Just enough to tease...

Rating: Null/10 (20 December 2001)

Having read The Hobbit in high school long ago, but not getting farther, I looked forward to this movie. At first I thought it would be another example of an icon being soiled by a modern movie, but I was impressed with the execution, acting and scenery.
I left the theater though, somewhat dazed by what I saw. On one hand, it lived up to my expectations from a visual stand point. I can't imagine much of an improvement (although I've noticed how "soft" projection movies tend to be, compared to modern DVDs and higher definition). The settings, characters and acting was top notch!
On the other hand, my main gripes are how it started and ended. For those of us who haven't read the trilogy, it starts rather abruptly. By that I mean the viewer doesn't really have much of an idea of the legend of Bilbo Baggins nor Gandalf. I have to agree that the character development left a bit to be desired. Of course readers of the trilogy were first introduced to these people and places in The Hobbit. Even Frodo seems a bit thin as does many of the other characters. In fact, near the end, I found myself not caring entirely of the fate of Frodo. I found quite a bit more depth in the people he left behind, including Gandalf, who carries the first two-thirds. I would have liked more discussion between the members of the fellowship to bring out their histories and backgrounds. Perhaps the movie was faithful to the book in that regard, but I wished there was more.
Lastly, I had to remind myself that this was part one. Unlike other movies such as Star Wars and The Matrix, this is not a story in itself. It leaves you dangling over a cliff (like the book), and doesn't give you the satisfaction of any closure. That's not a complaint as much as it is a warning. I'm a big stickler with endings, and I was not entirely prepared for such a cliff! Each of the Star Wars movies had decent and appropriate endings, as does The Matrix, but TLOTR can't accomplish this.
In closing, I did enjoy the movie and recommend it to others with the caveat that it is just part one. Don't let go of that cliff, as I suspect good things from the next two.