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

One of the greatest strengths of The Lord of the Rings trilogy is the talented cast assembled to bring the characters to life. From Virgo Mortensen's Aragorn (a late in the day replacement for the far too young Stuart Townsend), to Hugo Weaving's wise elf Elrond, each performer brings their 'A'game and there is not a weak link amongst them.

For all of the quality that the entire cast demonstrate, the stand out performer across the trilogy is Ian McKellen as Gandalf. What makes his performance particularly impressive is the fact that he plays two different versions of Gandalf; Gandalf the Grey in Fellowship and Gandalf the White in The Two Towers and Return of the King.

Whilst Gandalf the White is a warm, benevolent presence in the latter two entries (and a useful ally in battle), Gandalf the Grey is a far more entertaining screen presence that greatly benefits Fellowship. Gandalf the Grey comes across as a lived in, human character, as much at home smoking a pipe and drinking an ale as he is discussing the future of Middle Earth with fallen wizard Saruman. McKellen clearly enjoys playing the Grey version over the White, as he mentioned in interviews when filming prequel series The Hobbit.

He is protective, quick to laugh, but short of temper (poor Pippin receives an earful of abuse when making too much noise in the Mines of Moria). This Gandalf is a comforting presence and his seeming death towards the end the film hits us like a stake through the heart. Long live Gandalf the Grey.