Yeah, it's good. But...

Rating: 8/10 (22 November 2002)

The books were great. So was the movie. I loved every minute of it. But that's the problem. We are so ready to give this movie an 8, 9, or even 10 because the movie gave us exactly what we wanted at every turn. It was that pandering to the world that made me think twice about two-dimentional praise. The Godfather, Fight Club, Full Metal Jacket--these are movies that demand something from the viewer. They require one to make an educated evaluation of conflicts presented. There is very little room for personal interpretation in The Fellowship of the Ring. The cinematography and casting, however, were excellent and I don't think I've seen a more thoroughly enjoyable film since Willow. Let me put it as simply as possible: The Fellowship of the Ring (movie) is to To Kill a Mockingbird (movie) as The Fellowship of the Ring (book) is to To Kill a Mockingbird (book). With just relativity, I can hardly give The Fellowship higher than 6/10.