Surprise - it really IS good

Rating: 10/10 (23 December 2001)

My first thought after coming out of the cinema was: 'this is the first super-hyped film I've ever seen that didn't disappoint me'.
In fact, it was even better than I had hoped. Yes, I have read the books (2 or 3 times) but I'm not a 'MiddleEarth freak', so I was quite happy with the licence taken with the story in places. It was going to be inevitable that some plot and character devices would be required in transferring an epic of these proportions to the screen, and I was entirely comfortable with the compromises Peter Jackson made. And it sure didn't feel like 3 hours' viewing (a slight let-down in fact, as the time whizzed by so fast I almost felt I hadn't got my money's worth!)
Coming from New Zealand, where the whole film was shot, I was obviously very keen on the 'scenic' aspect of FOTR, and it didn't disappoint - although I confess I didn't actually recognise a single location!
Perhaps what surprised me most was the overall quality of the acting; without exception the cast (and casting) was admirable. I thought Viggo Mortensen played a very good Aragorn, and Frodo was much better than I had hoped. I could go on about the top notch special effects, fantastic sets etc, but you've all heard it before. Suffice to say, superb.
This isn't to say, of course, the film was entirely without fault. I found the score a bit overly (& obviously) dramatic in places. And, while I realise the time constraints, I felt there wasn't enough introduction or explanation of some of the Fellowship - particularly Gimli and Boromir. and just how DID Gandalf get his staff back?
These are minor quibbles though, and (apart from the music)not something I really noticed until I thought about it afterwards. Overall, I give FOTR my highest recommendation