a visual achievement, a screen-writing debacle

Rating: 1/10 (18 December 2002)

What a disappointment compared to FOTR.
Too much of the film focuses on King Theoden, in which he is misinterpreted through constantly driveling, mamsy-pamsy lines.
Too much of the film focuses on Eowyn, in which she is misinterpreted as a wallflower.
Faramir's character is completely misinterpreted. In the movie, he resembles his brother, not the cool, contemplative scholar/soldier nor the shadow of Aragorn as he was well delineated as being in the book.
Though Gimli provides some much enriching comic relief; by the end of the film, you get the feeling that he is used solely for comic relief.
Sure, all the visual craft is there. (Yea!) And Gollum's script and dramatic posturing are even more impressive than the masterful CGI rendering of him. (Yea!) The Ents are wonderfully captured. (Yea!) (Though the rescripting of their activities was another disappointment.)
I could rationalize the plot changes in LOTR, but as I watched this film, I was rationalizing a lot. My rationalizations stopped when the misinterpretation of Faramir, (and to a lesser extend) Theoden, and Eowen overwhelmed me into bitterness.
I was expecting this trilogy to be one for the ages. My expectations are shattered.