Surprisingly, no Amazingly, well done.

Rating: 10/10 (22 December 2001)

The film makers did a genuinely splendid job on this first installment on the saga. The only film adaptations of great novels that are in the same league, IMHO, would be Apocalypse Now and Gone With The Wind. And neither had to face up to the passionate following of this one. FotR manages to squeeze in virtually every important element of the book, while its breakneck pace, and clear narrative makes a nearly three hour running time practically unnoticeable. The special effects manage that knife-edge balance that lets you simply experience the reality of the story which we've seen in 2001 and Star Wars: A New Hope. It avoids the problems of an Independence Day or Phantom Menace where your enjoyment of the story is molested by all the "Gee Whiz" moments. But what really makes this film stand out among blockbuster-type films is the acting. These guys are good, and are allowed to be good. There is no scene-chewing in the action-filled scenes, and more importantly, the quiet times are crafted just as meticulously, and treated as the important moments they are, rather than as the simple, wooden exposition that infests most of even the best action adventures.