II ie Prince George Citizen - Tuesday, December 18, 2001 - 19 Entertainment There is no other film like it’ Lord of the Rings sets a new standard for fantasy and science fiction by ANDREW FLYNN TORONTO (CP) — There is no other film like this. Correction — there are two more, but we don’t get Rate to to see them just yet. The Fellowship of the Ring, first in the Lord of the Celebrate ... Rings trilogy, which will be released upon the world tomorrow, is an astonishing accomplishment, a piece o f cinematic art that has utterly demolished the stan­ dard for fantasy and science fiction. Director Peter Jackson has done what many con­ sidered unthinkable — make the movie at all. Not only that, he has pulled it o ff w ith impressive origi­ nality, style and grace. There are so many elements that come together seamlessly to make the film work Subject to availability, restrictions apply. that it is literally impossible to list them all. Rates valid to April 30/02. After this, half-hearted special effects w ill never be C elebrating SO tolerated by movie audiences. Beside Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter looks pale and drawn and years o f com fort George Lucas had better think long and hard about tweaking Star Wars: Episode II so he isn’t too terribly and service to embarrassed by the inevitable comparisons. AP photo our guests. But special effects are just the icing on the cake in Actor Elijah Wood, center, as Frodo, addresses the Council of Elrond about the fate of Middle- this three-hour epic that passes by like a bullet train For Reservations Earth In The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The first part of J.R.R. Tolkien's fanta­ (one youngster at a Canadian preview was heard to sy trilogy has gained acclaim as a serious candidate for an Oscar. Call: 1-800-663-1818 utter “It’s over already?” as the final credits rolled.) A flawless cast, actors completely immersed in their Century Plaza roles and vast, sumptuous cinematography combine powerful artifact that was lost thousands of years The performances are without exception solid and with a well-paced screenplay to recreate a world that ago. many go far beyond what audiences w ill expect in a Hotel & Spa film audiences w ill find hard to disbelieve. Enter Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood), a hobbit with fantasy film. McKellan’s Gandalf is mesmerising, 1015 Burrard Street, great fondness for creature comforts who nonethe­ both powerful and human. Wood as Frodo is capa­ And yet, all of that is only the structure that sup­ Vancouver, BC ports a great action-adventure film that captures a less would very much like to see the world outside ble of luminous introspection and childish fervour. Tel: 604-687-0575 { much-beloved book faithfully enough that minor de­ his parochial Shire. The cast members have clearly found a great affec­ partures from the original w ill not displease even He gets much more than he bargained for, thanks tion for their characters and poured themselves in. www.century-plaza.com \ hardened Tolkien fanatics. to the ancient wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen). Frodo, What Jackson has done is to seamlessly mesh the Ask about our Christmas J.R.R. Tolkien’s trilogy is about good versus evil, it turns out, w ill be the one to return the ring to intim ate and the epic — he is capable of moving Shopping Package friendship, treachery, loss, and above all self-sacri­ Mount Doom in the dark land of Mordor where it from the panoramic, unworldly fice. was forged to be destroyed. beauty of an unreal landscape to ! It transpires in Middle Earth, a land inhabited by Along the way, he gets help from the fellowship the dirt-smudged fearful face of a LI,., C* nitk >•/< timousM hobbits (a fun-loving, pastoral people about a metre that bands together to get rid of the evil ring before principal character to armies tall), dwarves (taller and sturdier than hobbits, min­ Sauron’s armies find it and the world is destroyed. sweeping across a plain w ithout ers and craftsmen of great repute), elves (a mysteri­ Along for the journey into darkness are three fel­ compromising the story. ous and ancient magical race) and men. low hobbits: Frodo’s gardener Samwise Gamgee and Lord of the Rings: The Fellow­ ' There’s also a myriad of nasty beings bent on the the mischievous cousins Peregrin (Pippin) Took (por­ ship of the Ring w ill delight most complete