SEE THIS FILM

Rating: 10/10 (5 January 2002)

I was slightly disappointed with Harry Potter, but this film really does live up to the hype. Unlike a lot of people I actually like the 1978 animated version, but agree that it is woefully flawed, something which cannot be said of this version. Visually I don't think there can be any doubt that it is the greatest film ever made - it surpasses even The Matrix in that particular area - but it is a great film for other reasons as well. The danger with huge-scale action films is less focus on the actual performances, for example in The Matrix, but this wasn't relevant with Peter Jackson's film at all - the casting was absolutely spot on, and the performances, particularly Ian McKellen's, were first-class. There is another link with The Matrix, that being Hugo Weaving, and Elrond did remind me of the 'chief agent' somewhat, but better that than Weaving's character in Priscilla.
The effects have been talked about a great deal, and with good cause, as they were simply stunning, as was the photography. I think die-hard Tolkien fans might be a bit miffed at some of the changes, but I thought they worked well, for instance Arwen meeting the Hobbits before Rivendell, and not Glorfindel, a character who never appears again, as it is in the book.

Actually I found it slightly surprising that it was only PG-rated: the black riders and the Balrog were pretty damn scary, the latter being a superb realisation of Tolkien's rather simplistic description of 'shadow and fire'. All in all, you MUST see this film.