In my quest to fill enough of the random posts for the future, I’ve decided to review all three Lord of the Rings movies. I could review the books as well, but I won’t. I also plan to review The Hobbit movies as well and could cover the animated versions if I wanted to. I will review the extended editions some other time and also do recaps of Denethor’s role in the movies, covering both the regular and the extended editions as well. Now let’s get to this movie.
Watch this as alternative to reading post (Part 1): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7evmxZyz_M
(Part 2): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK4-NV1kYQU
We begin with the story of the rings. Three were given to elves, seven to dwarfs, and nine to men. But another ring was made to rule the others. The free lands fell to the ring, but were met with a resistance. They fought in Mordor for freedom. They were doing well, but Sauron, the dark lord, used the strength of the ring to turn the tide. Only he was defeated by Isealdor. He had the chance to destroy evil, but kept the ring of power which had a will of its own. The ring got Isealdor killed.
After a long time, Gollum got the ring and took it to a cave. Gollum got long life because of it, but the ring abandoned Gollum and was then picked up by Bilbo. The story then jumps ahead 60 years into the future where we see Frodo waiting for a wizard who seems to be late. This wizard is named Gandalf. He talks about the world outside of The Shire.
A party is going to happen with most of the people in the Shire invited or showing up anyways. People don’t seem to like Gandalf as a result at least in regards to what he did with Bilbo. Frodo leaves before Gandalf arrives to talk to Biblo. Gandalf reveals that Frodo suspects something will happen regarding Bilbo. Bilbo admits that he doesn’t plan to return. Later, the hobbit and the wizard smoke some.
The party happens next with Sam, a friend of Frodo, not wanting to ask Rosie for a dance yet. Bilbo talks some about his adventures while talking about the trolls that were turned into stone. Two hobbits, revealed to be Merry and Pippin, light up a firework that looks like a dragon, causing panic for a moment before it blows up. Gandalf notices them.
Bilbo gives a speech which doesn’t last that long and he puts on a ring that turns him invisible, which he then takes to his home at Bag End. Gandalf is there waiting for him to talk to him about this. He talks about the magical rings of this world. He takes out the ring and wonders why he shouldn’t keep it. But it is hard to leave it behind. Bilbo snaps at Gandalf regarding the ring. Gandalf just wants to help. They make amends. Bilbo says that the ring must go to Frodo.
Right before leaving, Gandalf reminds Bilbo that Bilbo still has the ring. Bilbo drops it on the ground and leaves it there. He talks about creating an ending to his book now. “And they lived happily ever after until the end of their days.” Bilbo leaves for Riverdale. Gandalf goes back inside to contemplate the ring. Frodo shows up and grabs the ring from the ground. Gandalf says that Bilbo went to stay with the elves and Frodo has Bag End. The ring is put in an envelope with Frodo being told to keep it secret and safe. Gandalf goes out to research more about the ring.
A shriek is heard of “Baggins! Shire!” Riders in black ride out from a tower. Gandalf reads some about this ring and learns that only fire can reveal what the one ring says. A rider asks about Baggins and is told to go to Hobbiton.
Arriving at Bag End at night, Gandalf asks if the ring is secret and safe. He puts the envelope in the fire and the ring survives this. Frodo sees the writing on the ring. This confirms that it is the one ring. Frodo was convinced that Sauron was destroyed, but Gandalf is convinced that it couldn’t be so as long as the ring still exists. Sauron must never find the ring. But they can’t keep it hidden as Gollum knew about the ring and has sent the forces of Mordor after him. The ring can’t stay in the Shire. He must leave quickly for Bree with the ring to wait for Gandalf at the inn of the Prancing Pony. Gandalf seeks to find the head of his order first. He finds that Sam was eavesdropping so Sam joins Frodo on this quest.
Gandalf then parts ways with the hobbits as they go across the country, not sticking to main roads, wanting to keep the ring safe from Sauron by making sure that he doesn’t get it since the ring wants to be found. Gandalf rides to Isengard to seek the council of Sarumon. While there, we learn that Sarumon is using a planthea or lost seeing stone, not knowing who else is watching. But Sarumon prevents his fellow wizard from leaving this tower. Sarumon wants Gandalf to join him and the two fight. This leads to Gandalf being sent to the top of the tower.
Meanwhile, in a field back in the Shire, Frodo and Sam are greeted by Merry and Pippin. The others have been stealing from Farmer Maggot’s crops. They fall out of the field with some of the stolen crops as they find their way to a road. While there, Frodo is concerned that they should get off the road. The four of them all hide behind a tree. This is when one of the ring wraiths, disguised as a rider in black, seeks them out. But a distraction gets rid of him while Sam prevents Frodo from putting on the ring.
When it turns to nighttime, the hobbits are still on the run from the black rider. Merry takes them to the buckleberry ferry. All four of the hobbits are able to get on the ferry with the rider joining others. We then lose two chapters of the book and don’t get to our only encounter with Tom Bombadil.
