--- title: "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" year: 2001 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-fellowship-of-the-ring" fi1m_id: "the-lord-of-the-rings-the-fellowship-of-the-ring" imdb_id: "tt0120737" tmdb_id: 120 wikidata_id: "Q127367" fi1m_score: 90 critics_score: 88 critics_reviews: 11 published: "2026-09-15" updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:32.199563+00:00" region: "FR" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) Directed by Peter Jackson · 2h 59m · CNC TP · Adventure, Fantasy, Action ## Identity The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-fellowship-of-the-ring - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** the-lord-of-the-rings-the-fellowship-of-the-ring - **IMDb ID:** tt0120737 - **TMDB ID:** 120 - **Wikidata ID:** Q127367 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120737/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/120, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q127367 **Fi1m score: 90** · Critics 88 from 11 reviews *In a sentence:* Ian McKellen could talk us into a journey we had quite sensibly decided against > Peter Jackson’s fantasy adventure is absorbing, frightening and worth the time even for those unmoved by hobbits. The battles occasionally crowd out the people, but Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood give us ample reason to care. ## Synopsis Frodo (Elijah Wood) finds himself caught in the struggle against evil in Middle-earth. A ring brings him disturbing visions, while a fellowship’s journey takes the story through kingdoms, monsters and battles. Ian McKellen plays Gandalf, Viggo Mortensen plays Aragorn, and Sean Astin plays Sam, as the hobbits become involved in events that reach far beyond themselves. Peter Jackson directs and co-writes this adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s novel, alongside screenwriters Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. The cast also includes Ian Holm as Bilbo and Sean Bean as Boromir. ## Review Peter Jackson’s *The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring* is an absorbing adventure, and we would recommend it well beyond its natural audience. Jackson expects us to accept the kingdoms, monsters and hobbits without apologising for any of them. The screenplay, written with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens from J. R. R. Tolkien’s novel, gives the struggle against evil enough human interest to make that possible. There is time to worry about the people involved, even with another battle approaching. Ian McKellen does much of the persuading as Gandalf, giving the solemn dialogue the ease of something thought rather than recited. His authority never seems to require an extra push from the film. Elijah Wood makes Frodo’s vulnerability a reason to watch closely, and Sean Astin gives Sam an emotional directness that this much mythology needs. Viggo Mortensen’s Aragorn and Sean Bean’s Boromir are compelling company, although the hobbits sometimes lose our attention when these larger figures take over. The danger matters because Jackson is willing to make it unpleasant. We were frightened by the visions that accompany Frodo wearing the ring: something so small can make even looking feel unsafe. The film’s menace does not depend entirely on the arrival of another monster, and that helps it sustain our concern between the battles. Jackson also allows sadness into the adventure, so that the prospect of danger does not always feel like an invitation to enjoy ourselves. Andrew Lesnie gives the Middle-earth landscapes a forbidding scale. It is easy to believe that a journey across them would be exhausting. Grant Major’s production design uses Gothic grandeur to make the kingdoms intimidating, with buildings that seem too imposing for anyone to feel comfortable in them. The surroundings establish a threat before the film needs to put a monster into them. John Gilbert’s editing keeps most of the 179 minutes moving, though the repeated shift from travel to confrontation becomes noticeable. A battle can be exciting and still arrive when we would prefer another stretch with the hobbits. Jackson occasionally lets the action go on past the point where it tells us anything further about the people fighting, and the quieter characters get less room than they deserve. We missed the gentler company during some of those passages. Howard Shore’s music helps keep the adventure from becoming a succession of contests. The score gives the grand passages a mournful undertone, which suits a film so alert to how much its characters stand to lose. At times the insistence on importance becomes heavy, particularly when the images already supply all the scale a scene needs. Yet Shore’s contribution usually makes the emotion easier to feel, and McKellen’s performance brings warmth to the solemnity. Fantasy often asks for considerable patience while it explains who everyone is and why an object matters. Jackson makes that work easier by giving the invented world dangers we can understand without knowing its history. No prior affection for Tolkien is necessary to respond to Wood’s unease or McKellen’s reassurance. Set aside the full evening, and do not assume that a dislike of fantasy rules this one out. *Fi1m score 90, published 15 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics warmly endorse Peter Jackson’s adaptation, praising its conviction, casting and ability to make Middle-earth feel like a place with its own history and rules. Praise clusters around the production design, effects and landscapes, with the battles and atmosphere of menace giving the spectacle force. Several reviews also stress the attention to character and the emotional weight of the journey, finding more than technical accomplishment in its treatment of Tolkien’s story. Reservations centre on pacing, tone and what the adaptation loses. Variety finds the episodic structure repetitive and the length occasionally tiring, while RogerEbert.com regrets the shift from the hobbits and Tolkien’s gentleness towards action and larger characters. The Guardian is a clear dissenter, admiring the landscape but finding too little plot complication and too much humourless self-importance. The spread is therefore wider than the predominantly enthusiastic reception suggests: even the scale that many admire can become a source of fatigue. ## Straight answers **Is The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring worth watching?