Dull and uneventful

Rating: Null/10 (7 April 2002)

After all the hype of this film, one easily has great expectations, and it is easy to be disappointed. And I was. Maybe it is unfair, because I have seen similar films earlier, loosely based on the LOTR world. Nevertheless, there are several reasons why this film was truly disappointing:
Lightning was inconsistent. Some scenes had bright and Disney-esque colours, others had washed-out near B/W effects. Other scenes again looked like they were made in the 70's. Maybe it was deliberate, but I failed to see the brilliance.
Plot was dull. I have not read the book(s), and maybe I therefore missed some points. The background for the rings' existence was incoherently explained, but the the plot thenceforth was so straightforward I was bored to tears. No surprising twists, no suspension; very predictable.
Repetitive and inane dialogue. How often did I not hear Frodo state "I did not want this to happen"? Too often. And the references to myths and traditions popped up like fungi but contributed precious little to the plot as it did not bring in any element of suspense or explanation.
Seriousness. The film was pompous - both in terms of directing, acting and dialogue. The only relief was Pip, the "Irish" Hobbit. In Willow (in my opinion, a comparable film in terms of genre), humour was more prevalent. Lack of any lighthearted situations in LOTR contributed to my boredom.
Directing and editing sometimes seemed to be deliberately fragmented in order to cover up poor special effects. In this day and age we should be able to expect focused cameramen. I have no plans seeing the next "instalment". But if LOTR had been cut down to two hours, I might have enjoyed it.