Lord of the Rings: One film to rule them all

Is it possible? Could a movie be better than the book? Well, no. But Lord of the Rings certainly poses a valiant effort, and an unforgettable one. The movie is a filmmaking wonder, with breathtakingly realistic acting and simply perfect direction. Lord of the Rings has indeed made the highly lucrative transition to Lord of the Screens.

I'm not a fan of Hollywoodizing books, especially not classics like J.R.R. Tolkein's spellbinding Lord of the Rings trilogy. In our literarily apathetic society, we should be encouraging reading as opposed to slowly losing brain cells with eyes glued to a glowing screen. But Lord of the Rings is the true exception to my personal rule of thumb. It is clear that the director poured his heart and soul into this movie, which is pure artistic beauty.

The masterpiece basically follows Tolkein's original storyline, with only a few slight deviations- the main being a very smart increase in female playing time (for all those unfamiliar with Tolkein's novels, they tend to be boys only).

The story commences with a brief prologue detailing the history of the fateful ring, then fades to the glorious grass-covered hills of the perfectly designed Shire.

The Shire is the home of short, furry, and adorable creatures called hobbits. Hobbits are small town folk: none of them ever seem to have left their hometown Shire, save Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm), an extraordinary hobbitin many ways. Bilbo's last and only adventure marked his acquisition of the magical One Ring, an all-powerful talisman forged in the Fires of Mount Doom- the only place where it can be destroyed. The Ring is the ultimate evil: a talisman made with the blood of the Dark Lord Sauron. But the Ring is not an unbiased utensil- using its sinister will it seeks to dominate its owner's mind with its dark intentions.

Bilbo has fallen somewhat under the Ring's spell after all his long years with the insidious talisman, and he knows that his willpower has severely weakened. Deciding to leave the Shire and all his possessions aside to retire in peace, Bilbo "gifts" his spirited young nephew Frodo (Elijah Wood) with the fell Ring. Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) oversees the smooth passage of the ring from uncle to nephew with his subtle wisdom and influence.

Clearly this is no fairytale, and Gandalf reinforces this fact when he tells Frodo of the foul creatures who hunt him and his Ring. Frodo must leave the Shire immediately or face the dark Ring Wraiths, servants of the dark lord. So, with Gandalf leading the way, and along with his trusty hobbit friends Sam Gamgee (Sean Astin), Merry Brandybuck (Dominic Monaghan), and Pippin Took (Billy Boyd), Frodo makes the perilous, suspenseful journey to destroy the Ring.

Five others join them in their quest, completing the Fellowship of the Ring. Aragorn, played by the simply gorgeous Viggo Mortenson to rugged, manly perfection, holds the most prominent role of the remaining companions. The weak-minded Boromir (Sean Bean), the fair, light-footed elf Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and the stout-hearted dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) comprise the rest of the Fellowship.

The movie may be three hours, but the frequent fast-paced action and thrilling scenes pull the movie right through its long time frame. The casting is masterfully done, with Liv Tyler playing Aragorn's lovely love interest Arwen, and Cate Blanchett playing the Elf Queen Galadriel who aids the fellowship. Combined with the members of the Fellowship, the two leading ladies complete the strongly talented cast.

The Lord of the Rings series is comprised of undeniably excellent books. Sure, the movie isn't quite up to that quality level, but it comes mighty close. The acting is superb, the scenery is spectacular, and the movie is simply stupefying.

Despite the rampant abuse of cliches, I'm allotted one cheesy line, so here goes: Magic may not exist, but the Lord of the Rings certainly cast a dazzling spell on me.