I'm still blown away

Rating: 10/10 (20 December 2001)

I got out of this film about 3 hours ago, and I'm still reeling. I have the feeling that I'm going to be reeling for many years to come. I saw a classic tonight- one that evokes the way I first felt when I saw Star Wars. But, somehow, it's better than Star Wars- it holds more weight on its own, it's got so much heart. Technically, the film is a marvel- great acting, story, special effects, blah blah. That's all well and good- a lot of movies have that. But this film blows them all away because it has an emotion, a moral core that seems somehow unapproachable by most Hollywood pictures. Maybe it's Tolkien's spectacular setting and writing, or Peter Jackson's love for film and this work in particular, but this movie transcends what movies used to be before tonight.
Astounding. Spectacular. Lovely. Epic. Heartbreaking. Beautiful.
That's all the words I can muster for now.