It's great. Enjoy.

Rating: 8/10 (29 December 2001)

If you are a fan of the books-you will be very happy with this movie. If you are not, I think you still will be pleased. You will not find a better, more literate epic anywheres in sight.
Some complain about the editing the writers did to the trilogy-i.e. no Bambodil,Barrow Wights, etc. Wah. Get over it. This is a Three Hour Movie, Not a TV Series. I see nothing wrong with a few shortcuts, as it is the character names, countries, historical figures and etc touched upon in the film are more than plenty. Jacksson's guys didn't set out to overwhelm the audience with detail. If you want that, check out 'Dune'(or better yet-Don't).
Best parts: the Intro, of course, where we get to see Sauron in all his glory, the Orthanc scenes involving Gandalf and Saruman-both Lee and McKellan are top notch, anything to do with Ian Holm as Bilbo, and of course the extended fight scenes in the Mines of Moria.
Some here comment that the combat scenes are badly done? Are you watching the same flick I just saw? Nothing of the kind-in fact I thought they were fast moving, brutal, eye catching, violent. The entire Cave Troll lurking for Frodo part was dynamite. I also enjoyed the combat scenes towards the end alongside Rauros.
The acting was top notch, I liked Tyler, Blanchette, 'Elrond' and all the Hobbits along with Lee and Ian M. McKellan should have an Oscar headed his way ere long I do believe.
The Hobbits brought to mind the Beatles in their moptop phase a little for me in places, I enjoyed the Ike and Mike/Merry and Pippin scthick too. Very good.
There were only a few things I thought could have been tweaked in a perfect world. But they are smallish. Orlando Bloom as Legolas was good-but he does have that Ricky Schroeder thing going. Not his fault, mind. He was nicely cast. I liked 'Sallah' of 'Indy Jones' fame as Gimli too. Can't go wrong there.
I did think when they had both Bilbo and Galadriel momentarily turning psycho over the ring, it was a Little overkill, more of a Scooby Doo moment than anything else. And they could have shown more of the trip to Rivendell, sure. I think of Frodo and Sam as being older and more weather beaten, but it was good that they had dirty nails and dirty hands at least-too often its quite obvious characters outside in movies have really just come in from their trailers. You don't get that feeling here.
And of course, I also liked the expanded Saruman role, showing him doing his plotting, planning, etc. If anything that was needed more in the books, and it works wonders here.
Kudos to Bean, Viggo and the rest, of course.
**** outta ****, as good as you could ask for.