Brilliant!

Rating: 10/10 (28 December 2001)

I get the impression that most of the people who did not like this movie also did not read the book. Having read the book dozens of times since the '70s greatly enhanced my enjoyment of the film. I can see how the uninitiated might not "get it"--one hapless viewer commented that he didn't think Galadriel's character was necessary. Tolkien fans will get the most out of this film because they can "read between the scenes" so to speak. However, Jackson did a fine job making the film comprehensible to those who haven't read the book, which is no small feat. Others have complained that the special effects were imperfect and not as good as those of The Matrix (yawn!). I was pleased that the effects were just good enough to be convincing--I went for the story, not to marvel at gratuitous digital technology. Others have complained that Jackson made some changes to the story. First of all, Tolkien thought of himself as a translator of a historical record which was LOTR. The published version of his account can be thought of as The Bible, written by divers hands long ago. For all we know it could be a flawed account or inaccurate. I consider Peter Jackson's version as a different but very similar account--imagine two different books on WWI--you would expect a few minor discrepancies. None of us know for a fact that Arwen didn't rescue Frodo from the ringwraiths. That's not how it happened in Tolkien's book, but it's more fun for me to think that either version is possible. That's how legends and myths are made, tales handed down through the ages, sometimes embellished, sometimes diminished, but in all of them are the grains of truth.
What I liked least about the movie: I have very few complaints. The worst moment is when Aragorn and Frodo are poised on a teetering rock in Moria and Aragorn says, "Lean forward!", eliciting a groan from the audience. They could have just leaped and gotten it over with. There were also a couple of "weed" jokes which don't exist in the book. The soundtrack got the mood right, in a generic way, but it could have been more "medieval" in flavor. Enya and Liz Frazer were clever choices, but why not go one step further and get Dead Can Dance to contribute?
What I liked best: Galadriel's transformation as she is tempted by the ring, the interior of Moria, how the elves were portrayed, and the generous length (three hours!), because I never wanted it to end.