Why The Fellowship Of The Ring Is The Best Lord Of The Rings Film

Clocking in a couple of minutes shy of three hours, The Fellowship of the Ring is not a short film. But, unlike the other two films in the series (which are of similar length), the film absolutely flies by, thanks to the brilliant pacing and editing. Fellowship is economical with its storytelling, with each scene in the film crucial in advancing the plot or revealing more about the characters. We are drawn into Middle Earth slowly, given extended time to relax in the wondrous Hobbit haven that is the Shire, before our reluctant hero is thrust into his journey.

The film takes its time introducing all of the key players, with the Council of Elrond (where we are introduced to the complete fellowship) not taking place until over an hour into the movie. Once the quest begins, the film does not need to cut across to different characters, allowing momentum to be maintained throughout (something the subsequent films suffered with). The action scenes are intense and well-choreographed but not gratuitous in length.

Finally, there are no scenes in the film which hinder the narrative or that viewers may want to skip entirely (thinking of the Ents in The Two Towers). From start to finish, Fellowship feels like the film that Jackson had the most time to polish and refine and this is evident in the expert pacing throughout.