Masterful effects and good direction

Rating: 8/10 (28 December 2003)

* May contain spoilers *
After seeing this film, I was very pleased. The acting was decent enough, the effects were great, and the plot was well thought out. My only qualms were various discrepancies from the books, directorial decisions, and the occasional hokiness of the acting. After I while watching the Lord of the Rings movies, I've begun to feel that the only real men in the world have long hair, lots of facial hair, are about 6'3", and speak like prize-winning orators all the time.
None of this detracted from the movie at all. In fact, it made it more somber in some ways. But for the amazing amount of people who haven't read the books (which I discovered was a very large amount indeed), the movies may seem darker than meant to be. For instance, Denethor and Faramir concerning Denethor's insanity, that seemed absolutely unexplained in the movie. The book would explain how Denethor's possession of a palantir had driven him mad after excessive viewings of Sauron's armies, etc.
The footage needed to explain this would have been seconds at most with few cuts, and I felt that the directorial decision to cut it in order to add lengthy endings was a poor call. You can't win them all, I suppose, but it's nice to dream. Otherwise, the movie on its own was phenomenal and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I recommend it to all, but be prepared for some slight disappointments if you have read the books.