Is this "The Lord of the Rings"?

Rating: 6/10 (6 January 2002)

I was in a very interesting position while I watched the film. I had read only the half of the first book of Tolkien. And I could clearly realize all the changes that the director made in the plot. Sometimes they were so major changes that I started to feel extremely uncomfortable.
In the other half, which I had not yet read from the book, I had great joy, since I could not tell whether the director changed the plot or not.
I have got to say that the movie is actually a very good movie. It captures you and takes you to the fantasy world. The players play their role very well. The places are just like you have imagined while reading the book. The battle against the evil and temptation... The journey that makes one find its own true self... The essence of the book is there for sure. But having read all of the book now, I've got to say that ONLY THE ESSENCE is there. The changes that were made in the plot actually makes you see some of the characters differently. The hobbits for example. Their characters are changed in some ways. They are not only little, children like characters like shown in the movie. Frodo and Merry are more grown-up and brave characters in the book. The same thing can be said for Aragorn. And some of the changes in the movie are only made in order to put some romance, and make the average American viewer satisfied.
The movie is a good fantasy movie, but it is not "Lord of The Rings". It is something else. The story is changed. Can the essence be enough to make the movie of a book? Especialy if some of the changes are even against the Essence.