Below average film of dreadful novel

Rating: 3/10 (22 February 2002)

Before I went to see this film...I knew I'd dislike it, because it is based on the Lord of the Rings. LOTR has got to be one of the most overrated books ever written. Overlong, overwritten and ridiculous all apply to it. I cannot imagine why...in a world that has seen the rise of superb "fantasy" authors from JK Rowling to Anne Rice, people would still be obsessed with this dull, pointless text written by an ancient reactionary.
With regards to the film...it lived up to my expectations of dreariness. The plot is nowhere near as complicated as some would have you believe. It basically involves a group of beastly little gnomes who go on a quest to destroy a ring accompanied by cardboard cutouts of wizards, elves, dwarves and warriors. Along the way they encounter monsters that look like they just walked off the set of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, creepy dark riders and...Christopher Lee.
The sets and costumes ranged from the tacky to the pretentious and the acting was, despite the obvious talent, passive and failed to inspire any real emotion or sympathy. The usually superb Cate Blanchett gives the worst performance of her career and Liv Tyler is wasted in a brief role that was artificially inserted into the main plot (there's a reason why it was just an appendix!). The only two actors who give passable performances are Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood, and that's just barely.
To conclude, don't listen to the critics or the Tolkein fans or the movie buffs. Avoid this film.