both subtle and astonishing

Rating: 10/10 (18 January 2002)

Far, far better than anyone had the right to expect, Jackson's interpretation of the books (so far!) is blissfully free of the sludgy, ponderous thinking that seems to gum up most films in the fantasy genre. There's plenty here to entertain everyone; I've loved the books for years and appreciated Jackson's sensitive transmission of the story from text-narrative to film (not easy with a sprawling text like LOTR). OTOH, my best friend, who loves movies but hasn't read the books, enjoyed it immensely without feeling the loss of any of the material Jackson chose not to use. (Naturally the fans hope the DVD will restore some of that stuff, but we'll see.) The movie has humor and bite and no condescension at all. I can't imagine how Peter Jackson got away with it, but he's made a great, great film despite all the naysayers and despite Hollywood's endemic stupidity. Can't wait for the next two!