one of the best movies I have ever seen

Rating: 10/10 (22 December 2002)

10/10
After bashing those poor sequels of Jaws and Scream movies I really wanted to write a positive review once in a while. This movie is one of those which I rated with the highest grade possible and just let me tell few reasons why I did it. First off, Lord of the Rings is one of the finest books ever written, I have read the books about three or four times, that's once in a year because of my young age (First time I read it when I was ten or so) and always thought that this would be impossible to be changed to the big screen. I use the word 'changed' because even the movie really is a adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's masterpiece, it isn't exactly the same story, if we are accurate. Lots and lots of things and events have been either replaced or deleted because of the pace and timing of the movie, for example Tom Bombadil, but I really didn't care. When I went to see the movie almost exactly one year ago --- it was also Sunday --- I felt very nervous. Was this movie going to live up the expectations I had with it? What about the actors? The set? Special effects? Boy, was I satisfied. I honestly think that the movie is brilliant. I gave 10 to the theatrical version and if it would be possible I would give 10+ to the Extended Edition which I highly recommend instead of the theatrical version which is also brilliant. The acting was superb, sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey, Christopher Lee as Saruman, Sean Bean as Boromir, Ian Holm as Bilbo and Cate Blanchett as Galadriel were the roles I remember as the most special, although I think all of the characters suited well and all of the actors were really involved into the world of Middle-Earth. I could go on and on praising this movie, but of course, there were also some scenes I particularly missed. One of those scenes would have been the scene when Frodo knows he has to leave the Shire and he walks through the woods and greenfields of the Shire thinking about his destiny. Yes, I know --- it's what Peter Jackson said himself --- that they wanted to get on the road as quick as possible, but those scenes would've been great and in my opinion, they would've emphasised the meaning of the Shire to Frodo. Well, there were added some great scenes in the beginning to the Extended Edition and Ian Holm's narrating was a great way in introducing Hobbits to the audience.
These are just some minor thoughts I have with the movie, but I must say that I am a bit excited again --- because of The Two Towers. I am going to see it tonight, almost exactly one year after the first one, but this time I am not nervous, if you know what I mean, because after seeing the first movie, I realised that this story was held in great and strong hands, when it comes to visionary.