Great fantasy film with a few...kracks

Rating: 8/10 (6 January 2002)

The acting was good. McKellen, Holms and Lee were fantastic, as was Elijah Wood, although I didn't connect fully with him during the movie. The supporting cast were ok. I did have trouble assigning or remembering some character motivations; I suspect this is a symptom of losing the background from the books. Movies like this are difficult not because of the special effects undertaking, but rather with making a functional movie within a limited running time. More of Gollum would have been a treat, but I'm guessing he will materialise in the second movie. To me the wizardly Gandalf was perfect.
I LOVED the darkness. Peter Jackson, who has given us a fair share of horror and the macabre in the past, delivers my favourite moments of the film. And yes, it follows that I found the nice aspects and characters a bit dull and tedious. The lust everyone had for the ring added a nice thread of doubt which deepened the 'good' characters. The monsters were fantastic, especially the big 'boss' creatures like the Balron, Kraken and the grey giant in the mine. The orcs were goofy in the climactic battle, my least favourite part of the film - how could they catch up so fast?
The film dragged in places, mainly due to the many (necessary) shots of the Fellowship travelling through countryside. An unavoidable liability since this is supposed to be a 'road movie', but I kept hanging out for the next adventure. I also didn't understand Kate Blanchet's character. Some of the dialogue was not intelligible in my Cinema (Palace, Brighton, Melbourne Aust).
Overall I enjoyed LORD OF THE RINGS. This is certainly not The Best Film Even Made. I think Jackson and Co. would be the first ones to refute that claim. The action is fine, although a tad fast, and it also takes time out to allow the audience to drink in the world(s) of Middle Earth, warts and all. The movie is a well-crafted collision of goodness, evil, determination, wisdom, betrayal and commitment, friendship, greed, hatred, a touch of romance, and a good dose of 'Just do It' ethos.