** *The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring* is worth watching, and we scored it 90, our recommendation extending well beyond people who already like fantasy. Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood give the danger a human weight, and Peter Jackson is willing to make it frightening. Set aside the full 179 minutes; the battles occasionally crowd out the hobbits, but not for long. **How long is The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, and what is it rated?** *The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring* runs 2h 59m and is rated TP by the CNC in France. It is an adventure and fantasy film. **Where can I watch The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in France?** *The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring* is streaming on HBO Max, Disney+, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video in France, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from €2.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How does The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring compare to The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers?** *The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring* is the more cohesive of the two, keeping its company together and its people in view for longer than *The Two Towers* manages. The later film is stirring but lumbers under divided storylines, redeemed largely by Andy Serkis’s Gollum. Start with the first; it earns the second. **Is The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring based on a true story or a book?** *The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring* is based on J. R. R. Tolkien’s novel, not a true story, adapted by Peter Jackson with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. Knowing the book is not required: Jackson gives the invented world dangers we can understand without its history. Readers will recognise the kingdoms and monsters; everyone else can simply follow Frodo. **Do you need to have seen the other Middle-earth films before The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring?** *The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring* requires nothing seen beforehand and is a sound place to begin with the Middle-earth films. It explains who everyone is and why the ring matters as it goes, and no prior affection for Tolkien is needed to respond to Wood’s unease or McKellen’s reassurance. Newcomers can start here without worry. **What should I watch after The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring?** After *The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring*, try [*Princess Mononoke*](https://film.one/film/princess-mononoke) (1997, Fi1m 88): An animated fantasy that takes its creatures, conflicts and human failings seriously. Then [*The Dark Crystal*](https://film.one/film/the-dark-crystal) (1982, Fi1m 78): The creatures and their surroundings make another invented world feel inhabited; and [*A Matter of Life and Death*](https://film.one/film/a-matter-of-life-and-death) (1946, Fi1m 92): A gentler fantasy, with human affection surviving an elaborate supernatural bureaucracy. **What order should I watch the Middle-earth films in?** Release order is the safe choice for Middle-earth, and it is the order [our collection page](https://film.one/collections/middle-earth) lists them in. *The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring* is the first of the 6 Middle-earth titles on Fi1m; after it [*The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers*](https://film.one/film/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-two-towers). [The full order.](https://film.one/collections/middle-earth.md) ### Reviews we read (13) - **Time Out**, TCh (5/5): The critic finds the film creates a sophisticated universe that abides by its own mythic laws rather than condescending to audiences. The grandeur of the Gothic design and the film's menace are singled out for praise. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-fellowship-of-the-ring) - **Empire**, Colin Kennedy (95/100, inferred): The critic hails Peter Jackson’s film as the start of the greatest fantasy epic in cinema history. They single out its impeccable casting, passionate construction, emotional range, and sublime moments that transcend the genre. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/lord-rings-fellowship-ring-review/) - **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (90/100, inferred): The critic hails the film as an intelligent, imaginative and passionate work that thrillingly captures the sweeping story with verve and spirit, paying close attention to character while delivering spectacle and wonder. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-dec-19-et-turan19-story.html) - **Screen Daily** (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a miracle that faithfully captures the spirit of Tolkien while standing on its own as one of Hollywood's most ambitious movies. Complex and engaging characters along with state-of-the-art effects and moral significance are highlighted as strengths. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-fellowship-of-the-ring-review/407695.article) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, David Hunter (90/100, inferred): The critic praises Jackson's adaptation as well-made and well-cast with no reservations about the rest of the trilogy. It singles out the masterful pacing that justifies the long runtime and the top-notch production design, cinematography, effects, costumes, makeup, and score. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/lord-rings-fellowship-ring-2001-review-950526/) - **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (3.5/4): The critic finds the film a well-crafted modern sword-and-sorcery epic that transcends its genre but shifts focus away from the hobbits toward larger characters and action sequences, making it less true to Tolkien's gentler vision than hoped. