Gollum is freaking well awesome!

Rating: 7/10 (8 January 2003)

My friends say this movie mucks about with the original story too much. I haven't read the novels, so I can't comment on that - but even if my mates are right, should it really have ruined the entire film for them?
The movie has much to commend it, even if it's true that Pete Jackson has done more cutting, pasting and meddling than the hard core fans may have liked...
1) Top notch battle sequences.
2) Likeable hard-ass mythical characters. (My sister is wrong - Aragorn does have the edge over Legolas in my opinion.)
3) An awesome CGI character to keep you amused.
My one criticism of the trilogy thus far is the musical score. It's only okay - it needs at least two more easily identifiable recurring motifs. Anyway, that's my only gripe - who cares whether it's really elves or pixies or spirits of the forests who come to the rescue at Helm's Deep.