Enjoyable, but...

Rating: Null/10 (14 January 2002)

Various naysayers about this film have presumed that all those who enjoyed it must be in their teens (most definitely not the case here!) and manic fans of Star Wars et al (hardly). However, for the record I am a devoted Tolkien fan.
While I enjoyed the film very much - the three hours sped by - I also have a number of criticisms. And for those who may have not seen the film yet, there will be **SPOILERS** to follow.
The pace of the film before the hobbits' arrival at Rivendell, with the exception of the introductory scenes in Hobbiton, seemed far too rushed. I was following the action, but found the pace somewhat bewildering. Perhaps this was partly because I knew the books so well, so I'll give the film makers the benefit of the doubt.
However, the scenes in Lothlorien were just dreadful, with the exception of Galadriel's (Cate Blanchett's)temptation to use the Ring.
What bright spark decided the Elves in Lorien should speak so slowly? They might be other worldly, but they're not thick. It was a big mistake. Legolas doesn't speak like someone on Valium, and neither does Arwen (most of the time). The whole period in Lorien seemed clumsy and badly thought out.

There was also plenty of shifting done in the motivations or actions of certain characters, and this was what annoyed me the most. Individually these items are not that important, but collectively it gets under the skin.
Why, for example, did Frodo - seemingly - die before he got to Rivendell? One is given the impression that Arwen parts with her immortality on the road to give Frodo a second chance... and if that's not what was intended, that's sure how it looked. Obviously being stabbed, on the verge of the wraith world and rescued at the last minute while all his enemies are swept away isn't exciting enough???
One example is Gandalf not wanting to turn back on the pass of Caradhras. In the book it's because he knows the alternative (Moria) is the only other that can be attempted, and he wants to avoid that route if at all possible. In the film he seems pigheadedly unwilling to give up - even though this is endangering the lives of the Fellowship - because he doesn't want Saruman to win that "round". It's rather petty. (in any case, in the book the snowstorm has nothing at all to do with Saruman... yet another change).
Aragorn is also presented as someone who has taken to a life of wandering rather than accepting the responsibility of his heritage. In the book, his life of wandering is partly a result of his heritage. Rangers do just that - range. Aragorn also has to prove to Elrond that he's worthy of marrying Arwen so he's spent decades working against Sauron et al, across Middle Earth, as a kind of testing ground for what is to come (ie the war over the Ring). In the film Elrond all but dislikes Aragorn in the film, yet in the books Aragorn grew up in Rivendell and Elrond looked on him as a son.
Having said all that, I am well aware of the constraints of trying to condense a complex, cerebral novel hundreds of pages long into a viewable film. There are plenty of scenes in the book that simply wouldn't make the shift - the council of Elrond, for one, which I thought the film handled extremely well.
In addition, Peter Jackson was trying to make an epic - something that looked spectacular, sure, but that also gave a sense of the grand and important mission (etc etc) without completely overlooking character development. And I think he's done a pretty good job given the difficulties. The power and danger of the Ring is clear, and its effect on Frodo when he has it on is very well depicted.
Ian McKellen (Gandalf) is the standout in the cast. His Gandalf is honourable, compassionate and occasionally grumpy, and McKellen's capacity to tell you just as much with his face as with his words is impressive. Viggo Mortensen also makes a pretty good Aragorn, and Elijah Wood's Frodo grew on me as the film progressed. Liv Tyler was great as Arwen (so much for the prophets of doom who complained about her as a casting choice).
In film two I'm hoping to see more screen time for Sam, and some depth given to the friendship of Gimli and Legolas. I'm also very keen to hear the next instalment of Howard Shore's music. I thought his score was exceptional, and I hope it's recognised with an award or two somewhere in the next six months.