The Corners Were Cut Just Right!

Rating: 10/10 (20 December 2001)

In almost any book-to-movie adaptation, it is inevitable that the scriptwriters will need to cut some corners. Well, I'm glad to report that Walsh/Boyens/Jackson cut the corners just right! The most significant omission is probably Tom Bombadil, who could easily have eaten (smoked?) up another half-hour of the film. Anyway, this work truly stands on its own, and it is terrific. I was worried about the special effects looking half-baked, or the matte paintings looking fake, based on one or two misleading reviews that I had read prior to watching the movie. IMHO, totally false! I didn't notice anything like that. The only revision that I wasn't too excited about was Lurtz, but I can understand why he was added to the story so that there would be a clearer connection to Saruman. Regardless, this production passed muster in every way, and I cannot wait to see the move three or four times more! 10/10.