Peerless

Rating: 10/10 (21 December 2003)

*Contains possible spoilers* Having seen this the morning after a hit and miss Christmas party,
with no food and no sleep, I felt pretty sick in the first few minutes.
So, heartbroken, sleep deprived and starving, the sight of
Smeagol's descent into madness as the one ring turned him into
Gollum was not the most appeasing of starts. But having waited with the rest of the world for two years to see this
conclusion, nausea would be kept at bay for the next three hours
and something. What unfolded was one of theose movies you remember forever,
despite it being just a day and a half since it was over. Hollywood is going to have a hard time recreating the level of
excellence on display here and although some bits were dubious -
Legolas on the Olymphant was a CGI lowpoint, the rest of the
movie was a stunning treat. Finally a director has told a story in
which computer effects, actors and craftsmen get the chance to
shine, none of which was at the expense of the story. There were far too many endings and Jackson could have done
with cutting 20 mins from the finale. However, you certainly get your money's worth and it deserves all
the praise and awards that will be heaped on it in the months that
follow.