I would have followed you... my King!

Rating: 10/10 (26 December 2015)

That's the best line in the movie. Beautiful. Let's say this straight away: FotR is the best movie of the trilogy, hands down. What makes it stand out as masterpiece is its variety. We can witness a majority of Middle Earth in this one movie. We will take part in a celebration in the beautiful Hobbiton along with some hobbits, look in the eye of darkness in the form of Nazgul and feel danger on the Weathertop, see the serenity of Rivendell, gaze the ruggedness of Misty Mountains, sense the eeriness of Moria, listen to the elves sing in Lothlorien, enter the realm of men through the majestic Argonath and finally see a glimpse of distant Mordor over Emyn Muil. I mean, if that's not one hell of an adventure, I'm not sure what is. And still the movie doesn't feel like it has too much things going on. It's the adventurous nature of the book, that is perfectly implemented into a movie. Obviously the long duration helps. It's more like a necessity to include the majority of things.
Still, even the extended edition doesn't contain everything from the book. For example the Old Forest and Tom Bombadil was left out, which was a disappointment when I first saw the movie 14 years ago. But afterwards I understand, that the whole scenario would have affected the flow of the film dramatically, and that the character Tom Bombadil wasn't really suitable for a big screen audience. He was more of a Tolkien's stream of consciousness than an important character for the plot and works better within the more poetic and slower approach of the book. Although, in TTT the Fangorn Forest is connected with the Old Forest, which is also mentioned in that movie.
One thing that was changed big time was the expanded role of Arwen when she comes to rescue from Rivendell. It doesn't happen that way in the book but works fine here.
During the movie I never felt bored, and still today I feel the same tension and awe of the first screening in every take. What a wonderful and careful directing from Mr. Jackson. When the actors and director care for their work, it really comes out lifelike. Of course it helps when we know the story and characters beforehand, but they are cast and acted so well that it amazes me. Every one looks the part. My favourites being Boromir, Legolas, Galadriel and Gandalf. And I thought Sir McKellen was great as Magneto in X-Men, but he really is Gandalf in real life, I believe so.
Whereas TTT and RotK are more epic in staging and effects, FotR is more accurate and subtle. TTT has its moments like Gollum, RotK has the most beautiful ending and an epic battle in Minas Tirith, the FotR is a nonstop roller-coaster ride with beauty, despair, companionship and sense of growing danger that lurks everywhere. The characters feel more vulnerable, like the fact that the hobbits require protection from the bigger characters. On the other hand Gandalf seems to possess more magic powers than later in the saga as Gandalf the White. All in all FotR takes less liberties than the next two movies and stays true to the book. In fact, it must be the best book adaptation ever filmed.