The user rating doesn't surprise me in the least.

Rating: 10/10 (22 December 2001)

This was a great movie. Period.
The character development, granted, was not as much as that in other movies, but remember that this is the first third of a TRILOGY. Remember, the Empire Strikes Back had a heck of a lot more character development than Star Wars.
The action scenes were breathtaking. Since the Matrix was released, most action scenes have been pretty much the same. The action in this movie, however, is a little more old-school.
Also, for those of you complaining about how high the user rating for this movie is... It's rating from the top critics is 97% positive, so don't be so shocked. Also, don't assume Tolkien fans are stacking the vote. This is a GREAT movie, people. Not perfect, no. But darn close.