As close to perfect as it could have been.

Rating: 10/10 (5 January 2003)

This was an excellent film. Most of the negative comments are from people who were miffed by how it strayed from the book, but you cannot reasonably judge how good a movie it was based on how closely it followed the book. The content of the book has nothing to do with whether or not it was a good movie, which it was. I too have read the book and am a big Tolkien fan. I was disappointed by the inaccuracies, but in and of itself this movie was nothing short of a ten. I have spoken to many people who have seen the film, and none have given negative feedback, even those who are Tolkien purists. I am of the belief that those who have given this film negative reviews are simply geeks looking for an excuse to show off their "extensive" knowledge of the books. Get over your self. This movie was great, whether or not it followed the book closely is beside the point.