I awaited with both dread and excitement...

Rating: 10/10 (20 December 2001)

As a long-time Tolkien scholar, one of those who have actually read the Silmarillion multiple times and *liked* it, I must admit that I was anxious that Peter Jackson might have deviated too much from the books with his screen adaptation. Nevertheless, the pieces I had seen were stunning and I knew Peter Jackson was very aware that he must remain faithful to the books or suffer a violent backlash from those who feel that Tolkien's work is inviolate.
I needn't have worried. Yes, the movie does deviate from the books on a few counts...Arwen's subsuming of Glorfindel's role was one of the more striking...but I felt it stayed true on most counts. That is to say that the deviations were not distracting and were far outweighed by the accuracies. Galadriel's speech on what she would become with the Ring in her possession, Moria and the Balrog, and basically everything with Legolas in it will be more than enough fare to excite even the most dubious of Tolkien fans.
Now begins the long wait until the next one...the success of the Fellowship has whetted my eagerness for the Two Towers which was my favorite of the trilogy. In the meantime, go see the movie...multiple times if possible. The movie well deserves a rousing success at the box office.