The Word Epic was Made for Movies Like This

Rating: Null/10 (28 December 2001)

In a lot of ways, the term "epic" has been diluted in movies by today's standards. However, there are some films that do fit that term. The movie made from the first book of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy deserves to be in that rarified air. Understand one thing first; I finished the book literally two days before I saw the movie, so I went into the movie wanting to dissect it from the standpoint of someone who has the information from the book. OK, let's get the negative out of the way, which deals primarily with the translation from book (from J.R.R. Tolkien) to film. The biggest problem I had with the translation is the passage of time. One of the flight sequences, in the book, takes a month or more. This same sequence in the movie takes two days. This does not detract from the movie, but it does cause a disparity for those who are fans of the book.
Other than that, the movie does not cease to amaze. The grand scale of the movie, the emotion of the characters, the joy and sorrow all make this a must see. Even if you are not a fan of fantasy, you will be enthralled by the movie for it's sheer emotion.
The "Lord of the Rings" was not written as a trilogy, though it had been originally released in three parts. It is to be one complete work. In the same way, you are left with a semi-conclusion in the movie. You will be satisfied after the three hours spent watching, but you will leave knowing Christmas 2002 can't come soon enough.