Not greatest movie ever but fine achievement

Rating: Null/10 (16 August 2002)

I can't believe the sheer vitriol criticism aimed at this film. On one side, you have the fans of the story whose individual expectations and preconceptions will never line up with Mr. Jackson and company; on the other side, are the people who just don't get fantasy- it doesn't appeal to them, never will - it's purely an aesthetic issue. As for the fantasy haters, these people saw the film because the marketing teams did their job and overhyped the crap out of the movie. Theses people were duped into seeing a film whose subject matter holds no interest over them. These people hated Star Wars, they hated the Matrix, the thought of Dungeons and Dragons freaks them out. Their disdain I can accept and understand - I don't agree, but it makes sense. One constant criticism is about how the movie ends- it doesn't make sense to them. Everything doesn't wrap up nicely. That's cause it's not over yet! if you've payed attention to the press , and it was hard not too, there are to more movies to go in the saga ( not sagas). If anything, the intent is to leave you with wanting more, what's going to happen next. It's called a clifhanger, and we used to see 'em a lot in the movies. Nuf' said Now back to the fans of the book. In my "opinion, " Peter Jackson and his team did a marvelous job of adapting Tolkien's story for the big screen. Yeah, there are things I would have done differently, but come on, the sheer amount of painstaking work by the production design team, the camera department, editorial, the actors, the prop - makers, the stunt teams ( armies? ) , the animators, the landscapers, the dialogue coaches, the caterers transportation, etc. etc, etc. should be enough to wow anyone who questions Mr. Jackson & company's dedication to the story. My tweakings for the most part are minor. Short of making the trilogy the most expensive expensive 30 hour mini series, to get what he got into a 3 hour movie- c'mon, give him a break. Sure, some the characters come across wooden ( Gimli, Legolas), I wasn't thrilled by the forced comedy of Merry & Pippen, Frodo cries a little too much, and the Council of Elrond was a little goofy. But to nitpick that Gloriindel was replaced by Arwen, that's not a mistake, but the judgement of the screenwriters to pare down the story to recurring characters that we have a vested interest in, not some elf who shows up for twenty pages in in a 1,200 page epic. Over all, I think the movie made Middle Earth accessible to a large audience that had neither the time or inclination to read the books. No movie has ever been better than the book it comes from except for maybe The Godfather ( and that novel was written after the movie came out). Citizen Kane was conceived as a movie and had no extra baggage. The LOTR:FOTR kicks some serious booty as an adaption.