Gorgeous movie, but not my favorite

Rating: 10/10 (23 May 2002)

I found my disappointment with LOTR kind of shocking since I enjoy fantasy and science fiction, to a degree. This movie is definitely the prettiest movie ever made. The scenery is beautiful and most of it's REAL, with real grass and trees. I like CG effects, but it's great to see a film that doesn't rely on them for every background. I was in awe of all the visuals, everything from costuming to the props.
My only problem was the movie's length. I really think a good half hour or more could been trimmed off the final cut. The extra footage is a treat for Tolkien fans, but for the newbies, like myself, it was too much. After a particular encounter in the cave with the steep stairway, I started estimating how much time was left to go. The action sequences were great and captivating, but the downtime made the movie hard to sit through.
For me, LOTR is the most beautiful movie I've ever seen, but it was also the loudest movie I've ever heard. Maybe it was just the theater, but the sound effects were way too loud. I spent the last half of the movie with my left ear pressed into my hand to block out some of the noise. This probably contributed to my impatience towards the end. Still a nice film, though, and should've won the Oscar over "A Beautiful Mind". Its loss further proves that entertaining movies never win Best Picture, only the artistic crap.