Best of the Trio

Rating: 10/10 (23 February 2004)

Now that all three movies are out, there's no question in my mind that The Fellowship of the Ring stands above the rest. The characters are nicely developed here, there's plenty of action, and it's a satisfying ending for a movie that has just begun. This is movie making at its best in the tradition of Cecil B. DeMil.
The Black Riders, Nazgûl on horseback, capture the essence of evil without ever having to speak or to reveal themselves. Throw in the captivating musical score, and this movie rates a perfect 10.
It's hard to follow up on perfection, and like the book, which has a few too many descriptions of sunrises and sunsets, we're given more than we could have every asked for or expected.