Better than I hoped!

Rating: 9/10 (21 December 2001)

I read all of the comments. I heard all of the hype from friends who hadn't read the book. I half-expected to come out of the theater disappointed.
However, after watching the movie, I now wonder when the crowds will thin out enough for me to go again. I loved it. What was changed, to me, seemed to fit in the spirit of the original novel. Although my two favorite characters (Tom Bombadil and Glorfindel) were worked out of the movie for virtue of time, it did not impede my delight at the craftsmanship of this excellent piece.
I suggest it to everyone who read the book. I suggest it even more to everyone who hasn't. (Though I would then suggest you read the book :)
This was the only movie I went to see in the theater this year. I wasn't disappointed.