A masterwork, whether you're a Tolkien fan or not.

Rating: Null/10 (4 March 2002)

I'm not a fan of Tolkien's work by any means, but I've heard so much good about this film that I had to go see it for myself. After sitting through this three hour masterwork, I only have to say: WOW!
This is a movie that, if Hollywood would make more of, would redeem it from the years of sludge that has been coming through the pike. This movie is top-notch in every respect: acting, cinematography, special effects, thrills, spills, you name it. For once, special effects and computers are used to great use and aren't there to overwhelm or overhaul a weak script or acting. Everyone, especially Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, and Christopher Lee delivers a superb performance. The music is also great, it's put to good use, but it's the gorgeous shots throughout the film that knocked me out; it's like heaven. Even the ugliness of certain areas had something of value.
Although the movie is rated PG-13 (AA in Canada), the movie is filled with a lot of violence (bloodless, unlike Braveheart), so I wouldn't recommend it to children, although you'd have to be in the double digits to appreciate this one. Also, you must see this in theaters, you'll need a God of a home entertainment system to fully appreciate this one when it comes to home video.
I can't wait for the next chapter of this series; in the meantime, maybe I should check out this Tolkien.
This movie reminded me of a video game that was one worth seeing. It showed me that a lot of role-playing games in gaming history owe their homage to J.R.R. Tolkien's novels.