Looks and feels better than it actually plays

Rating: 7/10 (9 October 2002)

This is a beautiful movie, with thrilling action scenes, using amazing visual effects that actually enhances the action. The look of the movie really sets you up for the mood of a great fantasy. But it is also rather dull dramatically, with long drawn out, overly earnest scenes. Very few of the characters seem to deserve the loyalty they give to each other, we just have to watch boring actors like Viggo Mortensen and Liv Tyler solemnly declare things while other actors like Cate Blanchett are just wasted. But I was genuinely taken aback by the freakiness of Ian Holm as the obsessed Bilbo Baggins and there's never been a more rousing scene than when Gandolf stands up to that dragon. *** out of ****