Good, but a touch overrated

Rating: 8/10 (23 December 2001)

The Lord of Rings certainly makes due of amazing panorama's, supurb acting and interaction, however I find it necessary to give a more critical review than to go estatic over a movie that moved me far less than Titanic did.

The Lord of the Rings works the hardest on the characters. Jackson does a wonderful job of character profiling, placing you into the shoes of the heros. However I found some of the characters to lack integrity. Many of the them seemed rather stiff, unsure, yet they poured their heart with elegance and finesse during the times when words were not spoken.

As a whole, it seems to have best picture material, but when you pick apart the pieces, you'll notice that we are left with is the same problem Jackson has had in all of his movies: his inability, or perhaps I should say, unwillingness to go the extra step.
The Mines of Moria sequence was probably the best I've seen from Jackson. Well constructed, well played out, some of the best acting, great sequences and a wonderful and moving ending that left me breathless and wondering if we switched to a secondary director. But nope, it was Jackson proving once and for all that he *can* take the extra step and move above the norm.

Jackson is a visionary but I found him selling out mostly in this movie. Going to normal shots when Jackson is better suited for a more abstract scene, abnormal yet balanced with a sensitivity to render an original, obtuse and exquisit scene. I saw Jackson only perform this duty once during LOTR; Mines of Moria. The rest of the movie had endless opportunities, where Jackson failed to go the extra mile into uncharted terrority.

I expect a lot from Jackson. I know his potential even if he does not. I feel we have yet to see his true talent, eventhough LOTR shows his capabilities.
I hope that Jackson allows his soul to emerge in the next installment. That he let go of the fear of maintaining some sort of normality and begin charting a new realm of movie making. Jackson needs to understand that his talent is being wasted every time he fails to jump the chasm Aragorn and Frodo had to jump.
Close your eyes, Jackson. Close your eyes, jump ... and fly!
I gave the movie an 8 out of 10.