An admirable job on an impossible project

Rating: Null/10 (9 August 2002)

Tolkien penned a classic that will be eternal. With anticipation and
skepticism I awaited the release of this movie. The former
animated versions were painful to watch. I never could understand
the compulsion to make Samwise to look like a toad. Jackson's effort has some flaws. I realize that his vision could not
match the visions of individual millions of fans of the LOR. My
admiration won out and I enjoyed the movie more than any movie I
have seen since Apollo 13. The casting was brilliant. I do wish the
dialog was more in line with the book, especially in the
confrontation between Gandalf and Saruman. Saruman's abandonment of the "white" in favor of the "rainbow" robe was
important in the book as Gandalf's "promotion" later in the book
reveals. The acting was good to great, with Sean Bean's protrayal as
Boromir stealing the show. I do not understand why he was not
nominated for an Academy Award for Supporting Actor. He seized
the essence of the character and ran with it. Arwen's role was
expanded in the movie whereas in the book she played a backround role. Liv Tyler was perfect for the role with her natural
elfish looks. Special effects were brilliant as expected and I eagerly await both
sequels.