The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien is a fantasy series that follows Frodo Baggins on his quest to destroy the One Ring, a magical ring of incredible power created by the Dark Lord Sauron. To prevent darkness spreading across all of Middle-Earth, the ring must be destroyed.

This trilogy was adapted into film by Peter Jackson, and fans claim it is one of the best book-to-film adaptations ever produced. In this article, we'll be diving into a detailed summary of what happens in the first movie, The Fellowship of the Ring as well as a review, with a bonus of noting the differences between the book and the movie.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | Summary & Recap

The Creation of the Rings

The movie begins with the history of Middle-Earth. Thousands of years ago, Sauron created twenty magic rings: three for the elves, seven for the dwarves, nine for humans, and one ring to rule them all. The races joined forces against Sauron, who was finally bested by the human king, Isildur. But, instead of destroying the One Ring, he kept it for himself. The ring is described as having a mind of its own.

The king was killed and the ring was lost until a Hobbit happened to have found it. This hobbit had it for 500 years and it turned him into a cave-dwelling creature known as Gollum. Sixty years before the present time in the movie, the ring departed from Gollum and was found by another Hobbit named Bilbo Baggins.

Bilbo Baggins’s Birthday

Everyone in Hobbiton, a small town in the Shire, prepares for Bilbo Baggin's birthday. The wizard, Gandalf the Grey, arrives in town and Frodo, Bilbo's nephew, happily greets him. Bilbo tells Gandalf that he intends to leave Hobbiton after his birthday in pursuit of a quieter life. During the celebration, two mischievous Hobbits named Pippin and Merry steal a firework of a dragon and set it off. Bilbo disappears in front of everyone's eyes after his speech and Gandalf finds him in his home, packing to leave.

Gandalf asks him about his magical ring, which Bilbo claims he left in an envelope. He suddenly realizes that, for some reason, he lied and the ring is in his pocket. Bilbo calls the ring his precious, a word in which the creature Gollum used in reference to its ring as well. Bilbo has a very difficult time departing with it, but he manages to do so before leaving.

The New Owner

Frodo returns home and discovers that Bilbo has left. Gandalf informs him that he is now the owner of Bilbo's magic ring and he must keep it a secret. Gandalf then leaves to Minas Tirith to research information about the ring, where he discovers that Isildur referred to the One Ring as "precious" as well. Additionally Gandalf learns that fire will reveal the secrets of the ring. During this time, Gollum is being tortured for information and reveals that the One Ring is with "Baggins" in the "Shire". Black Riders are sent out in search of it.

Gandalf returns to Frodo and casts his ring into the fire. Writing appears on the ring in the language of Mordor. Gandalf now knows that his ring is the One Ring and that it has awoken and evil is stirring again. He knows Frodo is being hunted and is no longer safe in Hobbiton. Sam, who was outside the window, overhears everything and is caught by Gandalf, who decides to send Sam alongside Frodo in his journey.

Gandalf vs Saruman

Gandalf goes to Saruman, the chief of his order, to discuss Sauron’s return. Saruman seems to know a great deal about the Eye of Sauron and the Dark Lord's plans to attack Middle-Earth. Gandalf discovers that Saruman has sided with Sauron. He tries to leave once he realizes Frodo is in greater danger, but Saruman traps him inside the castle and they battle. Gandalf loses the fight and ends up locked on top of the tower with no way to escape.

On the Run

Sam and Frodo run into Pippin and Merry stealing vegetables from Farmer Maggot. All four Hobbits end up being chased away from the field and they end up on the road, where Frodo senses something coming. They hide in a ditch just off the side of the road as one of the Ringwraiths approaches, nearly finding them. They're chased until nightfall when Merry suggests they use the Buckleberry Ferry to escape. They narrowly avoid being captured.

The Hobbits arrive at an inn in Bree, where Frodo is to meet with Gandalf. The bartender tells him that he hasn't seen the wizard in months. Not knowing how to proceed, the Hobbits sit down for a drink and wait. Frodo notices a mysterious hooded man watching them in the corner and asks the bartender who he is. He tells Frodo that he is a Ranger who goes by the name Strider.

Strider

While drinking, Pippin reveals Frodo's last name, which is supposed to be kept secret, to a group by the bar. Frodo panics and tries to stop Pippin, but trips and falls. The ring does the impossible and lands perfectly on Frodo's finger, turning him invisible and alerting the nearby Ringwraiths to his presence. Strider quickly comes to their rescue and moves them to an inn across the street, where they watch the Ringwraiths attack the inn they were just at.

The group continues with Strider, leading them to Weathertop Hill. While making camp, Pippin and Merry light a fire, which alerts their presence to the Ringwraiths hunting them. They're attacked and, during the fight, Frodo is stabbed by one of their Morgul-blades. Strider saves the group and tells them that the injury will turn Frodo into a wraith if he is not cured. They need to travel as fast as they can to get help from the Elves. Along the way, they run into Arwen, a female Elf that Strider is familiar with. She takes Frodo on her horse and takes him to her land, barely making it in time to save him.

