Simpley Stunning !!!

Rating: 10/10 (21 December 2001)

Well, where to begin, firstly to all the people out there who are disappointed with the changes ; I can understand your anger/disappointment, but lets be serious folks..it could easily have been a 6 or even 9 hour movie. Plus lets not forget that at the end of the day this is only an adaptation....this then leads me to my next point, this has to be the best book to film adaptation ever! I've read the book numerous times, but to actually SEE the Shire and Rivendell and Lothlorien left me a little stunned. Visually the film is fantastic. I have rated it as a 9.4. The reason it never got a 10 was for the dodgy 'Matrix Style' Wizards battle, Wizards don't fight like that, do they? I hope not. The issue of Arwen at Weathertop also left me a bit flumoxed. Wasn't Weathertop still several days away from Rivendell? Never mind eh! whats done is done. The only really dreadful thing at it all is that I've got to wish a whole year of my life away before we find out if The Two Towers can be even better. The acting is good, the dialogue in parts sticks closely to the book then in a couple of places it lets itself down by a character making a statement which is clearly out of character..I'm moaning to much aren't I. I'm sorry...it has taken me two days to process the visual images that where thrown at me for three of the fastest hours ever. I have never sat in a packed out Theater (I went to the first showing at 11.30am)where no one got up, made a sound, ate anything, crunched anything or muttered through the plot. I had to eat my popcorn in the car on the way home!! The film moves at such a pace it's hard to keep up with the action, the battles are fast and furious. Not overly gory, but I found them a little hard to follow. The Orks are great, the opening shots are good and give a good (if simplified) back ground. I'm going to see it again today. This time I'll be able to sit back and look at the film. May the light of the Valar shine down on Peter Jackson always.