Excellent beginning to what should be excellent trilogy

Rating: 9/10 (27 December 2001)

This movie is not the best movie ever made. However it is a magnificent achievement. The cast is much better than I hoped and the portrayals were amazing. I was not totally pleased with Arwen although this was not the actress's fault, she played it perfectly. There just seemed to be something jarring about it (perhaps I've been steeped in the book too much). The beginning (for fans of the book) is much different than the book although it remains true to the spirit of Tolkien and so I found it to be fine.
The only real problem I had with the entire movie was with Aragorn (Strider). It was not a problem with the acting. I didn't believe anyone could portray him so well. It was with the script. In the book Strider is a towering figure, exuding mystery, wildness and danger. No problem so far. However as leader of the company he is plagued with self-doubt. This makes him more human. He is the one who recommends the Mines of Moria (not Gimli) and when all goes not perfectly (be patient I'm trying to avoid a spoiler) he blames himself. Every small problem they have is a result of his decisions and he blames himself for them. A flaw in an otherwise perfect character. This is missing from the movie. Does it detract overall? Not really, it just might be better if it was in the movie to add depth to the character.
Personally, I would have preferred an extended version of Lothlorien. The gifting of the cloaks, the brooches and the box of earth (to Sam) are missing and (depending on how the movie is portrayed) could be very important. The softening of Gimli to the elves begins in Lorien with his devotion to the Lady Galadriel. This also marks the beginning of the thaw of relationship between Legolas and Gimli.
However these are all very small points and personal preferences. If the rest of the trilogy continues in the same vein, it will be one of the most amazing pieces of cinematic work I have ever seen. In a much earlier comment, someone said that the worst part was having to wait a year for the next movie. I agree.