Could there be a better adaptation?

Rating: 8/10 (24 December 2001)

This was a really good movie. Anyone who says so is just trying to sound cool by not liking what everyone else does, or just does not like this genre of movies. The good qualities of this movie are rather obvious. Good to great acting, amazing special effects, breathtaking scenery yada yada yada. So ill get into what I didn't like about it... its more interesting:
I think there were several problems with the movies but I am not sure how they could all be avoided. many of the problems lie within the book itself. For example:
-Cliche good vs. evil battle. Much of this problem lies in the book. Perhaps it was acceptable back then, but modern humans have thankfully moved beyond such simplistic views of good and evil. Could this be helped? Probably... More could be focused on the problems of the good guys, and the bad guys need not look so evil (Saromon in the book does very little and is not nearly this Dark Vader to the Dark Lord (emperor) he appears in the movie.
-Cheesy parts. This movie did a very good job of keeping out corny, cheesy lines. Except perhaps "Lets go kill some orcs" at the end or what not. BUt there were some parts that could have been changed. 1. Council at Eldron. In the book this is a very important scene, hardly the PTA meeting the movie makes it out to be. 2. Ring brings Sauron back??? No. IN the book he has always been there, he just learns the ring is still in existence when it is used. This is a much better plot device. 3. Random meeting with Merry and Pippin make them join??? No. In the book they are long time friends of Frodo, it makes more sense.
-Lack of character development. WE only really get a look at Frodo and perhaps Gandalf and Aragon. The other characters are pretty flat, especially merry and pippin.
But there will always be problems. Overall this did a good job sticking to the book. It cut out the s*** that didn't matter (Tom Bombidil) and left in most of the important stuff.
so go see it, it is epic. ANd its 4 in the morning here... I go to sleep.