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/lord-of-the-rings-the-fellowship-of-the-ring-2001) - **Slant Magazine**, Ed Gonzalez (85/100, inferred): The critic lauds Jackson's evocation of Middle-earth's territorial and mythic elements through striking visuals and battles. It singles out the gripping visions when Frodo wears the ring and the overall jaw-dropping set pieces that make the three-hour runtime soar. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-fellowship-of-the-ring/) - **The AV Club**, Scott Tobias (85/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a spectacle of eye-popping proportions with Jackson bringing personality and a light touch to the adaptation. It singles out the visceral battle sequences and the innovative construction of kingdoms and monsters. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/peter-jackson-deftly-lifts-up-a-weighty-lord-of-the-rin-1798192915) - **Total Film** (85/100, inferred): The review praises the film’s breath-snatching beauty, blood-chilling terror and orc-slicing action. It distinguishes the adaptation from lighter fare like Harry Potter through its atmosphere of impending doom and intense action. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-fellowship-of-the-ring-1-review/) - **Variety**, Todd McCarthy (80/100, inferred): The critic calls it a vigorous and faithful adaptation that scrupulously renders characters and worlds with impressive physical production values and effects, though the episodic structure can feel repetitive and the long running time wearisome at times. [Read](https://variety.com/2001/film/awards/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-fellowship-of-the-ring-3-1200552410/) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (**): The critic praises the brilliantly realised Middle Earth landscape and world-building but finds the film lacking in plot complication and too self-important and humourless, ultimately unable to make the required leap of faith into its universe. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2001/dec/14/artsfeatures3) - **The New York Times**, Elvis Mitchell (Critic's Pick): The critic praises Peter Jackson's heroic adaptation that compacts the novel into a gripping action epic while preserving a sense of loss and mournfulness amid the sacrifices and adventures of the fellowship. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/19/movies/film-review-hit-the-road-middle-earth-gang.html) - **Eye for Film**, Angus Wolfe Murray (80/100, inferred): The film succeeds in capturing the essence of Tolkien's saga with excitement and poetic quality intact. The director and cast deliver a grand, immersive journey into evil, highlighted by Ian McKellen's masterful Gandalf. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-fellowship-of-the-ring-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) ## Details - **Director:** Peter Jackson - **Director:** Peter Jackson - **Screenplay:** Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson - **Novel:** J. R. R. Tolkien - **Cinematography:** Andrew Lesnie - **Editor:** John Gilbert - **Music:** Howard Shore - **Production design:** Grant Major - **Costume design:** Ngila Dickson, Richard Taylor - **Producer:** Peter Jackson, Barrie M. Osborne, Tim Sanders - **Cast:** Elijah Wood as Frodo; Ian McKellen as Gandalf; Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn; Sean Astin as Sam; Ian Holm as Bilbo; Liv Tyler as Arwen; Christopher Lee as Saruman; Sean Bean as Boromir - **Runtime:** 2h 59m - **Certificate (CNC):** TP - **Release (France):** 19 December 2001 - **Genres:** Adventure, Fantasy, Action - **Part of:** [Middle-earth](https://film.one/collections/middle-earth.md) · 1 of 6 - **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Nominee, 2001); [BAFTA Best Film winners](https://film.one/collections/bafta-best-film.md) (Winner, 2001); [Golden Globe Best Drama winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-drama.md) (Nominee, 2001) - **Budget:** $93 million - **Box office:** $871 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nZdmwHrcnw ## Where to watch in France - HBO Max: streaming, uhd - Disney+: streaming, hd - Netflix: streaming - Amazon Prime Video: add-on, uhd - Amazon Prime Video: rent €2.99, uhd - Amazon Prime Video: buy €7.99, uhd *Checked 2026-09-15.* Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, TR, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 2002: Best Costume Design (nominated); Best Director (nominated); Best Film Editing (nominated); Best Original Song (nominated); Best Picture (nominated); Best Production Design (nominated); Best Sound (nominated); Best Supporting Actor (nominated); Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (nominated); Best Cinematography (won); Best Makeup and Hairstyling (won); Best Original Score (won); Best Visual Effects (won) - BAFTA Film Awards 2002: BAFTA's Children & Young People Award - Feature Film (nominated); Best Film (won) - Hugo Awards 2002: Best Dramatic Presentation (won) ## If you liked this - *Princess Mononoke* (1997), Fi1m 88: An animated fantasy that takes its creatures, conflicts and human failings seriously — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/princess-mononoke.md) - *The Dark Crystal* (1982), Fi1m 78: The creatures and their surroundings make another invented world feel inhabited — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-dark-crystal.md) - *A Matter of Life and Death* (1946), Fi1m 92: A gentler fantasy, with human affection surviving an elaborate supernatural bureaucracy — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/a-matter-of-life-and-death.md) - *The Green Knight* (2021), Fi1m 78: The medieval journey becomes stranger, slower and more troubling at every stop — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-green-knight.md) - *The Secret of Kells* (2009), Fi1m 76: An Irish animated adventure whose drawings make ancient fears feel close — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-secret-of-kells.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-fellowship-of-the-ring