The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) starring Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, Ian Holm. Frodo Baggins (Wood), a hobbit, sets off on a quest to destroy the evil One Ring. He is joined by Gandalf, the wizard (McKellen); Aragorn, son of Arathorn (Mortensen); a dwarf, an elf, a man, and three other hobbits. They journey through dangerous lands to find shelter in elf lands, then through the mines of Moria, where Gandalf battles with a balrog. It's all executed with the greatest of the cinematic arts, and the movie's only flaw is that it is so long, at three and a half hours. Yet even at that length, I never grew bored.  Grade: A