Feels Like the Book and yet...

Rating: 7/10 (1 November 2019)

Ultimately the movie feels incomplete. While I understand that it is part of a trilogy, and we all go in expecting it to be part of a trilogy, the movie feels incomplete in and of itself. It doesn't leave us in a place of resolution, nor does it lead us to question. The undeniable truth is that the movie only leaves us with a sense that the movie cannot stand on it's own.
It's production value can't be ignored. The movie's stunning visuals and score are the majority of the movies appeal. The actors do make their characters come alive, but acting isn't what makes this movie. The direction is, as with nearly all Peter Jackson movies, well executed. But none of this changes the fact that in the end, the movie is lacking in the ways that are most important.
A comparison with the original Star Wars easily demonstrates what a director can do when he knows that a movie must stand on its own merits and not merely as the introduction to something more complete.
I give this movie a 7 because of the stunning cinematography, visual appeal, and score. But a high budget movie like this that can't stand alone, couldn't earn a higher rating than this.