Peter Jackson: Lord of the Screen.

Rating: 10/10 (21 December 2001)

*SPOILER ALERT*(but not too much).
Well, I finally got to see the most eagerly awaited movie of the year "The Fellowship of the Ring". Admittedly, I felt more than a little apprenhensive about the whole thing. Having read LotR about 4 times since I was a kid, I couldn't help being a little nervous about "how disappointed I was about to become". In my mind, noone could fully live up to the standards of my mind with regards to THE BOOK (no, not the Bible).
As the film began and Galadriels voice filled the theatre, my anxiety came to a full stop. Suddenly, I was there. In middle-earth, bleeding and fighting alongside the very best that world had to offer. I felt full of innocent cozyness in the Shire. I dreaded the Ringwraiths and hated their Lord with all my heart. I fought my way through Moria, whishing that I was as cool as Legolas the Wonder-Elf. Finally, I felt proud to be of the race of Men, with Boromir and Aragorn as my chieftains.
In short: Peter Jackson blew my brains out (not literally, but in a metaphorical sense). How he did it is beyond me. I really didn't see this Director coming. He was quietly tucked away in the category "B-type movies, Geeky films" with Bad Taste and Braindead as cross-references. Now, I have to rearrange my entire "Favourite Movie Persons" gallery. My favourite movie has to go, favourite director as well, Elijah Wood and Liv Tyler have to be removed from my "Hate Them" list and advance quite a bit in my small world of film.
This is easily the best 3 hours I ever spent in a movie theatre. My only regret is, that I couldn't stay for another 6 hours and finish the Thrilogy.
11 out of ten. Peter Jackson (and the rest of folks behind LotR): Thank you very much. TOlkien would have wept for joy.