The Forging of the Fellowship

Frodo wakes up in bed, healed, and finds Gandalf sitting next to him. The wizard escaped from Saruman's tower on the back of a giant bird. Elrond, the lord of Rivendell, calls for a meeting to decide who will take the ring to Mount Doom to destroy it. Boromir, a human and the son of the steward of Gondor, suggests they instead use the ring against Sauron. Strider is against it, and when Boromir questions him, the Elf Legolas reveals that Strider is actually Aragorn, Isildur's heir and rightful king of Gondor.

They all begin to argue and Frodo takes it upon himself to complete the quest and destroy the ring. The fellowship is forged when Gandalf, Legolas, a dwarf named Gimli, Aragorn, Boromir, and the other Hobbits offer to protect him during his journey.

The Journey

The fellowship travels from Rivendell to the Gap of Rohan, but a pack of birds known as Cerbain, which are spies of Sauron, pass overhead. Gandalf announces to the group that the route is being watched. They try for the Pass of Caradhras, which takes them atop the steep snowy mountain, but Saruman uses his magic to bring down mounds of snow on them and block their path. They have no other choice but to go through the Mines of Moria. Gimli swears it's safe because his cousin lives there, but the wizard knows something evil lurks within. He leaves the decision to Frodo, who chooses to travel through the mines.

The Mines of Moria

They arrive in Moria to find dwarven skeletons littering the ground. Gimli finds the final resting place of his cousin and it's obvious that something very powerful killed them all. Pippin knocks a skeleton down a shaft, making a ton of noise and awakening what killed the dwarves. The party has to fight orcs, goblins, and trolls to escape. As they move deeper into the mines, a creature of fire and smoke appears - The Balrog. Gandalf decides to face the creature and actually manages to defeat it, but at the last moment, as the Balrog falls into the depths of the mine, it grabs Gandalf down with it.

The Lady of the Woods

The party is distraught and mourns Gandalf's death. Aragorn takes the lead of the group to ensure they keep moving. They continue to the Woods of Lothlorien, where it’s rumored there is an elf-witch. Frodo starts hearing a voice in his head and suddenly they're surrounded by elves. These mysterious elves take them to their King and Queen. The Queen, named Galadriel, is the one who was speaking directly through their minds.

That night, Frodo meets with Galadriel and she shows him a vision of the future. He offers her the ring and she is nearly overcome with temptation, but she manages to resist. She warns him that he will be betrayed by someone in the party. They set out once again, but Frodo knows the only way to reach Mount Doom is to go alone.

Traitorous Heart

The party pauses to wait for the cover of night before continuing where Frodo decides to wander off on his own. He runs into Boromir who, at first, tries to convince Frodo to give him the ring before he outright attacks him to try and take the ring. The hobbit puts on the ring and uses the ring's invisibilty powers to hide. Eventually, once he's out of sight, Boromir realizes what he did and apologies. Aragorn finds Frodo and when the hobbit asks Aragorn if he can resist the influence of the ring, Aragorn realizes that Frodo's journey must be finished alone.

The End

The party is then attacked by an army of orcs. Boromir tries to protect Pippin and Merry, but he's shot with arrows until he finally falls. Pippin and Merry are then kidnapped by the orcs. Aragorn finds Boromir near death where he refers to Aragorn as his king. Frodo nearly escapes on his own, but Sam chases after him and refuses to let him go on this journey alone. The two set off without the rest of the group to destroy the ring. The remaining fellowship, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli, lay Boromir to rest and make plans to save Pippin and Merry.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | Review & Analysis

CGI and Visuals | 8/10

The CGI and visuals in the Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring are excellent for a movie released over two decades ago. I felt that the CGI is done tastefully and there are only a few scenes where it looks awkward. For example, when Legolas jumps off of the Troll during the fight in the mines you can tell that it is CGI. The movie does tend to rely on blur effects and disorienting point of views during battle sequences to hide smaller details, but it works well at conveying the chaos of battle.

The settlements, kingdoms, orcs, goblins, wraiths, the Balrog all look amazing,  and hold up well, even to this day. For me, the movie aged very well and even keeps up with today’s standards, where a good portion of popular movies and shows still display some rough CGI that look far worse than this 2001 movie.

Storyline and Plot Development | 7/10

The movie is nearly three or more hours long (depending on which edition you watch) and, for some, that’s simply too much for one sitting. While I felt a few points dragged, the movie does a pretty good job of staying suspenseful and keeping its audience engaged. A long and well-written movie is significantly better than a rushed one which leaves you wishing it had more time to build the world and its scenes.

