Exceeded Expectations

Rating: 10/10 (21 December 2001)

The film is excellent. After having read all of the books (LOTR, Hobbit, Silmarillion) and read all of the great reviews the movie has been getting, my expectations were ridiculously high for this movie. Still, it surpassed them all. It is visually stunning. The score is breathtaking. The action leaves your heart beating like a drum for several hours after you exit your seat. Still, it is not overwhelming as the rising conflict is interlaced with moments of calm. In other words, the film is quite well paced. There goes the Oscar for best editing. In fact this movie will (and I am certain here) be nominated for the best picture Oscar. I haven't seen 'A Beautiful Mind', but up to now, this has been the best film of the year in my opinion. The critics seem to agree as there have been mostly positive reviews. I even enjoyed it more than the book, because the book at times seems like it should have been trimmed down. For example, in the book, people sit around a fire several times and talk about what they have done and what they will do. This takes pages and pages and happens over and over again. It seems redundant at times. The film does away with all of that and retains the core of the story. Those who have read the book may miss some characters like Bombadil, but if you think about it, the story flows just fine without them. In fact, meeting Bombadil in the movie and having him sing his songs would have simply eroded the rhythm of the film.
All in all, I recommend both the book and movie to everyone.