Judge for yourself.

Rating: 10/10 (25 December 2001)

I sat in awe for 3 hours. The opening sequence riveted me to my seat and I could not take my eyes away from the screen at any time. I was moved to tears on three occasions. I am by no means a Tolkien fanatic or a sucker for big, dumb Hollywood cinema. I love movies. My complaints are much the same as others here--too short, can't wait until next year, etc. Changes from the book? Yep, and they work. Tolkien loves characters and side trips. You'll get there, but the act of GETTING THERE is what his books are about. The movie transports you to middle earth. The story and characters are excellent. I was happy, sad, frightened, angered--all in three hours. The thing that struck me was that fear is not a bid thing--it's how you react to it. To fear and still do the right thing is courageous. I had tears streaming down my cheeks as I watched Frodo deal with this. When the fellowship was created, I was moved to tears by their brotherhood and stewardship. They did not know this hobbit and still they joined with him, knowing it could lead to their deaths. Gandalf's selfless act of stopping the Balrog, Merry and Pippin's reaction to Boromir's death--it goes on and on. I haven't stopped thinking about this film since I saw it Saturday. I will see it a few more times, too.