Oh, the fine line between spectacle and travesty!

Rating: Null/10 (20 January 2002)

Minor spoilers
Have you ever heard that song about Tolkien's trilogy by the rock group Styx? In it they ebulliently intone, `All hail to the Lord of the Rings, to the wonder and mystery it brings'. Nope I'm not kidding. It stands as a perfect example of how rock musicians should not try to incorporate classic books about fantasy worlds into their music (at least Led Zepplin had enough sense to only dally in self-indulgence by inserting a pithy, enigmatic reference to the LOR in `Ramble On'). So how would Hollywood fare in the quest to apply the LOR saga to another medium? WellÂ…
Ultimately it comes down to the dividing line between those who have read the book and those who have not. Those who are acquainted with Tolkien's world will appreciate the attempt at faithfulness that the filmmakers have made. They will be able to fill in the lacunas that are engendered by the time constraint involved in movies (though this a rather long one for weak bladders). They will be familiar enough with the characters, locations and situations to become as enthralled as one can with a film, that for all its effort cannot perform the impossible; that is live up to the book(s).

Unfortunately, those who have not read the novel(s) will be benighted of the intricacies of Middle Earth and become easily confused. The lack of in-depth explanation, offered by the novel, will leave those audience members wondering about many aspects of the film such as why the Fellowship members should be scared of Ringwraiths and Orcs when they are so adept at slaughtering their numerous, pullulating masses, ala Rambo and his respective commies. If they can kick their evil butts so easily why sweat it? But that's just one item among many that makes this seem much like numerous other `quest' adventure films, where the protagonists battle one baneful threat after another.
Another note: I am not a big fan of special effects, but in this case the wonders of modern computer technology lend themselves well in creating a stunning visual landscape.