Excellent adaptation!

Rating: 8/10 (27 May 2002)

How much did I like this movie? A lot. But the real (and pathetic) reason I saw it nine times was to see Orlando Bloom (drooool). So now that I'm over my obsession and can see with a clearer eye, I want to make a list of good and bad:
GOOD: 1. Great special effects 2. Wonderful score by Howard Shore 3. Peter Jackson should have won a Oscar for his visionary masterpiece 4. Great acting, especially by Ian McKellan who was also robbed at the Oscars 5. The cast really knows how to work together 6. Faithful to the book, great screenplay 7. Great Makeup
BAD (spoilers?): 1. Too freaking long!!!!!!!!!! Especially if you want to see it more than once, it gets so tedious. 2. Takes forever to introduce the other members of the fellowship, especially Legolas (hehe). 3. Some parts were unintentionally ludicrous. ie Arwen speaking Elvish to Frodo when he first meets her in some sort of bright, light-filled scene (gag!) or when Galadriel is tested by the ring and suddenly becomes terrifying but really looks ridiculous! 4. The Arwen and Strider love story. Liv Tyler was just blah. Viggo Mortensen was excellent but I really don't get what she sees in him, he's so much older than her. Plus, everyone was laughing at the bridge scene when Arwen says, "I choose a mortal life." Almost as bad as the romance in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones. 5. Did I mention--tooo loooong! Don't drink anything during this movie.
But it is a movie worth seeing. The cast really worked hard and you can see it. The Moria scenes were especially delightful and the Ringwraiths are much more scarier than any of the Sith warriors in Attack of the Clones. Go see it!
8/10