Superb! The visualisation is spot on 99% of the time...

Rating: 9/10 (19 December 2001)

I am a HUGE fan of the book, and like many similar people I was worried about what might have been done to our beloved epic.
Firstly, there are changes (some good, some not) and many omissions (by necessity). But - it doesn't matter. The changes are mostly for story flow (I don't think it will surprise anyone to discover that Tom Bombadil has gone on the missing list) and many other changes are small. The important bit is - it's Middle Earth. Not exactly as I imagined it, nor exactly how you did either, but the ESSENCE is there, spot on.
Some of the casting is inspired, and this helps enormously. Ian McKellen is PERFECT as Gandalf, and the rest of the fellowship isn't far behind. The baddies are really nasty - the Orcs (especially the Uruk-Hai) are just great, but the real star of the bad guys is the Balrog. There is a heat haze rising from his furnace-like mouth that just sent a shiver down my spine...and as for the locations, well, they filmed it in Middle Earth, didn't they?
If you like the book, go open minded. It isn't word for word (though there are sections of dialogue lifted straight from the original - "Fly, you fools!") but once you get past that you will really enjoy it.

If you haven't read the book, I guarantee you will want to buy a copy on your way out of the cinema...
I can't wait for 'The Two Towers'.