Complements the book

Rating: 10/10 (18 January 2002)

Can't please everyone, is all I can say about those who complain about this movie being over-hyped and all that.
30k+ votes can't be wrong, just compare against Godfather votes, MANY MANY more think LotR is a full 10, whereas Godfather has many more 9's, and almost double the number of 8, 7, and 6s.
As for the movie. Brilliant. Amazing. I registered for this site just to vote it a 10/10, to rub it in on those who say it's only because it is hyped up. This movie IS the best of it's kind, by FAR.
Myself, I think the movie complements the book. It brings out in more fleshed out way things like Saruman's deception, which is VERY integral to the world's story itself but is not emphasized in the book. Also, where did they show Galadriel did NOT give Sam a present? All it does is hold to Frodo because of time constraints.
Of course, there were some scenes I had imagined differently myself. Like the setting of site where Frodo got stabbed, or the mountain pass over Moria, but I don't care about little silly things like those to say the movie sucks because it didn't fit MY view in all things. That is egoistic :)
And people complain about the weirdest of things... Saruman's army did have Uruk-hai's with names and details in the book too, I'm pretty sure Smeagol, while not spotted, was sensed already in Moria, etc. etc. It has been a decade or so since I read LotR, but in my view the movie was 99% truthful to the book. Arwen instead of Glorfindel is the 1%, but that's probably better this way :)
All in all, easily and by FAR the best fantasy movie I have ever seen. And I have seen many. As for best of all movies of all categories, well for me it is definitely one of the best. Along with Casablanca, Matrix and Usual Suspects. As a side note ... like it much more than Godfather ;)