However, keeping the stakes high in this movie often includes Frodo getting grabbed by the leg, and getting grabbed by the leg again. Frodo getting stabbed, Frodo getting stabbed again. And, Frodo’s favorite, offering everyone the ring that he’s supposed to be protecting. Once I noticed this pattern, it got a little repetitive, but I brushed it off since Frodo isn’t a warrior and is reasonable to happen. The story is complex and the movie does a wonderful job of unraveling the history of the world. The pacing also picks up at the end of the movie as the stakes get higher and higher. By the end of the movie, you want more.

Character Development | 8/10

Each character has a lot of character development throughout the movie. Frodo begins by accepting his role as the ring bearer and by the end of the movie is even willing to go off on his own at great risk to his life. Pippin and Merry, who were simply pranksters throughout most of the film, are brave enough to charge into battle at the end. Aragon, who feels he is unworthy to be king, overcomes his self-doubts and no longer calls himself by Strider. Legolas and Gimli grow to be friends despite being natural enemies (elves and dwarves do not get along in this world). Gandalf faces his fears of the mines and enters it for the greater good, eventually even sacrificing himself.

And, of course, Boromir. While he has his own opinions about what the ring should be used for, he overcomes his personal evil and lays his life down fighting the orcs to protect the hobbits. Even though the ring’s influence changes him, he dies bravely and sees Aragon as his rightful king.

Sound and Music | 9/10

The beautiful soundtrack in this film is very nostalgic for many who grew up watching these movies. I felt that the music fit the story very well. It ranges from comfy and cozy music in the Shire to darker tones that convey the darkness falling upon the land. The sound brings the world and creatures to life. The voice acting is also great, especially when Gandalf shouts “You shall not pass!” when battling the Balrog.

Reception and Impact | 9/10

This movie is the beginning of a series that impacted a generation and it has overwhelming positive reviews to back it up. For many, it’s their comfort movie. Many of those who read the books also really enjoyed Peter Jackson’s book to film adaptation. He captures the world, the characters, and the story very well despite omitting a few details from the books. People seemed to have overall enjoyed the changes that were made, such as turning Pippin and Merry into comedic relief characters.

The biggest complaint among negative reviews is that the movie is too long for them. These people find it boring and often comment that they feel asleep before the end.

Final Score | 8/10

Book and Movie Differences

Frodo and Sam’s Friendship

In the movie, Frodo and Sam are depicted as close friends early on, but this isn’t exactly the case in the book. Sam is his gardener, and while the two know each other fairly well, they are not nearly as close friends as Frodo is with Merry. Sam and Frodo's friendship grows throughout their journey. In the books, Sam often refers to Frodo as 'Master,' which adds more context to the movie. In the movie, we often see Sam referring to Frodo as 'Mr. Frodo,' which seems far too formal for the movie's context alone.

Merry and Pippin

In the Lord of the Rings movies, Merry and Pippin are the comic relief. They’re always finding ways to stir up trouble, for better or worse. In the books, Merry is more serious and is Frodo’s good friend while Pippin has a childlike personality. In the movie, Pippin is simply depicted as a “fool”, but in the books, he is simply young and immature.

This means that there are scenes in the movie that are much different in the book because of this change. For example, instead of Merry and Pippin stealing from Farmer Maggot and then running into Frodo and Sam, Farmer Maggot actually gives them some of his mushrooms and Pippin joins their quest.

Tom Bombadil

Tom Bombadil is a very interesting and mysterious character who doesn’t appear in the movies at all. He was likely cut as he can be viewed as non-essential to the plot. Tom helps save Merry and Pippin from the Old Man Willow tree and later saves the group after they’re imprisoned by the Barrow-wights.

But what makes Tom Bombadil such a fascinating character isn’t his life-saving skills. While having dinner with the Hobbits, Frodo allows him to try on the ring. Incredibly, it does not affect him at all. When Frodo even wears the ring, Tom can still see him.

This all happens before they meet Strider. While his absence doesn’t impact the overall plot, it does take away a bit of mystery that is present in the book and the bit of world-building it adds as well.

Legolas and Gimli’s History

In the movie, Legolas and Gimli are indifferent to one another and often competitive. However, this relationship is a lot deeper in the books as the two characters have a personal history. Gimli’s father imprisoned Legolas’s father, so the two genuinely distrust each other as individuals, not just because they’re from different races which have a natural distrust of one another. This makes their gradual development from enemies to friends much more interesting in the books.

Gandalf’s Fears

In the movies, Gandalf fears going into the Mines of Moria because he knows what the dwarves awakened down there. He tries everything else, like going through the mountains, to avoid it, but he eventually leaves the decision to Frodo, who seals the wizard’s fate.

In the books, Gandalf is the one who suggests going through the mines and it's Aragorn who warns against it. Assuming Gandalf knew what was in the mines in the books, then he knew what his fate would most likely be, making his death just as, if not more, tragic as he was the one who suggested going to his own doom.