great movie adaptation of a truly challenging work

Rating: 10/10 (1 November 2002)

I probably can't heap any more praise than has already been offered on top of this film. It is simply wonderful. And I say this as a Tolkien fan who has read the books at least a dozen times since the fifth grade. (I am 34 now.)
Of course there were cuts to be made. LOTR is not a cinematically constructed novel. And I don't mind how Peter Jackson made his cuts and changes. Obviously there isn't going to be long exposition about the myriad of historial references to Middle Earth. Peter Jackson managed to capture the essence of the story without sacrificing much. Of course, like many Tolkien fans, I have a list of things that I wish were different. But none of these really detracted from my overall enjoyment of the film.
Glad Bombadil didn't make it into the script at all. The ONLY important fact of the journey from the Shire to Bree was the nature of the swords that the hobbits recovered from the barrow after Bombadil rescued them, but even that is probably too much info to try to explain in the film narrative. Bombadil is a great character, but his involvement is isolated and contributes nothing to the development of the rest of the story after he and the hobbits part company before reaching Bree. Better he was left out all together.
I also didn't take issue with the lack of seeing Legolas and Gimli becoming such great friends in the first film, mainly because the bulk of that happens in The Two Towers. If Jackson downplays it there, then it will be worth critisizing at that point.
Arwen? Didn't really bother me. She is making up for the loss of a couple of minor characters (Glorfindel, Elrond's sons who join the battle later on). And if her romance with Aragorn can be played up a bit instead of acknowlegded but invisible as it was in the novel, it will make for a lot more dramatic tension when Eowyn's obvious liking for Aragorn twangs a few unrequited heartstrings later on.
If I had to list the films weakest points, I would mention the following:

I didn't care for interpreting Merry and Pippin as mostly comic relief. I can't image that Peter Jackson won't correct this in the upcoming films since they play important parts in the development of the war. But I wish Jackson has preserved SOME of their original motivation. Merry, Pippin and Sam knew of the Ring from their years of friendly spying on Bilbo, Frodo, and Gandalf, and when they came to know how important and dangerous it was, they were determined to help Frodo "through thick and thin." Making them funny, accidental companions didn't do their characters much justice. I really missed Pippin telling off Elrond when Elrond declared he was against Pippin being part of the Fellowship. "Then, Master Elrond, you will have to lock me in prison or send me home tied in a sack. Otherwise I shall follow the company." Brave words from a truly devoted friend and much preferable to his rambling, comic speech in the film that I think should have disqualified him from going on a mission to save the world.

Not enough Lothlorien and Galadriel. The special edition DVD is supposed to correct this. I can't wait.

I thought the time spent on the collapsing staircase scene in Moria could have been devoted instead to more plot and/or character development (like Merry and Pippin). Not that it wasn't exciting and well done, but with the Balrog in pursuit this additional 3-4 minute action sequence invented solely for the movie could have easily been dropped for important things that actually happened in the novel.

But despite these flaws, a truly wonderful and awe-inspiring adaptation of a very good story that is hard to adapt. My hats off to Peter Jackson, the cast, and crew. Can't wait for films two and three.