Revisiting The Fellowship of the Ring
First published on my writing site: www.aliamin.info/2026/01/fellowship-of-the-ring-review/
These are my Letterboxd reviews, copied as written. They may contain spoilers.
My rating: 5 out of 5
Listening to Peter Jackson ramble on about shooting the mines of Moria scenes in a dragon button up was a treat.
There’s a lot more deus ex machina to save the Fellowship than I remember.
Orcs are the most useless minions ever. Even Merry & Pippin are killing them without serious injury. The Fellowship is consistently facing 10 to 1 odds and coming out unscathed.
Perhaps it would have been more impactful if Gandalf stayed dead but knowing Tolkein it is probably a Jesus motif.
Frodo being nearly stabbed to death twice wasna bit overused, with the deus ex mythril saving him the second time.
Why are only short characters used for comic relief (dwarves & Hobbits) but humans are always regal or power hungry?
While most of the effects hold up in 2026, some of the green screen & effects definitely do not stand the test of time.
Overall, it still is & always will be a masterpiece. It spawned an entire genre and may still be the best high fantasy ever written, with the movie being one of the greatest cinematic experiences in history. Even when contrasted with Game of Thrones that had more source material, a much higher budget, the benefit of being at a much later stage of development in the genre – Lord of the Rings stands head and shoulders above it. The political maneuvering of GoT or the darker themes of The Witcher may represent an achievement, but the charm, ethics, & world of Middle Earth still reigns supreme.
(Although Enderal remains my favorite high fantasy story)
Watched January 23, 2026. My review on Letterboxd.
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