Wonderful movie, even for a non-fanatic

Rating: 10/10 (19 December 2001)

Wow, where to start? Firstly, this movie is so well put together it's hard to nitpick on anything other than the long-ish running time. 3+ hours is needed to try to fit in the huge scope of the novel. Having not read the book for over 2 decades, it was hard sitting through at first. You feel like you've been plumped on your seat right in the middle of the movie already partway in progress. But once you start taking in the wonderful acting, you get truly acquainted with Middle Earth and its denizens. My one big complaint was I didn't remember Frodo being this wimpy. He was basically the biggest coward in the Fellowship. The special effects were well-placed and not very "brazen." The cinematography is first-rate, the actors are well-cast and the lines are well-written. They even managed to put in a few welcome comedic scenes along the way. Put it this way: this is one of the best 3 hours you are ever going to spend in a movie theatre (unlike *cough* Pearl Harbor *cough).
Even if you don't know Middle Earth from the Shadow Lands, come and see this event movie. Kudos to everyone involved in the trilogy. You have done excellent work and should be very proud of yourselves.