I am at a loss for words...

Rating: 10/10 (3 January 2002)

There are many movies that I enjoy, and I have seen movies in the theaters as many as 4 times. Admittedly, they are usually one and a half or two hours long in length. So, the most I have probably spent in a movie theater for one movie (including going more then once) is 5 hours. I have spent a grand total of 15 hours watching "The Fellowship of the Ring" and I still cannot grasp it all. Everytime I watch a new detail shows itself, whether as slight as a glint in someones eye, or entire pauses in the action that I hadn't noticed in the past. How anyone could venture to try and criticize this masterpiece is beyond me.
The acting is nothing short of perfect, superb delivery of lines and emotion. When a movie has Sir Ian McKellen, Sir Ian Holm and Christopher Lee, it can be nothing short of extraordinary, no matter how lame the script or story line. Fortunately, the script and story line weren't lame, but spectacular. The visual effects were stunning and the depth of the script was powerful.
(Perhaps a spoiler somewhere within this paragraph...not really...but I just want to be sure) Having read the books a while back, I had forgotten much of the story, leaving me with very little "extra information" to deal with. Although I remembered the characters clearly and important parts such as Moria and Lorien...many places had escaped my memory. The movie was clear and straight-forward but not choppy or hazy. It wasn't difficult to understand for the people I have seen it with, whether they had read the books or not. Unlike some recent fantasy novels-made-movie hits such as Harry Potter, it is a good movie by itself...not book references needed.

Although the battle scenes are intense at times, I was relieved to see very little gore. Even now there are times where I try not to look, but I imagine if you are above 13 you will have no problem with it. Don't get me wrong, there is no lack of violence, but it tends to be quick shots of each person. The movie is 3 hours of intensity, so prepare yourself to be pulled on an emotional rollercoaster.
Overall: The finest movie of the year, and definitely one of the finest movies ever made. A milestone in movie and fantasy history...and perhaps one of the first successful adaptions of a book to the silver screen.