OK, let's separate the movie from the book.

Rating: 10/10 (27 October 2002)

I grow tired of the petty reviews by those who constantly compare the book to the movie. For anyone who has read Lord of the Rings, no movie(s) could ever possibly do them justice. Let's set that aside for a moment...
Imagine, if you can (and this is difficult for those who HAVE read the books), that you had NOT read the books. How, then, does the movie stand on its own? Does the story make sense? Does it follow? Is there flow? Does it maintain my interest? Do the characters have depth? Is the cinematography good? Costumes? etc.......
For the first installment, I find the answer to all of the above, YES! This is a truly great movie - on its own - and deserving of a spot in the top five movies ever.
Now... I have read the books - several times. I am willing to both forgive some inaccuracies for the sake of expediency, and understand the "literary license" taken for the sake of a shortened story. When you consider that an alternative would be a series of three 14 hour movies, these are minor items.
I am eternally grateful for the care and loving that went into this movie. I commend Peter Jackson for his fine work and for staying "very close" to the original story.