They arrive at Bree quickly as a result. There is talk of strange folk about. They get into the town and into the inn. Frodo calls himself Underhill and not Baggins as he was told to leave that name behind. They do not find Gandalf here as the owner hasn’t seen the wizard for months. The hobbits decide to wait for Gandalf in the meantime. A man named Strider is watching them.
Pippin foolishly reveals that Frodo is a Baggins. This causes the ring to fall right on Frodo’s finger, causing him to stay in the ring world for a bit. This is where Strider comes in with Frodo after the ring is off and Frodo can be seen again. The riders are coming, now knowing of where Frodo is. They even magically kill a person just by knocking down a door so quickly that the person disappears too.
It seems at first that the ring wraiths are successful, but they feel for a decoy as Strider took the hobbits to where they would be safe. Strider takes them into the wild and takes them into the wild. He is taking them to Rivendale.
Sarumon is told to build an army and he rips down tress to do it. Gandalf is still alive, for now. We then get to the watchtower where they rest for the night. Strider takes a look around and gives the hobbits weapons that he somehow had on him, but hadn’t given to them before. The hobbits light a fire to eat food, but Frodo wants it put out. Their position has been revealed as the ring wraiths, also known as Nazgul, show up. The hobbits are easily overpowered with Frodo putting on the ring by choice this time and not by accident. But he doesn’t like being drawn into this. Frodo is stabbed when Strider shows up again to save them, with Frodo taking the ring back off.
Frodo needs Elvish medicine, but Sam says that they are still six days from Rivendale. Meanwhile, we see a moth show up to Gandalf with him using the moth to ask for help. The orcs in the meantime build weapons and somehow make other orcs.
While at Bilbo’s trolls, Sam is sent to look for a ring when a woman finds the group. This she elf takes Frodo on her horse away from the others at her insistence since she’s a faster rider. All she has to do is make it across the river. Maybe she should go down to the river to pray, talking about them good old days when who should say… “Adam! Get back to the recap!”
I think that she’s able to do this and have more of an important role in the movie than she did in the book. It was just a random guy who did this in the book, I believe. It is hard to remember. It seems that Frodo might be near death. But the Nazgul appear to be defeated for now.
Frodo is revealed to be okay as is Gandalf as they talk to each other about being in the house of Elrond. We learn that Gandalf was able to fly on an eagle out of that place, not accepting the offer as the dark lord does not share power. Sam shows up and Frodo reunites with his hobbit friends and even sees Bilbo again. Bilbo finished writing his book about his adventure with the dragon. Bilbo would have liked to do that again, but his old age has prevented him from going on other adventures.
Sam is packed already and wants to go home with the ring being as far as it is already. They think that this is a safe place for the ring. Gandalf and Elrond talk about Frodo bearing a resistance to the evil of the ring. Sarumon is breeding goblins and orcs into a new set of creatures that can move in sunlight. Elrond does not think that dwarfs will help them. Gandalf thinks that men will find the help of this world. But Elrond doesn’t think that it would work based on the fact that Isealdor did not destroy the ring when given the chance. Why Elrond let him walk away without simply taking the ring and throwing it into the fire himself remains unknown.
They talk about Strider, the heir of Isealdor, who is living in exile without reclaiming the throne that he rightfully has claimed in Gondor. Others come to Riverdale to discuss the ring. Strider talks to the elf woman, Arwen, about his fate. She wants to be mortal to be with him, giving him the Evening Star.
The races of Middle Earth talk about what to do about Mordor and how to overcome the evil. The ring is put out in front of everyone. A man, the son of the Steward of Gondor, wants the ring for himself to use against the enemies. But Strider, the ranger who is revealed to be Aragon, warns that no one can use the ring. Legolas, an elf, talks some to Boramir. Boramir thinks that Gondor works better without a king, not needing one.
Elrond knows that the ring must be destroyed and a dwarf named Gimli wants to do it and tries with an ax, but the ring can only be destroyed in the fires of Mordor. After some fighting amongst the people there, it is Frodo who decides to take the ring to Mordor. Gandalf joins in as does Legolas, Gimli, Aragon, and Boramir. The three hobbits join as you need people of intelligence on his mission, quest, thing.
Bilbo gives his old sword to Frodo and mythrill. Bilbo wants the ring back, wanting to hold it one last time and gets evil looking when denied, before regaining his senses. Meanwhile, the nine leave from Rivendale to go 40 days to the gap of Rohan which could still be open to them. Gimli doesn’t like this idea and thinks that they should go through the mines of Moria. But Gandalf is reluctant.
Spies of Sarumon in the form of some sort of flying creatures reveal that the path is being watched so they try to climb a mountain instead. Boramir tries to take the ring from Frodo, but Aragorn makes him give it back. The spies return and reveal the information to Sarumon. Will the mountain defeat them? We see them struggle as a voice in the air of Sarumon tries to take down the mountain. There is still much fighting over which route to take. Moria is too dangerous as the dwarves dug too deep and found a creature of shadow and flame. Frodo decides to take them through the mines that they somehow are able to get to instantly and safely, it seems.
