Don't listen to the naysayers

Rating: 10/10 (19 December 2001)

You'll notice that the naysayers claim that the movie is too long and too boring, and that there is too little plot and character development. Hogwash. Why are there so many fight scenes? Because that's the way the book is. Jackson opted to cut out the recuperation periods between each battle so as to not to make the movie obscenely long. But it sure as hell doesn't make it boring. Most likely, the people who think it's boring and too long have ADD or something. It is really not that hard to pay attention. The character development was there. You just had to look for it. You'll notice Boromir falling into desire. You'll notice Aragorn rising to a position of leadership in the Fellowship (from a Ranger to a King, this is part of that transistion!). Watch how happy Frodo and Gandalf are at the beginning of the film. See how heavy the world comes down upon them as the movie progresses. Frodo, a timid hobbit, chooses to venture to Mordor on his own. Oh, the characters do develop. Let us not forget that this film is part of a trilogy. To get the full effect of the thing, you're just going to have to watch all three movies. Let's not go bashing things which we perceive as lacking... believe you me, the character development is only beginning... My buddies and I are Tolkien fans. And we are all VERY pleased. 10/10