me hugely, more than anything else because of how trueit was to my imagination, both in the characters as well as in the effectsand setting- a sentiment I have heard consistently from other fans of thebooks. Elijah Wood brought across the character of Frodo with the kind ofhaunted, frail courage that Tolkien captures so well in the books. Nor couldI find any fault at all with Ian McKellan’s Gandalf, Viggo Mortensen’sAragorn, and Sean Bean’s Boromir, all of whom I thought were portrayedexcellently. I could pick out instances where I did think, ‘no, that’s notright’, however their seldomness in number would only serve to illustratethe excellence of the overall portrayal. One thing that did stand out for mewas Cate Blanchett’s performance as Galadriel, the part itself became soperfunctory in the film that to me her alternation between benevolent seer,and figure of potential terror seemed little more than a slightly confusingdetour with no real connection into the plot other than as a vehicle for aglimpse into the future. But that was it.I thought that the points where Jackson did deviate from the text werecompletely the correct ones to do so. Shortening the opening Shire scenesand cutting out the whole Tom Bombadil bit was great since frankly theybored me slightly in the book anyway. Also, expanding the role of Arwen wasa sensible decision. However this film is by no means above criticism. The dialogue was in myopinion terrible and purely there to drive on the plot. Normally this wouldruin a film for me (as in "The Matrix"), making it almost intolerable toview, however fortunately here it proves little more than a minorirritation. Also, the film seemed overall to be excessively plot-driven andat times a mad dash from one action scene to another, the characters, forall their truth to the book did seem flat and sometimes little more thanstereotypical fantasy characters. This is perhaps my major quarrel with thefilm- I would have liked these characters to have come alive as people in away that was made impossible by the sparseness of the script and therollercoaster nature of the plot. In general the whole film lacked the depthof context that I think distinguishes Tolkien from other fantasy writers.However to have achieved this would have required a very different movie,and you can’t fault an action film for being an action film. This movie is undoubtedly not for everyone. A lot of people just don’t getfantasy- other than Lord of the Rings, I don’t particularly either. Howeverin my opinion Jackson really has made an incredible achievement- his andTolkien’s vision carried through suberbly by a breathtaking setting andstunning special effects, as well as by a cast clearly as enthralled as hewas. He has taken on a huge task, and is dealing with it with breathtakingsuccess.

  10. Sheryl from Singapore says:

    I absolutely love this movie, partly because the acting is really good,but also for the CGI effects and the good storyline. I watched theextended version and realized that it isn’t boring like some peoplethink because some people I know think that FOTR is quite a lengthymovie because of all the talking, but in my opinion, if there’s nottalking, there’s no story! If they just jumped to the fighting sceneswithout any of the introduction, then you won’t know where the moviestarted from. I love the scenes where they get to fight, whether Orcsor Nazgul, the fighting scenes are still the climax of the movie.Another good movie to see after FOTR is TTT, of course. It is thesecond part of this great trilogy and there are more climatic scenes.Most probably, you’ll enjoy that more than FOTR but don’t shun thismovie just because it’s a bit lengthy.Overall, it’s a great movie to see and it is really worth spending themoney to buy/rent the extended/special DVD to watch too. Definitely a10 out of 10 on my scale! Actually, in my opinion, 10/10 doesn’t evencome close!

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