At the entrance to the mine, Gandalf is unsure how to open the door. He thinks that it is a password of some sort. They can’t take the horse with them even though I’m not sure it was on the mountain at all nor how it could have been there. Frodo realizes that a riddle needs to be solved. The company seeks to go inside and through it. Gimli is happy at first since his cousin Bali lives here. But they find a bunch of dead bodies at the entrance and seek to turn around. However, a creature in the water seeks to kill Frodo and they have to go back into the mines for shelter. Once back in there, the entrance is shut with them left with no other choice but to continue through the mines.
It will take four days to get to the other side and they need to do this without being detected. They get a bit lost with Gandalf unsure where to go. Frodo then notices that Gollum is following them. Gandalf says that it has been happening for the last three days. How could he have gotten in through the cave in and not be noticed? This impossible tail is something that I have a hard time believing. Considering how we are lead to believe that it happens the rest of the movie, with Gollum even getting across the bridge is just something that I have a hard time believing.
The company finds their way to where his now dead cousin is buried. Gandalf reads a book about this person’s last moments. Pippin accidently knocks a body down a hole. Orcs are then noticed as being here. Gimli wants a fight to avenge the dead. A cave troll pops up here. Frodo is stabbed by the troll. But the combined forces of the others are able to take out the troll. Frodo survives because of his mythrill armor. Gandalf wants them to go to a bridge. While doing there, a whole bunch of orcs surround them leaving them outnumbered. But the orcs run away at the sound of a Belrog.
Since this Balrog is too powerful for any of them (or so we are lead to believe), the company runs away from them. They approach a stair with a gap in them. Gimli doesn’t want tossed, but then his beard has to be grabbed in order to prevent him from falling. The gap in the stairs increases, but more damage to it gets the rest of the company down with the others. This part of the movie is simply described in the script to this day as the company runs down the stairs.
The Belrog meets up with the fellowship with Gandalf holding him off. Gandalf is able to make the Belrog fall down to the gap below the bridge, but the Belrog is able to take the wizard with him. The rest of them are still under fire by orcs as they get out of there. The actors then reacts to Gandalf’s death before Ian McKellan, who plays Gandalf, had even worked on the film.
Aragorn insists that they keep going to stay away from the potential orcs that will be there quickly. The company continues into Lothlorian. Gimli warns of an elf enchantress who is there. Other elves come and point arrows at the company, only to escort them into the realm. Frodo heard a voice while he was here at this place.
The fellowship spends time there in Lothlorian. They talk to the group of elves that are there as they learn of what happened to Gandalf. Aragon and Boramir talk some to each other about some of what Boramir feels in regards to Gondor. Meanwhile, Frodo is shown an image in a mirror of what would happen in the future should the quest fail. He is warned that the fellowship is breaking, with someone set to take the ring and it is said to drive them apart. He is told of what issues the ring could have after trying to give it away.
Meanwhile, Sarumon tells a company of orcs to find the ring and bring the hobbit that has the ring of power. The orcs run to meet where the company will be. Frodo gets a special light from the elves as they leave the place and travel by boat to their next destination.
The company rests on one side of the river with the warning that a company of orcs are on the other side of the shore that they will need to be on at some point. Legolas is worried and thinks that they should leave immediately. Frodo was out on his own. He talks to Boramir. Boramir then acts crazy as the power of the ring draws to him. Boramir tries to take the ring again, forcing Frodo to use it to escape with Boramir still going on a rant about how things will go badly. Boramir quickly realizes where he went wrong and tries to apologize.
After being crept out by the eye again, Frodo takes the ring back off. He talks to Aragorn for a while and is told to run once orcs show up. The company is separated from each other into many groups. Frodo gets help from Merry and Pippin with the orcs chasing after the wrong hobbits unknowingly. They wind up with Boramir who uses his horn to call for help. Boramir winds up shot with arrows, but keeps up the fight against the other orcs. Merry and Pippin try to help, but are taken by the orcs.
Aragorn arrives and takes out the orc who attacked Boramir. They are able to have parting words before Boramir dies. Meanwhile, Frodo tries to leave for Mordor alone with Sam wanting to join his friend. Frodo decides to let Sam join him. Sam promised not to leave Frodo. Boramir is shown a farewell with his body being sent off in a boat down the waterfall.
While Legolas wants to follow Frodo and Sam, Aragorn doesn’t want to follow them. Gimli thinks that the fellowship has failed, but Aragorn thinks that there is still some hope left for them. He, Legolas, and Gimli, seek to go after Merry and Pippin, not wanting them left to torture. Frodo and Sam think that the others will find their way by themselves. Here, part one of the three part movie series ends.
I do like this movie, even if I think that it is a weak spot in the whole trilogy. It is good on its own, but the rest of the movies in the series keep getting better after it. It lacks the epic battles that we see in some of the other movies. But it is a strong start to the series. Not much is changed from the books, outside of both taking out Tom Bombadill and moving Boramir’s death in this movie instead of the beginning of the next one. We don’t lose much that we get in the extended edition that I plan to get to later. For now, this is Adam Decker, signing off.
