Silly and Unsubtle

Rating: 3/10 (2 January 2002)

There was not much I liked about this film, outside of the first half-hour or so. I had very little problem with the plot alterations for the sake of converting the book to film, I think they did an admirable job with that.

My concerns with the film as compared to the book were more about the feel and atmosphere. Using Merry and Pippin as little more than comic relief? A clumsy, pointless love scene between Strider and Arwen? Saruman as a B-movie bad guy? Countless teary and dreadfully unsubtle cornpone scenes of loyalty and friendship? It felt like they took the outline of the standard Hollywood movie and happened to find bits of The Fellowship of the Ring to shove into the appropriate places (except for having an actual ending of course).
You can change the plot to fit it into a film, but when you change the whole feeling until the only recognition is plot bits and character names, you have a loser in my book.