Overblown, overlong, overdone

Rating: 6/10 (10 November 2002)

Sadly, this is an example of a film following a novel too closely. Not necessarily in all the plot details, but in the plodding, overly verbose, and pedantic style of the author. The movie was OK, but would have been dramatically better if a third was cut out of it. The effects that worked were good enough to just accentuate those that didn't work at all (like the obvious child actor filling in for Bilbo Baggins in shots from his rear). There were entertaining moments, but I spent the majority of the movie thinking 'just get on with it, already'. Worth seeing if you've got alot of time to spend, and nothing else in your life to do with it.