Thank God

Rating: 10/10 (21 December 2001)

It has been done. Finally. A truly good fantasy movie. And this movie is good. And unlike another recent popular fantasy novel adaptation, it stands on its own. Jackson and the crew and cast and especially Frances Walsh, the screenwriter, have not simply parroted Tolkien's words, instead choosing to create a film that can be enjoyed by anyone. The cost of this change is some of the things that make the books so wonderful, the rich history, culture, and language of Middle Earth are sidelined. Instead, Jackson gives us rich, excellently acted, characters immersed in a world of startling beauty and absolute terror. And it can be very scary. The performances in this movie are nothing less than stellar. Even Liv Tyler is surprisingly excellent as Arwen. The first time I watched this film, I was utterly enraptured. The second time, my reaction was no different. In fact, the second time around I saw and heard new things. The distorted, nightmarish voices of the NazgÃ¼l and Sauron, which I could not hear well the first time, became clear. The intense visual and atmospheric detail also became more noticeable. This is an excellent movie, one which deserves to be watched over and over again. The only regret I have is that I have to wait a year for the next chapter of this exciting saga.