A sense of perspective

Rating: 9/10 (14 February 2002)

LOTR:FOTR is a very fine movie. It is not perfect, but let's be honest.. there is no perfect movie. I have recently re-seen the Godfather and Shawshank Redemption. Both are great films but also flawed movies [although I do find SR to be rather trivial even though it is hugely entertaining]
FOTR is also a great movie.. it has finally brought to the screen the world of Tolkien in a way that does not greatly offend the original source. Obsession with IMDB rankings is not what a love of and a critical appreciation of movies is about. LOTR deserves a place in the top 50 movies... it is innovative, perhaps as faithful to a very complex text as can be achieved in three hours of film, has some very good acting, and a score that is neither intrusive or manipulative.
Some people left feeling cold. I found that time flew but it was not the WOW movie that Gloomy Sunday or Fitzcarraldo were to me. It is, for me a very good movie, a good 8 bordering on a 9. There are many other movies that reach this level but for different reasons.
We will all await the next two movies which offer a lot more in terms of the narrative potential.