destruction of Middle Earth’s vast beauty, trayed by Billy Boyd) and Meriadoc (Merry) Brandy- of those familiar w ith the books cjriven by the will of their evil dark lord Sauron. buck (played by Dominic Monaghan). They will be and make converts of those who Twisted ores, towering trolls and a new breed of protected and guided by the rough-hewn warrior aren’t. Most of all, it w ill reas­ killer creatures, the Uruk Hai, are massing to destroy Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), the noble but conflicted sure them that — despite Holly­ all that is good. Boromir (Sean Bean), the resolute and pugnacious wood — the art of filmmaking ; But Sauron, as powerful as he is, needs one thing dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) and the 2,700-year- for love, rather than money, is for a sure victory — the one ring, an incredibly old elf Legolas (Orlando Bloom). still alive. www.famousplayers.com I T o m C ru ise in Vanilla Sky HlBiElFAMQUS PLAYERS BIG' SCREEN! BIG SOUND! BIG DIFFERENCE! I bum ps O cean’s E l e v e n FAMOUS PLAYERS 6 Tel G12-3993 it 172 • 1600 15' Avenue DAILY MATINEES. GIFT CERTIFICATES MAKE THE PERFECT STOCKING STUFFER. DOORS OPEN HALF H HOUR BEFORE FIRST SHOWTIME PASS RESTRICTIONS FOR OCEAN'S ELEVEN AN0 VANILLA SKY, LORD OF c ;from No. 1 box-office spot THE RINGS - WEDNESDAY, DEC. 19/01. JIMMY NEUTRON ■ FRIDAY, DEC. 21/01. SPECIAL SHOWING OF LORD 2 OF THE RINGS ON TUES0AY, DEC. 18 AT 10 P.M. TICKETS ON SALE TUESDAY MORNING AT 11:30 A.M. g LOS ANGELES (AP) - - Tom Cruise Vanilla Sky, which also stars Pene­ Vinlfinr.fi and coarse lang. bested a band of crooks as Vanilla Sky lope Cruz, Cameron Diaz and Jason OCEAN'S ELEVEN 1:00.3:40.7:25.10:05 opened atop the U.S. box office, send­ Lee, is Crowe’s adaptation of the 1998 MONSTERS INC. (fit 12:00.2:15.4:30.7:10.9:30 ing Ocean’s Eleven to No. 2. Spanish film Open Your Eyes. It has OCEAN'S ELEVEN (PG) 12:30.3:10.7:00 Violence and coarse lana. 1 An erotic thriller that reunites Cruise Cruise playing a New York publishing BE T H E FIRST T O SEE TH E M O ST ANTICIPATED FU M O F TH E YEAR! VANILLA SKY (ST) 12:45.3:45.7:00.10:00 SPECIAL ADVANCE SCREENINGS TONIGHT AT 10PM AND MIDNIGHT AT SELECT CINEMAS! w ith Jerry Maguire director Cameron magnate who undergoes a w ild jour­ Check theatre directory for locations. Tuesday discounts may not apply. HARRY POTTER (PG) 12:15.3:30,6:45,10:00 Friqhtening scenes Crowe, Vanilla Sky took in $25 million ney through reality-bending illusions fam o u s pla yers I CHECK THEATRE DIRECTORY » PRESENTED IN f tJS over the weekend, according to in­ after a car crash. NOT ANOTHER TEEN MOVIE (ST) 12:40,2:50,5:00,7:30,9:45 Violence, coarse lanq. FAMOUS PLAYERS 6 1 FOR SHOWTIMES [S dustry estimates. The R-rated film appeals to an older DEEP IMPACT (14A) MIDNIGHT FRL DEC, 14, $5 ONLY Coarse lanquaoe THE JOURNEY BEGINS TOMORROW EVERYWHERE! “That’s a very good opening for De­ audience that skews female, said cember for a non-holiday weekend, Wayne Lewellen, president of theatri­ LORD OF THE RINGS (ST) 10 RM. and yet another number one opening cal distribution for Paramount, which for Tom Cruise,” said Paul Dergarabe- released the film. It played on 2,742 clian, president of Exhibitor Relations, screens for a per-screen average of TV SCHEDULE - TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18th, 2001 Which tracks the box office. $9,117. 6 :0 0 p.m . 6 :3 0 p.m . 7:00 p.m . 7:30 p.m. | 8:00 p.m. 8:30 p.m. 9:00 p.m. 9 :3 0 p .m . 10:00 p.m. 10:30 p.m. 11:00 p.m.| “Our expectations are that virtually The Royal Tenenbaums, opening Just Shoot Ins. Schwartz Wheel Jeopardyl Oliver TWIst (Part 2 of 4) (CC) National; Magazine (CC) News every movie he opens in wide release in five theatres in New York and Los OGD Ce soir Francophone Virginle (CC) La Facture Rlvibre-des-J6r6mle (CC) Enjeux (CC) Telijournal/Le Point (CC) Ce soir should go to No. 1, and this is no ex­ Angeles, raked in a whopping O ® ception,” he said. $50,813 per screen. The quirky tale Q NBC News News (CC) Magazine Hollywood Emeril (CC) (Three Sisters Frasier (R) 'Scrubs (R) Most Intriguing People News (CC) ET Hollywood JAG Valor (R) ft (CC) The Guardian ft (CC) Judging Amyft (CC) News (CC) The star-powered heist film Ocean’s of a family of failed geniuses direct­ O CBS News News (CC) Eleven took in $23.1 million, and Not ed by Wes Anderson and starring a ABC News News (CC) Wheel Jeopardyl Contact: Talking..