Outstanding!

Rating: 10/10 (17 December 2003)

Jackson transfers the spirit of Tolkien (in movie form) onto the big screen. Serkis is incredible as Gollum, Wood (and the makeup he wears has he becomes more weary) portrays the struggle of burdening the ring beautifully, and the end of the action is sped up but still done to a T.
I do not mind the inconsistencies, and people who complain of multiple endings shouldn't be angry: Jackson used about 1/20 of Tolkien's ending, and I was very grateful he cut this short. The quest to destroy the Ring is of utmost importance and Jackson transferred Tolkien's vision to the big screen. Jackson has a time limit, unlike Tolkien who could be as sentimental as he wanted to be without a page limit.
10/10, 4 stars, all my thumbs up, what have you. I went in expecting the greatest trilogy/action/fantasy/adventure movie of all time and left with all these--the power of all three, the beauty of the battle, the mystical creatures and settings, and the wonder of their peril--being fulfilled.