nice, and the mistakes are mostly Tolkien's own

Rating: Null/10 (12 January 2002)

*spoilers, maybe. but everyone's seen it by now anyway.*
I love & respect those books. I also think that general-plot- & motivation-wise the first film actually makes a whole lot more sense than the book does, without drifting into amusing, but frankly, pointless side-stories.
so, I liked the film. but I'm pointing out the aspects of it I didn't like.

a fair part of the things that bothered me were Tolkien's, not Jackson's idea. the question of women, that remains despite the amends. the irritating "noble master-humble/loyal servant" relationship between Frodo and Sam, whereas everyone else in the gang appears equal. (well, I know that if they'd been just friends, it would probably have appeared more than slightly homosexual, but still.) and last, but by far not the least, the *One* plot flaw OF ANYONE WISE NOT EVEN CONSIDERING USING THE NICE AND NOBLE AND HELPFUL AND FAST, ETC. EAGLES TO CARRY A HOBBIT WITH A RING TO THAT MOUNTAIN IN A DAY OR TWO and back safely. (mind you, while making plans at Rivendell, the Council didn't yet know about the nazguls being able to fly, even if they already were by then, which I'm not sure of). Could have saved all the corpses-to-be and spared everyone else of the general trouble and mess.
anyway. we wouldn't have two more films coming then, would we.
I too found the presented PACE of events a bit TOO FAST... glad to hear the rumours about the dvd cut with an extra half hour. because out of the Fellowship, only Boromir gets the chance and screentime to develop a full character, 'cos he won't be seen again. the two funny-sidekick hobbits, on the other hand, don't justify dragging them along at all, at least not in this film.
everything LOOKS QUITE AS I IMAGINED, apart from the "golden" elf forest, which appears way too blue and heavy and gloomy on the screen. but as they only trot straight through it anyway, nevermind. but also, some of the elves, namely Celeborn and the talking border guard of the forest, just don't have that "tight skin over an amazing delicate bone structure" -look. my apologies to the respective actors, but I consider them miscast. (but Legolas is gooood...)
the only seriously DISAPPOINTING part for me was the SOUNDTRACK. it simply didn't create the extra depth and dimension to back the visuals, as for instance the amazing Gladiator or Crouching Tiger soundtracks did. instead of brilliance, it was something "usual", and occasionally worse, since hearing those sickeningly overpopular fake-celtic new-ageish sounds created by Enya seriously disturbed my personal suspension of disbelief. GET A NEW COMPOSER, PLEASE!
but I'm seeing it again, nevertheless. and buying the dvd as soon as it comes out. and the Special Edition dvd-box, that will undoubtedly follow in a few years. and re-reading the book.