The film to rule them all.

Rating: 10/10 (21 December 2001)

*No spoilers*
First off, I'll admit that I'm a big fan of Peter Jackson's past movies ("Heavenly Creatures" rating as one of my all-time favourites), so I'll try very hard not to be unfairly biased in favour of this movie. However, after seeing Fellowship of the Ring I am left in a state of awe.
Secondly, I've read "The Hobbit" many times (and always loved it) but not the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Well, I tried, but it was just too slow for my short attention span (apologies to Tolkein disciples for my sacreligious arrogance). The narrative of the film made sense to me, although I suspect a second viewing will highlight points I missed. At just under three hours it's a long film, to be sure. I don't think I blinked in that time though, I was so engrossed.
The primary responsibility of the film-maker, for a story such as this, should be to entertain. From this perspective, the film works brilliantly. But I think it goes further than that.
The acting is superb throughout. Not one bad (or even mediocre, for that matter) performance. I didn't think American actors could do English accents (does anyone remember Dick van Dyke in "Mary Poppins"?). I was wrong. Elijah Wood (Frodo) was very impressive, demonstrating real depth of character. Sean Bean (Boromir) was a revelation - very low key but developed a scene-stealing performance. I won't repeat critique over the rest of the cast - other comments unanimously echo the sheer acting *class* on offer here.
The dialogue was generally very good, although a couple of lines did make me cringe a bit. But that could just be me being a snob. Whatever.
The battle scenes are magnificent, and BIG. The opening of this film contains battle scenes which dwarf (no pun intended) any I've seen before - they will knock the stuffing out of you.
I have to make a criticism here, albeit not of the movie itself: This film has been marketed in the UK as a "PG" (some scenes may be frightening for children, parental guidance may be required for under 12s) with a footnote stating that under-8s may find it too scary. Huh? I'm 29 and a few scenes almost made me stain my pants. The visceral battle gore, the dark, menacing undertones that pervade the film and the powerful emotional content convince me that this is in NO WAY a "PG"; It should have been marketed as a Cert. "15".
The special effects are astounding. In some respects they're hard to see - they're so well integrated. Only in a couple of (short) scenes did I think "that didn't look quite right". WETA have done the allegedly impossible and *at least* equalled the standard set by Industrial Light and Magic, which is no mean feat. Respect due.
I found the music to be attractive yet low-key; an enhancement to the visuals rather than attention seeking. The sound effects were much more prominent. Brilliantly realised, in a Dolby EX equipped cinema, they hit you from all angles with devastating clarity.
However, the icing on the cake (for me) is the scenery and set construction. *Wow*. Expect the tourism industry to explode in New Zealand. Soaring, swooping shots of the incredible landscapes have an emotional impact that I cannot begin to explain. Sets & props which look absolutely authentic - there are two statues featured that were jaw-dropping in appearance. You *MUST* see this film on a *BIG* screen to do it justice.
I think this film goes way beyond conventional mindless-but-fun entertainment. It has strong artistic merits. I'll state for the record that the critics who have slated this movie by being unfairly negative are generally talking like either anal-retentive gimps with (ironically) limited imagination, or uncultured cretins more suited to watching average brainless Hollywood blockbusters. Just an opinion. ;-)
In summary I'll say that whilst I think there are a few legitimate criticisms of the movie, I understand and accept the reasoning behind them. I wouldn't give the movie a "perfect" rating, although I rate it extremely highly. I strongly urge you to see it for yourself on the big screen.