Among the best of "fun" movies . . .

Rating: 9/10 (21 December 2001)

A great deal of skill and talent went into this production. However, this movie is a spectacle; it is meant to thrill its audiences--which it does quite well. All the actors are capable of exploring the nuances of character development, but this movie, however skillfully adapted, is not concerned with such matters. I did not identify with any of the characters, although I did feel some sympathy, enough to remain interested for the three hours. It could have been even better if it had more fully tapped into the myth of good, evil, and the battle of the will. I rate LOTR: 8 out of 10, by far my highest score of any movie released this year.