The Good Parts are Fantastic

Rating: 10/10 (21 December 2001)

A bit rushed, but the good parts are so good they just put this movie adaptation of LOTR in a class all by itself. I'm a serious LOTR junky, so perhaps the thicket of names, places, and history didn't put my off as some new to LOTR might be.
But the sequence in the Shire with Hobbits, the battles, the Journey through Moria, and the ending just make this movie terrific, and the scenery is astounding.
Could be more character development... the actors are so good you could just about do anything with them. Galdalf and Frodo (Ian McKellen and Elijah Woods) stand out beyond the general level of excellence, and they have a lot of screen time. Ian Holm and Sean Bean are terrific too, but aren't on screen much.
Don't sit up front if you see this in theater.