There is a reason LotR is legendary

Rating: 10/10 (18 October 2019)

If you want to appreciate this film and this trilogy, watch the Hobbit trilogy first. Everything it gets wrong this film gets right. Fifteen minutes into this film I was more engaged with Middle Earth, Hobbits and Gandalf than I was in the entirety of The Hobbit. This first film has the advantage of lingering lovingly over Hobbiton and Rivendell the most beautiful settings in Middle Earth and makes the most of it with great cinematography.
Unlike the Dwarves of the Hobbit, the Hobbits here were cast perfectly as was Gandalf which helps to create an engaging introduction to the world / film / trilogy. I must admit there have been many times when I simply have watched the Hobbit beginning of the film and stopped. The pastoral beauty of this world is comparable to the world of something like Wind in the Willows. Of course you can't get the Ring to Mount Doom by staying in this gentle world. Bree and meeting Strider, the beauty of Rivendell, Lothlorien and Galadriel, mixed with some action packed battle sequences make for a great film.