Well done, but . . . .

Rating: 8/10 (25 December 2003)

I've read the books, and now I've seen the movies. Like the previous ones, this movie was an enormous accomplishment, with sweep and grandeur and pageantry and fantastically creative monsters. Unfortunately, they should have left about an hour of it on the cutting-room floor. I'm sure it'll win a bevy of Oscars and other awards, but for my money a movie such as "Mystic River" is "better."