Great Movie, Better Book

Rating: 10/10 (27 September 2002)

This is a fantastic movie based on an even better book (well the first book in a trilogy). I can see how those who have not read the books might not appreciate the characters, the world of Middle-Earth, or the epic adventure that they are on, as much as those who have read (and loved) The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I have watched this film about half a dozen times now, and I love it more each time, however the first time I saw it, I was a bit disappointed. Not so much because of the parts of the book that were left out or abbreviated, but mostly because even though the movie was three hours long, I did not get nearly the sense of adventure that I felt when reading the books. The books obviously go into more detail about the characters and locations, and although these things are translated onto the screen, by the mere fact that it takes longer to read a description and visualize it than it does to see it for a few seconds on the screen, I got the sense of the movie being rushed. Watching the movie a few more times, one can begin to appreciate it for the movie that it is apart from the books. Although I must stress that a reading of the books will provide a better understanding and appreciation of the characters, world, and adventure of this movie.