Instant classic.

Rating: 8/10 (19 June 2008)

Well...I'm a bit overwhelmed, to be honest. It was a lot to take in. I'm a pretty sensitive gal...all the violence and demon-looking Orcs and general evil-tension made me a little stressed out.
But on the whole, it was a beautifully made film.
The cinematography and CGI were stunning.
They left some things out of the book that I would have liked to see, but when you think about the task facing Jackson et al, they have done a remarkable thing. Despite the $300 million budget and the occasional movie "star", this really did not seem like your typical Hollywood fare. It really was an epic in every sense of the word, and with no disrespect meant to JK Rowling and Chris Columbus, this was 10 times the movie Harry Potter was. In fact, it seems almost laughable to compare them. The themes of both stories--- good vs. evil, hope vs. despair, loyalty vs. betrayal, compassion vs. greed, courage vs. fear, honor vs. deceit-- are basically the same, however LOTR delves much deeper into the core of the human soul. Which makes it both more frightening and more rewarding.
A few times I was surprised to find myself crying...in every case simply because I was moved by the expression on someone's face, or a plaintive wail of sorrow from one character on behalf of another. I suppose to me, the sweetest thing about the story (and especially the way it was portrayed on film) was how it emphasized the connection between beings...the Fellowship of the Ring is made up of four hobbits, an elf, a dwarf, two men, and a wizard. That has to mean something-- that they stand no chance against Sauron unless they stay united. Silly me, but it was touching.