It's hard for me to say this...

Rating: 10/10 (12 January 2002)

Alright, listen: I'll admit, I'm a Star Wars geek.
I saw "Phantom Menace" 4 times in theaters and own the DVD and all the Special Edition VHSs. But then I saw "Fellowship of the Rings" on opening day. And it seems all that changed. Star Wars will always have a special place in my heart, but this ONE MOVIE beats them all.

As I said, it's hard for me to say this...
But having not read the books and not even knowing much of the basic plot, I went into this movie with open eyes. And I was totally blown away. I figured LOTR was kid-friendly, with cute little hobbits and dwarves and such. But the movie was so DARK! It's a tale of temptation, of power, of emotion. Not a corny "Harry Potter" (which I saw only for the Episode 2 trailer), but something that pulls at the heartstrings and makes you think. Not only is the plot excellent, but the special effects and acting are extraordinary. I still don't fully understand how they made the hobbits so short (but that will be answered on the DVD, i bet), and I could only find a few obviously bad effects (Frodo in the Council of Elrond). There is only one word to describe the battle sequences: INTENSE. It's just so fast and I don't know how they didn't hurt anybody. I've seen the movie three times and the ending still gets to me.
I don't know. It may be my age (I just turned 18), it may be the changed world, but Star Wars seems a little childish. Don't get me wrong, I'm still excited about "Attack of the Clones", but not in the same sence, nor with the anticipation I have for "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers."