Great story; well adapted for enthusiasts but feels long for others.

Rating: 8/10 (7 October 2004)

Let me say first that after seeing Fellowship of the Ring, I went out and read the LOTR trilogy for the first time. I enjoyed it immensely, but I only read it once and not before I saw the first movie. So I might not be what you'd consider a true enthusiast.
From an Enthusiasts perspective:
There were a few disappointing momemts: the fact that Gandalf *still* didn't break Sarumon's staff on screen, and the way a lot of things were glossed over a bit. Additionally, there was way too much Legolas jumping around during battles. I understand they cost $9 million to make and not showing them would be effectively "wasting" $9 million, but there are more important things to show.
Finally, and this was known very early on so it wasn't a surprise, the conclusion of the trilogy was completely removed. This trilogy began and ended with the Hobbits. It began by exposing them as lovable but helpless characters, and ended showing them to be courageous and capable of addressing significant problems. The movies, however, focused a little more on the characters people love, and while I don't fault them for that, I do fault them for not trying to show the ending of the trilogy in any way whatsoever. As an enthusiast, I can't grade the movie on its own; I must rate it as a trilogy. And this trilogy would get 9.5 / 10.
From Joe's perspective:
Joe wouldn't be nearly as acquanted with the characters, and a lot of what this movie succeeds on for the enthusiasts plays off of that. This is still a good movie, if a bit broken up giving far too many "it's wrapping up" signals. Frodo spends far too much time crying (honestly, this dragged on), and the characters spend far too much time saying "farewell." Joe liked the movie, but gave it a 7.0 / 10 because there are movies he simply enjoys more.