Good adaptation, although not without weaknesses.

Rating: 8/10 (6 March 2002)

I am a little surprised to see this movie as #2 all-time on the IMDb lists. It's a worthy adaptation of the greatest book of the 20th century, but not a fantastic one. Granted, the book is very difficult to adapt to the screen, and one would probably need 10 movies to really do justice to the complexity and subtlety of Tolkein's world. But this movie takes a remarkably organic and historical-feeling book and turns it into a Star Wars-type heroic quest. I find it hard to completely forgive the contrivances introduced to make things neat and tidy, and there are some really cheesy moments scattered throughout the movie. Also, Jackson & Walsh's dialog does not always blend seamlessly into Tolkein's. It frequently becomes some sort of strange amalgam of 20th-century hollywood cliche and gorgeous shakespearian lines. Finally, Shore's soundtrack, which is wonderful in the dark and scary moments of the movie, is painfully overbearing in the more "tender" ones.
For all this, _FotR_ is a pretty good movie. There is some wonderful cinematography, and there are several genuinely chill-inducing moments in the film. Oh, and the Balrog rocks. :)