True to the Spirit

Rating: 6/10 (6 January 2002)

Peter Jackson said that the movies would have to please the fans of the books first. As a serious Tolkien fan I must say that on the whole he has succeeded admirably. Yes... there are little things to nitpick (a wholly delectable occupation) but they do not affect the most important thing. This movie has all in all captured the spirit of the books. Whether Gimli wore or did not wear a Helmet prior to Edoras is a fun thing to pick at (he did not) but it affects the movie not at all. The feelings of terror inspired by the Ringwraiths are correct. The revulsion at the ugly Orcs is also. The beauty of the Shire, Rivendell and Lorien is also gloriously represented. Those are the best parts of the movie. The darker scenes (which also contain, naturally, most of the "action") suffer a little bit from the action movie genre stereotypes. That would be my only complaint of what is a ravishing screen version of Tolkien's masterpiece.