My world is made anew

Rating: 10/10 (18 December 2003)

I am, and always will be, an avid fan of Tolkien's books. I suppose I am different from some fans however, in that I don't mind changes made to the books when they're translated into movie.
I had high expectations upon entering the theatre last night. So high expectations that part of me was, perhaps, a little worried that I would be let down. From the moment that the movie started, though, until the very end - I was pinned to my seat with the realisation that no matter -what- my expectations had been, they were not ENOUGH. I could never have imagined the movie would stun me like it did. I went there thinking I would see a movie as great as my other favourite movies --
-- What I found was something so far BEYOND any of the movies I've ranked as my top movies previously, that to give it any rating I would actually have to go back and change the tens I've given to other flicks into fives. That's how much better it is. It's inconceivable. I'm not even entirely sure if I can rank it as a movie at all. It's more of an experience. An epiphany. Something else altogether, so well put together and so FLOWING that I must have cried through half of it, and sat with my hands clutched to my heart for the rest.
It is beyond me how someone could claim that fans of the books can't be fans of the movies. It is, in fact, beyond me how a fan of the book could NOT be pushed over the edge and into pure worship when seeing something so beautiful realised so gorgeously.
I adore you, Peter Jackson. I wish I could meet you, I wish I could shake your hand, and I wish I could somehow thank you for showing me something as unique as this. I wish I could thank [all] of the cast for their enormous performances, and that I could somehow show my gratitude to the script writers, Howard Shore, the musicians, the stunt crew, WETA, and anyone, everyone, and everybody who had even so much as a tiny part of making this complete.
So, thank you.