THE LORD OF THE RINGS

Having just returned from seeing "Lord of the Rings" I have to say that this was the best movie of the year, and it's about damn time a decent Fantasy film appeared from Hollywood. Lord of the Rings was an incredible movie that truly achieved an epic scope and vision that has been lacking in much of the film industry today. I discussed this "vision" a few times on the Odyssey of Hyrule in regards to the potential of "The Legend of Zelda" and "Lord of the Rings" is certainly a manifestation of that image I capture in my mind of a true epic fantasy experience. I was truly moved by what was created in this film and in awe of what it represents.

The Lord of the Rings is a classic within the genre of Fantasy Literature and this film was a more than impressive rendition of this legendary epic. What most captivated me was the scope of the scenery and the depth of the environments. This film was well planned and executed to impact the audience as much as possible without becoming a gaudy effusion of superflous special effects. This film balaced storytelling, cinematography, and special effects so well it is my belief that this film is at the level of legendary status reached only by the original Star Wars Trilogy. What Lucus failed to realize with his prequel, Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, was that special effects overused and a limited scope don't tell a good story. Lord of the Rings did what Episode 1 couldn't and that was to draw the audience into the storyline by not leaping from fast action sequence and intense special effects to the next. Lord of the Rings was a 3 and a half hour film and for good obvious reason - to craft an epic experience and delve into these believeable characters. I also appreciated the realism and violence maintained throughout the film, they didn't dummy it down for the kiddies thank goodness!

One thing that gave me a strong sense of familiarity and affirmation in this film was the similarity of the characters, setting, and plot to that of RPG's that I have been playing for over a decade now. The portrayal of the various races of Middle Earth was impressive. The Elves reminded me so much of Hylians from Zelda (Oh my god Legolas looks just like Link! Complete with Green Tunic and Bow and Arrows!), and most certainly the Fellowship of the Ring was like a party from an RPG, comprised of a motley assortment of races bound toward a common goal. When Gandalf died I was comically thinking to myself, "Cast Full-Life! Cast Full Life!" The changes in settings reminded me again, of how RPG's change from area to area as the party travels between regions of the world. Then of course there was "mythill" - that item that seems to appear in most RPG's going quite a ways back even to Dungeons and Dragons. Some may say that "Lord of the Rings" the film may have borrowed a lot of its storyline and premise from popular games and RPG's, however one must realize that its RPG's that actually borrowed a lot from the original book by J. R. R. Tolkein. The movie, RPGs, and the novel all share a symbiosis, that remains clearly evident throughout the film.

I must say that coming from Lord of the Rings, I felt somehow enlightened and like I was part of something greater a kind of epiphany to a region of my own imagination. It was awesome adventure, and if there's any film you have been waiting to see, this is the one. The good thing is, this is not the last film! There are going to be two more, and if the others are anything like this, it WILL be up there with Star Wars as the greatest Trilogy ever made.