I've been watching films for 3-and-a-half decades, it IS the best film I have ever seen.

Rating: 10/10 (27 December 2001)

Contains 1 hinted-at spoiler (tells of a change from the book, but not WHAT is changed).
10 stars. I took the kids, they were in awe throughout. On the way home in the car, I got "Dad, why is..?", "Dad, why did..?", "Dad, who is..?" for the full 30 mins, normally a drive-home film re-assessment last 2-3 mins. They haven't read the books, they both want them as last minute Xmas presents. "Dad, can we go and see it again at the weekend and take our friends this time?".
My kids are 14/12, it is ok for 8 year olds, I reckon, just.
Me? I've hoped for 25 years that there would be a proper film version of LOTR. I read the books about once a year on average. I hoped the film would be good and true to the book (it wouldn't need to be 100% as the book for me, 99% would do), IMHO it is. I WAS worried it would deviate too much from the book. Having seen the film, I am pleased how little it deviates from the book *in the detail* (the obvious change at the Ford of Bruinen, for example, just seems odd), in spirit, it's just like watching the book brought to life.
Personally, I wish the film was longer and that more time could have been taken over all the elements of the film. I wish the Balrog could have been made more evil/menacing than it appeared. I wish I was the director, but I'm not, PJ is, and my only wish was that the film was made and it has been. My wish has been granted. How often does that happen?
Generally, fantasy films fall short on storyline, character build, emotion, etc. LOTR hits the spot on all these (but maybe I get the character build from the book). If in doubt, go see it, you will not be disappointed, I am so sure of this. I've been watching films for 3-and-a-half decades, it IS the best film I have ever seen.